Excessive packaging for food is a considerable source of waste, but it’s been difficult to find a substitute for providing nutritional information to customers. Enter Interiqr, a new development from students at Osaka University that uses 3D printing to embed QR codes in food. It’s common to use 3D printers to shape cookie dough and other foods, so Interiqr prints them with empty spaces in the middle that form QR codes. Any consumer can read the codes with their phone and find a page with all the relevant nutritional information. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
