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
 |
Space Yogurt Now Available On Earth
Space Yogurt from Himawari Dairy is now available in Japan. Himawari Dairy, a Kochi-area dairy manufacturer, reserved a seat aboard a Soyuz rocket that took off from Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 31st of this year. The "passengers" were two strains of bacteria: lactic acid bacteria used in ordinary yogurt and a unique strain of Lactobacillus paracasei cultured from pickles preserved in sake lees, which is thought to enhance the body's immunity to disease.
(Space Yogurt on sale, earthlings)
Cosmic radiation was expected to have an effect on the bacteria. “Lactic acid bacteria is delicate, so we are looking forward to seeing what happens,” says company president Bunjiro Yoshizawa. “It will be nice if space travel improves the yogurt’s flavor and boosts its immunity-enhancing properties.” After ten days in the harsh environment of rockets and near earth orbit, the samples were returned to the dairy for study.
According to Yoshizawa, about half of the bacteria died in the agar medium due to the harsh environment inside the rocket. However, the company claims that the strong, surviving bacteria gives the space yogurt a more full-bodied flavor than commonplace yogurts made with earthbound bacteria.
In Japanese, the yogurt is called Uchu O Tabi Shita Yogurt (literally: “yogurt that travelled in space”). You can get some for just one dollar per ninety grams; a space yogurt drink is also available for those on-the-go (astronauts, perhaps?).
Interested in unusual food technology stories?
- Programmable Soda - Ipifini's Choice-Enabled Packaging
A science fiction short story predicted this one; and it looks like a good consumer product. - Hungry? Print Yourself Some Bacon
If scientists can just about print organs, I can certainly print myself some bacon. - RFID-Maki: Easy Payment Sushi
In Japan, eating and automation go together like, well, like raw fish and rice.
I'm sure you'll enjoy reading about the dozens of science-fictional foods and related stories at Food in Science Fiction.
Learn more about space yogurt at Pink Tentacle and in this earlier article.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/1/2006)
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 ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Food ")
Holland Factory 3D Printing 500 Tons Of Steak Per Month
'...I don’t understand technical things — tell me, does it ever feel anything?" - Margaret St. Clair, 1955.
Robochef Robotic Food Prep
'No hand touched the food...' - Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1912.
Drone Deliveries Instead Of Waiters In Restaurants?
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'- H. Beam Piper, 1962.
SliceIt! Why Not Teach Robots To Use Knives?
'One building now gushed forth smoke and another stench that was unmistakable.' - Anne McCaffrey, 1996.
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
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...'
LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'
Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'
Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'
When Your Child's Best Friend Is An AI
'Figments of his mind in one sense, of course, for he had shaped them...'
China's Drone Mothership Can Carry 100 Drones
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...'
Drones Recharge In Mid-Air Like Jets Refuel!
'...nurse drones that would cruise around dumping large amounts of power into randomly selected pods.'
Australian Authors Reject AI Training Of Llama
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
Is China Mining Helium-3 On The Moon's Farside?
'...for months Grantline bores had dug into the cliff.'
Maybe It's Too Soon To Require Autonomous Mode
'I hope all those other cars are on automatic,' he said anxiously.
Is Agentic AI The Wrong Kind Of Smartness?
'It’s smart enough to go wrong in very complicated ways, but not smart enough to help us find out what’s wrong.'
