Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Sweet Wheat - No Sugar Added
Sweet wheat is a hybridized variety of wheat with twice the sugar of its ancestor. Japan’s National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and Nippon Flour Mills announced the development of the plant on December 12th.
(Sweet Wheat
From wheat to sweet)
The first of its kind, sweet wheat would reduce or eliminate the need to add sugar when it is used in cakes, baked goods or cereals. Sweet wheat is identical in appearance to common wheat, except that it withers and develops wrinkles when dehydrated.
Repeated breeding of wheat varieties with low levels of enzymes associated with starch production reduced starch levels - usually around 70% - down to 25%. The resulting sweet wheat has a much higher concentration of sugars like maltose and sucrose.
The new wheat should be available commercially in two or three years; researchers will use the intervening time to develop recipes.
This new development is not to be confused with wheatgrass, which is also sometimes called "sweet wheat." Wheatgrass is a plant (genus Agropyron) whose fresh leaf buds can be pressed to create a juice. The use of wheatgrass as a tonic dates from the early 1900's; Hungarian philosopher Edmund Bordeaux Szekely claimed to have translated an ancient manuscript in the Vatican archives that described its use by the Essenes in biblical times.
For other developments in futuristic plant use, see
- Tumblin' Tumbleweeds Lend Hand In Depleted Uranium Roundup
An early study indicates that the humble tumbleweed may be able to help humans round up depleted uranium from contaminated soil - Algae To Clean Atmosphere
Atmospheric cleansing by means of carefully selected algae has been suggested before by science fiction writers. - Earth Skunk Cabbage And Martian Desert Cabbage
SF writer Robert Heinlein also described cabbages that could regulate their internal temperature.
Via PinkTentacle.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/18/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 1 )
Related News Stories - (" Food ")
3D Printed Cheesecake Not Quite Food Replicator Quality
With each successive print, our model needed to incorporate more structural ingredients to minimize print failures
Porcine Fat Cells For 3D-Printed Whole Pork Products
'I grabbed two Syntho-Steaks out of the freezer...' - Robert Heinlein, 1950.
Microbial Protein Production More Efficient Than Crops
'It's the food situation I'm worried about...' - James Blish, 1950.
NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge!
What's your favorite science fictional space food? How about your favorite REAL space food?
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
18 Wheels Mutant Centipede Vehicle
'If a centipede were a dinosaur and made of metal to boot...'
Octopus Suckers Inspire Transdermal Patches
'...a capsule which he placed against his wrist.'
Robotic Hands Have More Than One Use
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
Space Weather To Universe Weather
'It radiates outward in a cone which, by the time it has reached our section of space, is many lightyears across.'
That's MOXIE! Terraforming Mars Baby Steps
'Drake was the young spatial engineer he employed to terraform the little rock.'
'No, I'm Not A Robot' - Robot
'... with a weird simulation of life, the ten forked ends of each arm commenced a rattling pressing of the buttons.'
Missing Jet Finally Found
Ah, what could have been - still in the future.
Philippines Coast Guard Cuts Chinese Barrier
'Each of the four areas is enclosed by a sonic wall...'
Barista Robot Perfects Latte Swirl With Multi-DOF Wriggle
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
Vendetta 2023 All-Terrain Skateboard Could Use Neal Stephenson's Smartwheels
'If you surf over a bump... If you surf over a pothole...'
Safe Street Rebel Autonomous Vehicle Luddites And Schachner's 1931 Robot-Deranger
'Then the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and they stood an instant transfixed...'
The Electric Balance Bicycle And The Decline Of Western Civilization
'Noiselessly, on rubber-tired wheels, they journeyed...'
'Droplet' Battery Microscale Power Pack
'...a power pack the size of a pea.'
ARX-5 Doing Robot Arm Dancing
It's Data's day - at last.
CD, DVD Bit Rot And PKD's Civic Notification Distorter
'...copy two of the original document no longer can be superimposed on copy one.'
Inbiodroid Prometheus 2.0 Telepresence Avatar Robot
My prize robot, tall, dashing would speak and act for me...
