Penn Museum: Ancient Egypt & Nubia Galleries – Opens Dec. 2026

Recommendable!

Researchers create world's smallest programmable, autonomous microrobots at submillimeter dimensions

Amazing stuff! Not all robots are humanoid! 😊

"... Barely visible to the naked eye, each robot measures about 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers, smaller than a grain of salt. Operating at the scale of many biological microorganisms, the robots could advance medicine by monitoring the health of individual cells and manufacturing by helping construct microscale devices.

Powered by light, the robots carry microscopic computers and can be programmed to move in complex patterns, sense local temperatures and adjust their paths accordingly. ..."

From the abstract 1 (emphasis added):

"Although miniaturization has been a goal in robotics for nearly 40 years, roboticists have struggled to access submillimeter dimensions without making sacrifices to onboard information processing because of the unique physics of the microscale. Consequently, microrobots often lack the key features that distinguish their macroscopic cousins from other machines, namely, on-robot systems for decision-making, sensing, feedback, and programmable computation.

Here, we take up the challenge of building a robot comparable in size to a single-celled paramecium that can sense, think, and act using onboard systems for computation, sensing, memory, locomotion, and communication.

Built massively in parallel with fully lithographic processing, these microrobots can execute digitally defined algorithms and autonomously change behavior in response to their surroundings.

Combined, these results pave the way for general-purpose microrobots that can be programmed many times in a simple setup and can work together to carry out tasks without supervision in uncertain environments."

From the significance and abstract 2 (emphasis added):

"Significance

Electrokinetic propulsion offers speed, simplicity, and reliable operation at the microscale, but, despite decades of research, current micromotors cannot incorporate on-board systems for sensing and information processing, limiting their usefulness.
Here, we point a way forward by demonstrating electrokinetic microrobots whose propulsion is directly controlled by onboard electronics, namely photovoltaic cells.

Although incorporation of complex circuits is reserved for future work, these initial demonstrations simplify design and control of electrokinetic microrobots, decoupling the chemical environment from the propulsive electric field, and operate in new environments like those with high conductivities or that lack specialized fuels. Long term, these actuators could enable fast, robust sub-millimeter robots that use onboard electronics to sense, think, and act all on their own.

Abstract

Semiconductor microelectronics are emerging as a powerful tool for building smart, autonomous sub-millimeter robots.

Yet a number of existing microrobot platforms, despite significant advantages in speed, robustness, power consumption, or ease of fabrication, have no clear path toward electronics integration, limiting their potential for intelligence.

Here, we show how to upgrade a class of self-propelled particles into electronically integrated microrobots, reaping the best of both platforms in a single design.

Inspired by electrokinetic micromotors, these robots generate electric fields in a surrounding fluid, and by extension propulsive electrokinetic flows.

The underlying physics is captured by a model in which robot speed is proportional to applied current, making design and control straightforward.

As proof, we build basic robots at the 100-micron scale that use rudimentary, on-board photovoltaic circuits and a closed-loop optical control scheme to navigate waypoints and move in coordinated swarms at speeds of up to one body length per second.

Broadly, the unification of micromotor propulsion with on-robot electronics invites future work to realize robust, fast, easy to manufacture, electronically programmable microrobots that remain operationally viable for months to years."

Researchers create world's smallest programmable, autonomous robots

Microscopic robots that sense, think, act, and compute (open access, 1)

Electrokinetic propulsion for electronically integrated microscopic robots (open access, 2)

Fig. 1 Fig. 1. Overview of the microrobot circuits.

Fig. 1 Electrokinetic propulsion for microrobots. 

The Witness movie of 1985 and the Amish people

When I saw this movie with Harrison Ford, I was about 14 years old. 

It was probably the most important trigger for my lasting interest in the Amish and Mennonite people living in America (here Lancaster county, Pennsylvania).

I was left speechless in disbelief about the simple life of the Amish people in America. I was very impressed! It was one of my motivations to immigrate to the US from Germany in 1995.

Let the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia ring! "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof"

The Amish and the Mennonites are an expression of American Exceptionalism! Or only in America!

Source [Unfortunately, neither Google nor Bing found better photos depicting this movie]

The History of Medical Museums

Recommendable!

Beer yeast waste spun into a promising sustainable yarn 50% stronger than wool and sold as "zero hunger"

I toast to that! Let's have another round of beer please! 😊 Or is this a case of being drunken with environmental virtue signalling?

I have my doubts whether this is cost effective and competitive.

Invented by students of the Pennsylvania State University. How many beers did they have before the light bulb went on?

"Yeast waste from breweries have been spun into textile fibres at a cost that could be affordable for clothing. A group in the US has reported that the fermented yeast proteins can be extracted and spun into a fibre stronger than wool. ...

at Pennsylvania State University, and his group have created an enzymatic process that breaks down cell walls in brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and converts the released proteins into insoluble aggregates. It taps a commercial enzyme mix used in food processing. ...

After the enzyme treatment, the protein pulp was dissolved, along with cellulose, in the aqueous organic solvent, N-methyl morpholine N-oxide. This is used in the industrial lyocell process that converts forestry pulp into fibres for more sustainable textiles. ..."

From the significance and abstract:

"Significance

“Zero Hunger” [???] requires innovative solutions that address the intricate relationships between food, water, and land use. One promising approach is to replace plant-based fibers, such as cotton, with fermentation-based fibers. By leveraging biomanufacturing, we can produce sustainable, high-performance fibers that do not compete with food crops for land, water, or nutrients. This shift would free up arable land for food production, enhance crop yields, and promote more efficient use of water resources. Moreover, fermentation-based fibers offer a reduced environmental footprint, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impact of textile production on ecosystems. By embracing biomanufacturing, we can make significant strides toward achieving the “Zero Hunger” goal, ensuring everyone can access nutritious food while promoting sustainable development goals.

Abstract

Biomanufactured fibers produced through fermentation processes provide a promising pathway to decouple textile production from agricultural land. This would free up arable land for food cultivation and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger [???].

Protein fibers from natural sources such as cocoon silk, collagen, and soy have attracted attention since the last century. However, commercial production declined with the rise of cheaper synthetic fibers and competition for food crops. Recently, renewed interest in protein fibers has emerged as a means to minimize plastic pollution, fueled by advances in fermentation, even though challenges related to yield, costs, and industrial spinning persist.

Here, we studied a lyocell-based technique for spinning protein fibers using yeast biomass purified through an enzymatic method. We demonstrated that the enzymatic approach produces insoluble proteins that can be continuously spun for over 100 h of production time.

Pilot-scale production exhibited stable spinning behavior with high viscosity and consistency quality. We achieved fiber fineness between 1.7 and 2.2 dtex, with strength values reaching 23 cN/tex, which is 50% higher than those of natural protein fibers such as wool.

Life cycle assessment indicates that fermentation-based protein fibers require significantly less land and water [???] than natural fibers while providing a reduced environmental footprint.

Techno-economic analysis indicates a cost of $6 per kilogram at a production rate of 6,750 t annually. Adopting biomanufacturing-based protein fibers marks a significant advancement toward a future where fiber needs are fulfilled without compromising the planet’s capacity to nourish its growing population."

Brewery waste yeast spun into affordable textile fibres stronger than wool | Chemistry World

Fermentation waste used to make natural fabric (original news release) "Fermented fibers could help reduce world hunger, fashion waste, researchers find"

Impact of biomanufacturing protein fibers on achieving sustainable development (no public access)

Beer waste to cover her waist! 😊 (Pardon my bad taste!)

"The yeast-based textile has a similar appearance to wool and clothes made from it are already being sold under the Sonachic brand"

Surrealism is better known for its strangeness than the radical politics and revolutionary ambitions of its creators

Recommendable! Surrealism one hundred years later! Fascinating!

"A large-scale exhibition of surrealism that first opened in Paris in 2024 will have its sole American iteration, “Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100,” at the Philadelphia Art Museum from Nov. 8, 2025, through Feb. 16, 2026. ..."

Surrealism is better known for its strangeness than the radical politics and revolutionary ambitions of its creators

Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100

The publication of André Breton’s ‘Manifesto of Surrealism’ in 1924 is considered the birth of the surrealist movement. 

The Secret Double (detail), 1927, by René Magritte

William Penn Was America's First Great Champion for Liberty and Peace

Very recommendable! Very impressive historical figure!

William Penn Was America's First Great Champion for Liberty and Peace

Credits: Prometheus newsletter

Climate Alarmist scientist Michael Mann reposted Charlie Kirk 'Head of Trump's Hitler Youth' and retracted quickly when caught

So this phony, activist scientist is nasty too! Seems, he has learnt little from his controversial hockey stick scandal (Mann omitted the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age).

"... After facing heavy backlash, the UPenn professor deleted his post, claiming he “overlooked” the hateful smear. ...

In additional posts, Mann, who earlier this year called for citizens to take up arms and form a militia against President Trump, downplayed Kirk’s horrific and gruesome assassination by bizarrely referring to it as “white on white violence” that has “gotten out of hand.”

The climate professor‘s repost also falsely claimed that Kirk had “direct involvement in Jan 6 planning and incitement.” ..."

UPenn Stands by Climate Alarmist Michael Mann, Who Called Charlie Kirk 'Head of Trump's Hitler Youth' "The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is standing by one of its prominent professors, climate alarmist Michael Mann, who shared a post calling Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk the “head of Trump’s Hitler youth” after his assassination."

The infamous hockey stick chart from 1999!

Does Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum have to return old specimen to Native Americans?

These specimen were collected a very long time ago as I suspect!

The ideology of racism at work! When political correctness goes to far!

What about the grandfather rule?

"... The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest private medical society in the U.S. and the group that oversees the Museum, released an official human remains policy earlier this month. The policy, the product of a two-year-long “Postmortem Project” to review the collection and speak with communities implicated within it, outlines ethical guidelines for the museum going forward. Key points include that the museum will aim to add context and biographical details to more of its specimens and that further human remains will only be accepted if donated by a living person or offered by their descendants.

The museum will also work to reverse the lasting effects of medical racism [???] by returning specimens to communities that may not have given their consent in the medical process or acquisition of remains. This includes Native American communities, to whom roughly 50 museum specimens are connected and may be returned in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. ..."

From the Human Remains Policy:

"... 1.5 Indigenous Americans

1.5A Repatriation of materials associated with Indigenous Americans will be conducted in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Pub. L. 101-601, 25 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq., 104 Stat. 3048 (1990). ..."

ScienceAdviser

Mütter Matters (College of Physicians of Philadelphia news release)

Engineers Turn Toxic Fungus into Anti-Cancer Compound killing leukemia cells

Good news! Cancer is history (soon)!

"... After isolating a new class of molecules from Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus linked to deaths in the excavations of ancient tombs, the researchers modified the chemicals and tested them against leukemia cells. The result? A promising cancer-killing compound that rivals FDA-approved drugs and opens up new frontiers in the discovery of more fungal medicines. ...

The therapy in question is a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs, ... The name refers to how the compound is produced — by the ribosome ... and the fact that it is modified later, in this case, to enhance its cancer-killing properties.

“Purifying these chemicals is difficult,” ... While thousands of RiPPs have been identified in bacteria, only a handful have been found in fungi. ...

After purifying four different RiPPs, the researchers found the molecules shared a unique structure of interlocking rings. The researchers named these molecules, which have never been previously described, after the fungus in which they were found: asperigimycins. 

Even with no modification, when mixed with human cancer cells, asperigimycins demonstrated medical potential: two of the four variants had potent effects against leukemia cells. ..."

From the abstract:

"Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a promising source of new pharmaceuticals, yet the therapeutic potential of fungal RiPPs remains largely underexplored.

Here we report asperigimycins as a distinct class of fungal RiPPs, featuring a unique heptacyclic scaffold consisting of a benzofuranoindoline core and three additional macrocycles, primarily assembled by six distinct fungi-specific DUF3328 oxidases.

Inspired by the enhancement of anticancer activity through the N-terminal pyroglutamate in naturally occurring asperigimycins C and D, we chemically modify the inactive asperigimycin B with a series of lipid substitutions at its N-terminus.

A derivative with a C-11 linear fatty acid, 2-L6, achieves nanomolar anticancer potency comparable to that of clinically approved antileukemia drugs.

High-throughput CRISPR screening identifies the SLC46A3 transporter as a critical factor mediating 2-L6 cellular uptake into human cells.

Our findings highlight the promise of engineering asperigimycins as therapeutic leads for cancer treatment."

Fungus from King Tut's tomb may fight leukemia

Penn Engineers Turn Toxic Fungus into Anti-Cancer Compound (original news release)

A class of benzofuranoindoline-bearing heptacyclic fungal RiPPs with anticancer activities (no public access)

Adding lipids to the newly discovered chemicals helped the asperigimycins enter cells.

Greg Kelly: 'People are lying' at the Secret Service

Recommendable! How much did the Secret Service screw up in Butler, PA? Too much!

These SS agents are only suspended for a few day? What!!!

Trans swimmer Lia Thomas stripped of titles after Penn University caves to Trump administration

Good news! Bravo! About time!

As a female swimmer I would have refused/boycotted to compete against this biological male. It is astonishing to me that to this day so few if any female athletes don't do that!

The UnitedHealthcare CEO killer was arrested in Altoona, PA and the office of his attorney is located in Altoona, PA

What a strange coincidence! Or was it planned by the killer?

Life is stranger than fiction!

I blogged here about the killer's arrest in Altoona, PA.

"Meet Thomas Dickey, the freewheeling small-town attorney representing Luigi Mangione.

The Altoona, Pa., lawyer has practiced criminal law for 40-plus years, and he’s one of the few private attorneys in the area with experience defending clients accused of murder and other violent crimes, colleagues said. Mangione was arrested Monday at a local McDonald’s after a nationwide manhunt; he faces firearm, forgery and other charges in Pennsylvania. In New York, Mangione is charged with second-degree murder in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione is fighting extradition."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

Thomas M. Dickey, Tom Dickey Law Offices, P.C. 308 Orchard Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602

A McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pa., saw the UnitedHealthcare CEO killer suspect eating and called police

Good news! Bravo! I hope, the employee will be handsomely rewarded!

"Police arrested a person of interest in the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO after a dayslong manhunt.

A McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pa., saw Luigi Mangione eating and called police, the NYPD said. The 26-year-old was arrested on firearms charges (🔐 read for free). Mangione had a firearm suppressor, a ghost gun, a fake ID that matched the one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel and a handwritten document showing “ill will toward corporate America,” police said. Brian Thompson was fatally shot Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel. While searching for the gunman, authorities faced an unanticipated challenge: an outpouring of popular sympathy for him."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

'IT'S ASTONISHING': John Fetterman warns of PA's enthusiasm for Trump

They are saying, there are Amish buggy rallies going on for Trump!

Donald Trump surprises McDonald's customers at a drive-through and he prepared the French fries

Not a bad move! Mistress Kamala claimed she once worked at a McDonald's, but no proof so far.

Several hundreds of thousands of Non-citizen Voting Could Affect Outcome in These 7 Swing States

Mind boggling!

Add to this the enormously flawed and inaccurate voter rolls in many states. I recently blogged here, here about it.

Remember, in Arizona less than 12,000 votes determined the winner in the 2020 presidential elections.

"Noncitizens number in the hundreds of thousands in each of the seven most fiercely contested battleground states expected to decide the Nov. 5 presidential election, and research suggests more than 1 million of them could vote nationally if past voting patterns continue. ...

Of the seven battleground states, 

Georgia has the largest number of adult noncitizens at 787,588 ...

North Carolina follows with 726,079 noncitizens, ...

The third highest number of noncitizens in a battleground state is 

Arizona, with 611,717 ages 18 or older. ...

Pennsylvania has 516,123 voting-age noncitizens ...

Michigan has 271,138. 

Nevada is next with 258,736 and 

Wisconsin, with 129,600, has the smallest number of noncitizens among the seven swing states ..."

Noncitizen Voting Could Affect Outcome in These 7 Swing States

House Oversight probes Ukraine President Zelensky swing state trip to Pennsylvania on military plane amid elections. Really!

Oh, those terrible busybodies in the U.S. Congress! What is the point!

House Oversight probes Ukraine President Zelensky swing state trip on military plane amid elections | Just The News "The trip followed several public comments by the Ukrainian leader criticizing GOP nominee Donald Trump and his running mate."

The Story of Humanizing the Homeless (Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia)

Recommendable! I once used to live very close to this tiny, special museum.

Potential Vice President pick Governor Josh Shapiro has a reputation for getting things done in Pennsylvania across the aisle

Would be a very clever move by the Dimocratic Party to pair up the extreme leftist Mistress Kamala with a, what appears to be, a centrist governor of a swing state!

If he is such a great politician or governor why is he not running for president himself and challenges Mistress Kamala to be the candidate?

If he has any spine and respect, he turns down to become a vice president candidate with Mistress Kamala! To use his reportedly favorite phrase: Don't let more shit happen in the White House!

"... An important part of his rise is his “get shit done” mentality, the phrase he readily uses to describe his approach to politics.

Who is Josh Shapiro? And what might his experience with building consensus in the swing state of Pennsylvania mean in the current veepstakes? ..."

Gov. Josh Shapiro has a reputation for getting things done in Pennsylvania – but not necessarily things all Democrats like