COP29 and KitKats dipped in ketchup 🍫🍅

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Read time today: 2 minutes 39 seconds

Hi friend 👋,

it’s Friday morning and you are reading VITAMIN C.

Last week, I was in sunny Los Angeles with a German political delegation. The mood? Surprisingly positive!

Even with Trump looming over the next four years and the global climate at stake, the Americans I spoke with seemed optimistic about the future.

Meanwhile, back in Germany, the mood? Let’s just say it’s a lot gloomier.

This week, world leaders gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, for COP29. The stakes for climate action couldn’t be higher.

So much to unpack today—grab a coffee (or a lemonade), and let’s dive in! 🍋

1. [Food for Thought] 🌍🍔 Irony at COP29: Plastic-Wrapped $30 Beef Burgers?

COP29 claims to champion international climate protection 🌍, but the food scene tells a different story.

Think $30 plastic-wrapped beef burgers, endless coffee, and so much alcohol it feels more like a happy hour than a climate conference.

For the full rundown, check out Nika Moeini's post here.

2. [Science] 🥗🧠 Leafy Greens: The Secret Brain Hack You Didn’t Know You Needed

Alright, here’s the deal: if you want to keep your brain in top shape, load up on leafy greens. I’m talking spinach, kale, collard greens—the dark, serious stuff.

The brilliant neurologist Dean Sherzai, swears by it, and research backs him up.

A blockbuster study from 2018 found that eating just one or two servings of greens daily made brains perform up to 11 years younger than those of people who skipped the salad aisle.

11 years younger brain? I’m definitely going to make a lot of kale chips this holiday season :)

What’s the secret? It’s all about chlorophyll—the green stuff plants use to grow.

Read the full article on Business Insider.

3. [Climate Warriors] ‍🍄‍🌱 Can Dirt Save the Planet?

Imagine this: Farmers using fungi to turn soil into a massive carbon sponge.

Loam Bio, an Australian startup, has figured out how to coat seeds with fungal spores that grab carbon from the air and lock it underground—essentially turning dirt into a carbon vault.

It’s simple for farmers and potentially game-changing for the climate. Not only could it boost soil health and crop yields, but it might also transform agriculture from a carbon culprit into a climate hero.

But let’s keep it real: skeptics argue this is a band-aid, not a cure for our climate addiction to fossil fuels.

Still, it’s a promising step—and if it works, we might just find ourselves rooting for the humble dirt under our feet.

Read the full article in the New York times.

4. [Science] 🤖 A Glimpse Into the Future of Home Robots

Imagine a robot that can handle a full range of chores at home - unloading the dryer, folding laundry, and even cleaning a cluttered table. That's the dream Physical Intelligence, a San Francisco-based startup, is bringing closer to reality.

Their AI model, pi-zero, has been trained on massive amounts of robotic data, allowing it to manage various household tasks with surprising skill.

While it’s not perfect (sometimes it flings things instead of stacking them 😂), this “foundation model” for physical intelligence could mark a major leap in how AI can adapt to unpredictable human environments.

Curious to learn more? Check out the full article on Wired.

 5. [Fun] 🍫🍅 KitKat dipped in ketchup and other weird food cravings of 2024

Uber Eats just released its annual Cravings Report, and it’s a wild ride through the strangest food combinations customers ordered this year.

From scallops with boiled eggs to KitKats dipped in ketchup, people’s cravings got seriously inventive. Late-night orders topped the list, with customers embracing everything from pickles on pancakes to peanut butter on pizza.

How brave are you - would you try any of these funky combos?

The full list is here.

Have a great day,
Lia

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