Blog

Fly Farming Could Revolutionize Animal Feed

You've heard it before. Insect farming is the solution to our world's food problems. But wait, we don't have to eat them!
(although the environmental impact would still be less)
Several companies around the world have already begun feeding maggots, or fly larvae, to chickens, pigs, fish and even dogs.

Wei Xie -January 17, 2021

How One South African Entrepreneur Hopes to Make Millions From MaggotsSelf-described Eco-Capitalist Jason Drew of AgriProtein is farming flies to feed the world, clean up waste, and make a mint in the process

We Took a Little Field Trip to a BC Farm Raising Millions of Maggots | The TyeeThe way agri-biz feeds pets, poultry and fish is devouring Earth. David Suzuki helped invent a hopeful alternative, and we paid a visit.

InnovaFeed set to build "world's largest" fly farmInnovaFeed has announced plans to build “the world’s largest insect protein production site” with ADM in the US.

Wei Xie - December 3, 2020

Coronavirus and newfound fame: German biotechs in the spotlight | DW | 24.11.2020Two German companies are at the forefront in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine. But the potential of top German research could be used much more effectively, especially with the right level of investment.

Wei Xie -November 25, 2020

Source: ValueLine

How to make money with AI in 2030 | DW | 18.11.2020Research in artificial intelligence is turning to money-making mass applications for consumers in the physical world. The next 10 years could be crucial.

Wei Xie -November 25, 2020

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Coronavirus: Can vitamins really help with a COVID-19 infection? | DW | 23.11.2020There are a growing number of studies looking at the effect of micronutrients on people infected with SARS-CoV-2. Vitamin D seems to be a promising candidate for reducing the severity of COVID-19. DW looks at the facts.

Wei Xie -November 25, 2020

Promoting health and well-being during the coronavirus pandemic | DW | 25.11.2020As European countries go into a COVID-19-induced lockdown again amid a cold, dark winter, people will be spending even more time indoors. Small changes in your home can make you mentally healthier.

How a Few Changes in Your Home can Make a Big Difference

Sometimes, it's difficult to notice the changes that could improve your mental well-being.

Wei Xie -November 25, 2020

UN: Greenhouse gas levels hit record high despite lockdowns | DW | 23.11.2020Many scientists hoped for the biggest annual fall in man-made emissions this year due to coronavirus measures which have grounded planes and kept commuters at home. But the UN described such a forecast as a "tiny blip."

Wei Xie -November 23, 2020

Non-Profits CEPI, Gavi and WHO Targeting Vaccine Inequality with COVAX Program

Small group of rich nations have bought up more than half the future supply of leading COVID-19 vaccine contenders | Oxfam International

Even if all five vaccines succeed, ~61% of the world will not have a vaccine until at least 2022.

The Industrial Revolution of the Seas

Automated fish farms, underwater probes and mass-scale sensor networks making aquaculture more sustainable, helping better understand underwater ecosystems and even helping discover new medicines.

Wei Xie -November 18, 2020

12 robots that could make (or break) the oceansRapid progress in the development of robotics, AI, low-cost sensors, satellite systems, big data and genetics are opening up whole new sectors of ocean use and research.

8 digital technologies disrupting aquacultureAquaculture, also known as aqua farming, is believed to have first begun around 4,000 years ago in China with the production of carp and is now the fastest-growing animal food production sector in

Google and Facebook profit from reliable journalism. They should help pay for itThe viability of publishing credible news has become seriously challenging over the last number of years in Canada and around the world. Newspapers, television and radio have all experienced . . .

Wei Xie -November 17, 2020

Why you won't need to eat insects to save the planetBillions of people have insects in their diet already. But we'll always have another option: using the food chain.

Why Haven't Insects Taken Off?

Wei Xie -November 16, 2020

What's stopping us from eating insects?In non-Western cultures insects are an important food source, providing proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Where eating insects is a norm, people can tell the difference between good insects and bad insects and identify seasonal differences in arthropodal food choices (when to harvest larval states, which adults to avoid, etc.) So why are Americans so averse to this food source?

How Corona is Stressing Family Tensions

Wei Xie -November 16, 2020

Is Covid-19 changing our relationships?As China emerges from quarantine, what can we learn from how people’s relationships and friendships have fared?

Omnipork Going for China

Wei Xie -November 16, 2020

Carbon Nanotubes may Continue Moore's Law after Silicon

Wei Xie -November 15, 2020

Computer chips from carbon nanotubes, not silicon, mark a milestoneSilicon has been king of cutting-edge electronics. But that reign may soon end, with carbon nanotubes taking silicon’s place.

Fungal Mycelium Makes for Sustainable 'Leather'

Wei Xie -November 15, 2020

Vegan leather made from mushrooms could mould the future of sustainable fashionGoing from a single spore to a finished fungi-derived leather product takes a couple of weeks. But raising a cow to maturity for bovine leather can take several years.

Major fashion houses will sell products made from mushroom leather by next yearAdidas, Stella McCartney, Lululemon and Gucci parent company Kering have teamed up to invest in a novel material called Mylo, which is grown from mushroom mycelium but can rival the look and feel of animal leather.

‘Artificial intelligence won't replace humans’The head of a new centre for AI research in Zurich wants to make sure that the technology supports people, not replaces them.

AI Will Not Replace All Jobs

Wei Xie -November 13, 2020

Why AI Can Never Replace a Good Employee | OpenMind7 reasons why artificial intelligence will never replace the job of a good employee.

Is Plant-Based Meat Really All that Utopian?

Wei Xie -November 13, 2020

Will plant-based meat become the new fast food? | DW | 13.11.2020McDonald’s introduction of the "McPlant" product line is further proof that meat alternatives are here to stay. But can they really replace meat in the long run?

Why the world should take note of the Swiss apprenticeship modelSome consider the system the “gold standard” in vocational training.

What the World Can Learn from Swiss Vocational Education

Wei Xie -November 12, 2020

BioNTech/Pfizer Vaccine Trials: A Participant's Perspective

Wei Xie -November 12, 2020

BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine trial participant speaks to DW | DW | 11.11.2020EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine as the most promising so far, although it's important to note that testing is not yet complete. A student from Berlin who's been taking part in the phase 3 trials told DW what it was like.

Germany's vaccine pioneer BioNTech still unprofitable, but maybe not for longer | DW | 10.11.2020A day after BioNTech announced it had developed a vaccine against COVID-19, the German firm unveiled earnings that far from match its scientific achievement. But its fortunes could soon be turning around.

Vaccine Pioneer BioNTech May Profit from Scientific Achievement

Wei Xie -November 10, 2020

Black in Berlin: Tech Workers Improving Diversity through Network

Wei Xie -November 10, 2020

Black in Berlin: Group seeks more diversity in tech industryBERLIN (AP) — The beginning of 2019 is when Kave Bulambo really started to wonder: Where are all the Black software engineers in Berlin? Bulambo, who grew up in South Africa and moved to...

Early Winter in Vancouver 2020 - A CollageThis fall has been an absolute beauty of a hundred colours, here in Vancouver. I hope you enjoy this collage I made as we enter into winter!

Wei Xie -November 8, 2020

Coronavirus vaccine 90% effective, say Pfizer and German company BioNTech | DW | 09.11.2020A vaccine jointly developed by German company BioNTech and US firm Pfizer has proven to be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 infections, according to phase 3 trials.

Wei Xie -November 9, 2020

Video: UVC Light can Help Fight Coronavirus

Wei Xie -November 9, 2020

UVC technology could help fight coronavirus | DW | 09.11.2020Ultraviolet light is already used in air conditioning systems and for disinfection in hospitals. Several scientific studies are now showing that UVC radiation can effectively kill viruses and may help fight the pandemic.

Germany's coronavirus app goes international and gets a boost | DW | 23.10.2020Germany's coronavirus tracking app is becoming increasingly compatible with networks outside Germany. Experts believe that as infection rates continue to rise, the app will grow in importance.

Germany's Coronavirus Tracking App goes Global

Wei Xie -November 9, 2020

Swiss Participation in WHO's COVID Vaccine Plan

Wei Xie -November 9, 2020

Why Swiss participation in WHO’s Covid-19 vaccine plan matters As the second coronavirus wave makes finding vaccines even more urgent, we look at Swiss participation in the WHO's vaccine pool.

Earth Observer Sentinel-1: Satellites with radar vision | DW | 06.11.2020ESA's Sentinel-1 mission monitors changes on Earth with millimeter precision. The deformation of the land surface, its subsidence, rapid urbanization — nothing happens unseen and above all, not without reason.

What Europe's Earth Observer Sentinel Satellites See

Wei Xie -November 8, 2020

Human Body's Immune Response to Covid

Wei Xie -November 8, 2020

The T-cell immune response to covid lasts at least six monthsThat is good news

Abu Dhabi Invests in Parking Lot for Food Delivery Startup

Wei Xie -November 8, 2020

Abu Dhabi’s Wealth Fund Invests in SoftBank-Backed Tech Startup - BNN BloombergMubadala Investment Co. led a $700 million funding round for a technology startup backed by SoftBank Group Corp., as the Abu Dhabi wealth fund diversifies its portfolio away from oil.

Deutsche Welle: Indian Women Entrepreneurs Beating COVID

Wei Xie -November 6, 2020

Coronavirus: How India's women entrepreneurs are beating the odds | DW | 30.10.2020In India, a nationwide coronavirus shutdown brought many businesses to near dissolution. But some Indian women have found novel ways to keep their businesses afloat. Seerat Chabba reports from New Delhi.

Fundraising for the Children's Hospital

I'm currently raising funds for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation by selling reusable shopping bags I designed. I'll be selling them to local shops, and anyone else interested.

If you or anyone you know are interested, please contact me at wei.tom.xie@gmail.com! Please pass this on to anyone you know would be interested. Thanks!

Wei Xie - October 16, 2020

The Struggle of Watchmakers

Wei Xie -November 4, 2020

Smartwatches: a ticking timebomb for watchmakers?Forty years after Japanese quartz watches brought the Swiss watch industry to its knees, the sector faces a new challenge in the “smartwatch”.

Remembrance in Fall

With Remembrance Day approaching, I wanted to share a poem I wrote, Remembrance in Fall.

Wei Xie - November 3, 2020

The (Arguable) Decline of Bally

Wei Xie -November 3, 2020

Bally keeps in step with the timesA region in northern Switzerland lived and worked in harmony with the Bally shoe factory. The rest as they say is history.

Credit: Emmanuel Lafont

How will Corona Change Work in the Long Run?

BBC asks various experts, from professors to LinkedIn Chief Economist Karin Kimbrough

Wei Xie - November 1, 2020

Credit: Corina Staffe

Why Melting Glaciers Affect Us All

Wei Xie - November 1, 2020

Electric Airplanes Taking Off

Swiss Pipistrel's Velis Electro completes its "maiden flight"

Wei Xie - October 30, 2020

Marc Corpataux who runs AlpinAirPlanes with his new Pipistrel Velis Electro plane. Source: Pipistrel

Spread of new variant, Credit: University of Basel

New COVID Variant Spreading through Europe

"... very few of these variants have spread as successfully... named 20A.EU1"

Wei Xie - November 1, 2020

The Corn of the Future Is Hundreds of Years Old and Makes Its Own Mucus

A rare variety of maize that makes its own nitrogen.

Wei Xie - October 30, 2020

Photo: Howard-Yana Shapiro

A bio-inspired web made of silk nano fibers, 2 to 3 cm in width. (Credit: Silk Lab Tufts University)

Bioinspired Process Makes Ultra Light and Strong Materials of All Sizes

"Ultralight web of silk nano fibres withstands load 4,000 times its weight."

"Structural proteins are nature’s building blocks... A major obstacle to fabricating comparable synthetic materials is natural materials' hierarchical structure which confers unique properties from the molecular to the macro level. When scientists try to emulate this structure, they often find that control at one scale hinders control at other scales."

Wei Xie - October 30, 2020

My Experience at UBC's PIEE Lab

Wei Xie - October 28, 2020

Source: Smart Farming In Agriculture Sector by jack Matthew

"Agriculture 4.0"
Tech Revolutions in Farming

Wei Xie - October 28, 2020

Advances in data analytics, AI, robotics, gene editing and biotechnology are changing farms. They have the potential to drastically increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact, but are we thinking critically enough?

Check out the above links to find out!

Microfluidic Channels for Better Chip Cooling

Designing electronic chips for microfluidic cooling

In a nutshell, targeting individual parts in the chip with super narrow water channels, instead of cumbersomely moving all the heat through the entire chip and blowing cold air over the whole thing, as is the case now.

Wei Xie - October 27, 2020

Source: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2666-1

Space Station Science Highlights

Ageing, Food and the Body's Adaptation in Space

Wei Xie - October 26, 2020

Source: NASA

SkyAR

Dynamic Sky Replacement and Harmonization in Videos

Wei Xie - October 26, 2020

Source: UPS Battery Centre

Solar energy becomes biofuel without solar cells

Using cyanobacteria to produce biofuels from sunlight, CO2 and water

Wei Xie - October 26, 2020

New beer created using artificial intelligence

Wei Xie - October 16, 2020

BC COVID-19 Dashboard

Super helpful COVID-19 overview & data explorer for BC!

Wei Xie

Exercises to Keep Fit During COVID

Hey guys, I made this video with a particular focus on elders back in March.

In it, I demonstrate very simple exercises based on traditional Chinese medicine that anyone can do anywhere.

Wei Xie - October 16, 2020

Coping with Pandemic Fatigue

"A WHO survey found that up to 60% of Europeans are becoming irritated with government restrictions, and sometimes reluctant to follow them."

Wei Xie - October 16, 2020

COVID and Pollution

Wei Xie - October 15, 2020

Swiss Factory to Produce Vaccine for Moderna

Wei Xie - October 15, 2020

Source: The Economic Times

Covid and Bank Notes

Wei Xie - October 13, 2020

Wondering how you can keep safe from COVID-19? Check out this article on Corona and surfaces.

CTV News: "A new study looking at how long the novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces found that it can remain infectious on some surfaces -- including bank notes -- for at least 28 days, provided the temperature is right."

Source: FDA

The 4 Main Types of COVID-19 Vaccines

Wei Xie - October 13, 2020

Blog

Fly Farming Could Revolutionize Animal Feed

How a Few Changes in Your Home can Make a Big Difference

Sometimes, it's difficult to notice the changes that could improve your mental well-being.

Non-Profits CEPI, Gavi and WHO Targeting Vaccine Inequality with COVAX Program

The Industrial Revolution of the Seas

Automated fish farms, underwater probes and mass-scale sensor networks making aquaculture more sustainable, helping better understand underwater ecosystems and even helping discover new medicines.

Why Haven't Insects Taken Off?

How Corona is Stressing Family Tensions

Carbon Nanotubes may Continue Moore's Law after Silicon

Fungal Mycelium Makes for Sustainable 'Leather'

AI Will Not Replace All Jobs

Is Plant-Based Meat Really All that Utopian?

What the World Can Learn from Swiss Vocational Education

BioNTech/Pfizer Vaccine Trials: A Participant's Perspective

Vaccine Pioneer BioNTech May Profit from Scientific Achievement

Black in Berlin: Tech Workers Improving Diversity through Network

Video: UVC Light can Help Fight Coronavirus

Germany's Coronavirus Tracking App goes Global

Swiss Participation in WHO's COVID Vaccine Plan

What Europe's Earth Observer Sentinel Satellites See

Human Body's Immune Response to Covid

Abu Dhabi Invests in Parking Lot for Food Delivery Startup

Deutsche Welle: Indian Women Entrepreneurs Beating COVID

The Struggle of Watchmakers

The (Arguable) Decline of Bally

BBC asks various experts, from professors to LinkedIn Chief Economist Karin Kimbrough

Electric Airplanes Taking Off

Swiss Pipistrel's Velis Electro completes its "maiden flight"

"... very few of these variants have spread as successfully... named 20A.EU1"

A rare variety of maize that makes its own nitrogen.

"Ultralight web of silk nano fibres withstands load 4,000 times its weight."

"Agriculture 4.0"Tech Revolutions in Farming

Microfluidic Channels for Better Chip Cooling

Designing electronic chips for microfluidic cooling

Ageing, Food and the Body's Adaptation in Space

Dynamic Sky Replacement and Harmonization in Videos

Using cyanobacteria to produce biofuels from sunlight, CO2 and water

BC COVID-19 Dashboard

Exercises to Keep Fit During COVID

"Agriculture 4.0"
Tech Revolutions in Farming