Exploring Shijian-19 with NotebookLM (GotG63) – The Unconventional Gardener

[Orbital Gardens, this is Mission Control. We are confirming acquisition of your signal. You are live in 5, 4, 3, 2, ….

Hello, and welcome to Gardeners of the Galaxy, the podcast for all of the sentient beings in the Universe who have a passion for plants. I’m Emma the Space Gardener, and I will be your host as we explore gardening on Earth… and beyond!]

It’s two years now since I attempted to have a sequence of conversations with the new-fangled ChatGPT about area crops. I discovered that it was a bit uninteresting, had no creativeness, wouldn’t hypothesise concerning the future, and nicely… couldn’t get its info straight.

Since then, my emotions about ChatGPT haven’t modified. It’s horrible with factual content material, making stuff up left, proper and centre, after which making up references to again itself up. It’s significantly better than I’m at making up click-bait headlines, though I’m undecided that’s a great factor!

Nonetheless, ChatGPT is on no account the one AI on the town. I used to be lately launched to Google’s NotebookLM by astrobotanist Richard Barker (who has simply moved to Purdue College to work on LEAF, the undertaking to develop crops on the Moon throughout the Artemis III mission, which is superior).

Anyway, NotebookLM is completely different, in that you simply feed it info. You create a pocket book and add sources, whether or not that’s giving it hyperlinks to net pages and YouTube movies, linking it as much as your Google Docs and Slides, or copying and pasting in textual content from elsewhere.

NotebookLM will offer you a brief abstract of the data it has ingested, and you may ask it questions. The important thing level about its solutions is that they refer again to the supply materials – you may click on on a quotation, and it’ll take you proper to the paragraph in query. So you may see that it’s not making it up, and double-check every part. In actual fact, Google recommends that you simply do – there’s a sentence on the backside of the web page that reads “NotebookLM could make errors, so double-check it.”

NotebookLM even suggests questions you would possibly prefer to ask, and it can save you its responses into Notes so that you simply don’t lose them while you exit (the Chat tends to reset).

The Pocket book Information can generate an FAQ, research information, desk of contents, timeline and briefing doc, and it’ll add these to your saved notes.

And a latest addition creates an Audio Overview, within the type of a podcast wherein two AI hosts have a energetic dialogue concerning the materials you have got supplied. (This characteristic is barely accessible in English for the second.) Google notes that the “generated discussions should not a complete or goal view of a subject, however merely a mirrored image of the sources that you simply’ve uploaded.”

I assumed I’d strive it out, and the next dialog is certainly one of these audio overviews, created on the subject of the recoverable and reusable Shijian-19 satellite tv for pc China lately launched, and the seeds it took to area.

–x—

Feminine AI voice (03:08):

All proper. Get able to discover one thing unimaginable. House breeding. We’ve acquired this assortment of articles all about China sending seeds to area and … get this… creating model new, like, improved crops.

Male AI voice (00:00:13):

Yeah, it’s wild, proper? This concept has gone from science fiction to, nicely, precise science.

Feminine AI voice (00:00:18):

Completely. And we’re going to interrupt all of it down for you.

Male AI voice (00:00:20):

We’ll cowl the Shijian-19 mission, the potential this tech has for agriculture.

Feminine AI voice (00:00:25):

It may change the way forward for meals.

Male AI voice (00:00:27):

Yeah, I imply, China has been a pioneer in area breeding for like many years now.

Feminine AI voice (00:00:32):

And the Shijian-19 mission, that’s an enormous step ahead, proper?

Male AI voice (00:00:35):

It’s enormous. Effectively, have a look at what makes it so particular, why everyone seems to be so serious about it.

Feminine AI voice (03:47):

Let’s begin with the fundamentals, the mission itself.

Male AI voice (00:00:41):

Okay.

Feminine AI voice (00:00:42):

Shijian-19 launched September twenty seventh, 2024, and it got here again to Earth protected and sound on October eleventh. I feel it’s tremendous cool that this was the primary launch for this kind of satellite tv for pc, , the Shijian sequence, developed by the China Academy of House Expertise.

Male AI voice (00:00:57):

Actually spectacular.

Feminine AI voice (00:00:58):

They’ve mainly constructed a reusable area truck that may haul over 500 kilograms of stuff forwards and backwards.

Male AI voice (00:01:05):

Consider it like a supply service for area experiments.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:09):

That’s a good way to place it.

Male AI voice (00:01:10):

And on this case, the bundle was seeds.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:14):

Not simply any seeds, although.

Male AI voice (00:01:15):

Oh, undoubtedly not. These had been particular chosen for this factor known as area breeding.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:20):

OK, so let’s break that down.

Male AI voice (00:01:21):

Proper.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:22):

How does sending seeds to area result in, nicely, higher crops?

Male AI voice (00:01:27):

OK, so it’s the atmosphere of area. It’s distinctive, proper? You’ve acquired microgravity and cosmic radiation.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:32):

Proper.

Male AI voice (00:01:32):

And people can really trigger modifications within the seed’s DNA.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:36):

Like mutations.

Male AI voice (00:01:38):

Precisely.

Male AI voice (00:01:38):

A few of these mutations find yourself being good. So that you get crops that may develop sooner, produce extra meals, and even resist illness.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:45):

That’s superb.

Male AI voice (00:01:46):

It’s like rushing up evolution.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:47):

Specializing in the traits we wish.

Male AI voice (00:01:49):

You bought it.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:50):

How lengthy have we been doing this?

Male AI voice (00:01:51):

Oh, it’s not a model new factor.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:52):

Okay.

Male AI voice (00:01:54):

China has really been a frontrunner in area breeding since, get this, 1987.

Feminine AI voice (00:01:59):

Wow.

Male AI voice (00:01:59):

They’ve despatched up particular satellites only for this function earlier than.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:02):

Actually? Like what?

Male AI voice (00:02:04):

Effectively, again in 2006, they launched the Shijian 8. That one was particularly designed to hold seeds.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:10):

A complete satellite tv for pc for seeds? That’s a press release.

Male AI voice (00:02:13):

Exhibits you the way significantly they take this.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:14):

Completely. What concerning the Shijian 19? What sort of seeds did they placed on this one?

Male AI voice (00:02:20):

That is the place it will get actually fascinating. They included an enormous number of seeds. And never simply from China, from different international locations, too.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:29):

Huh. Like who?

Male AI voice (00:02:30):

Effectively, for instance, they despatched up 16 completely different sorts of highland barley and rapeseed.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:35):

These sound very particular.

Male AI voice (00:02:36):

They had been chosen as a result of they might probably thrive within the powerful circumstances of, , excessive altitude plateaus.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:43):

Ah, so locations the place it’s already arduous to develop stuff.

Male AI voice (00:02:45):

Precisely. They needed to enhance these crops’ resilience in these areas.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:48):

That’s actually sensible, pondering forward like that.

Male AI voice (00:02:50):

Proper. And there’s extra.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:52):

Extra.

Male AI voice (00:02:53):

Additionally they despatched over 1,000 species of microorganisms up.

Feminine AI voice (00:02:57):

Microorganisms? Like what?

Male AI voice (00:02:58):

Micro organism, fungi, that form of factor.

Feminine AI voice (00:03:00):

Oh, wow.

Male AI voice (00:03:01):

This opens up prospects past simply crops, you see. And in complete, they despatched, get this,

over 1,800 several types of plant materials representing most main agricultural merchandise. It was superb.

Feminine AI voice (00:03:13):

That’s an enormous experiment. It appears like greater than only a Chinese language factor, although.

Male AI voice (00:03:17):

Effectively, you’re proper about that. You talked about seeds from different international locations.

Feminine AI voice (00:03:19):

Proper, proper.

Male AI voice (00:03:20):

This mission had seeds from Thailand and Pakistan, simply to call a couple of.

Feminine AI voice (00:03:25):

It looks like a really worldwide effort.

Male AI voice (00:03:27):

It truly is. There was even a tweet from a Pakistani official. They had been actually excited to be a part of this analysis.

Feminine AI voice (00:03:35):

I can think about. This appears like everybody coming collectively to deal with this drawback of meals safety.

Male AI voice (00:03:40):

Yeah, as a result of everybody’s going to be affected by it, proper? Precisely. And the potential advantages of area breeding, they’re enormous. I imply, we could possibly be speaking about greater crop yield.

Feminine AI voice (00:03:49):

To feed a rising inhabitants.

Male AI voice (00:03:51):

Precisely. We may create new varieties that may deal with local weather change and illness. It’s so essential as of late. And we may even make our meals extra nutritious. Hmm. Think about that.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:01):

I did examine some area bread styles of some staple meals which might be immune to sure starches.

Male AI voice (00:04:08):

Proper.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:08):

May that be a sport changer for folks with diabetes?

Male AI voice (00:04:12):

Completely. And it goes past particular circumstances. You recognize, it’s actually about creating extra various… What’s the phrase? Germplasm sources.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:21):

Germplasm sources.

Male AI voice (00:04:22):

It’s mainly like increasing the genetic toolkit for breeders.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:26):

Oh, I see.

Male AI voice (00:04:27):

Extra choices for creating crops that work in numerous environments, completely different wants.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:31):

That’s fascinating. So now we have all these seeds that went to area, got here again. What occurs subsequent?

Male AI voice (00:04:36):

Good query.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:37):

Are we going to see like area barley on the grocery store anytime quickly?

Male AI voice (00:04:41):

Not fairly. First, the seeds undergo a ton of screening and evaluation.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:45):

OK.

Male AI voice (00:04:45):

Scientists are in search of these helpful mutations. Proper. Then they crossbreed them to create new varieties.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:51):

So it’s a sluggish course of.

Male AI voice (00:04:52):

It’s. It’s meticulous, however it’s additionally fascinating.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:55):

So area is form of like a shortcut for innovation.

Male AI voice (00:04:58):

I like that. A shortcut.

Feminine AI voice (00:04:59):

A catalyst, perhaps?

Male AI voice (00:05:00):

Sure. And the actual magic occurs again right here on Earth, , within the labs, within the fields.

Feminine AI voice (00:05:05):

The place scientists and breeders can do their factor. It looks like China is de facto in it for the lengthy haul with this, , aiming for meals safety, not only for themselves, however for the entire world.

Male AI voice (00:05:15):

Yeah, their area program is fairly formidable.

Feminine AI voice (00:05:17):

They’ve acquired the Tiangong area station going, rovers on Mars, and now they’re speaking about sending folks to the moon.

Male AI voice (00:05:23):

It’s unimaginable.

Feminine AI voice (00:05:24):

It’s not nearly exploring. They’re in search of methods to make use of area to unravel issues right here, proper?

Male AI voice (00:05:29):

Completely. They’ve acquired an enormous inhabitants to feed.

Feminine AI voice (00:05:31):

And so they’re coping with the identical points. Local weather change, restricted sources.

Male AI voice (00:05:35):

It impacts everybody.

Feminine AI voice (00:05:37):

Okay, we’ve lined the mission, the science behind area breeding, and China’s position.

Male AI voice (00:05:41):

Yeah.

Feminine AI voice (00:05:42):

However what concerning the greater image? How does this match into the worldwide area race? What about working along with different international locations?

Male AI voice (00:05:50):

These are nice factors. And that brings us to some essential issues to consider, .

Feminine AI voice (00:05:56):

Proper.

Male AI voice (00:05:57):

Yeah, it’s fascinating when you concentrate on it like a special form of area race.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:01):

Proper. Not nearly attending to Mars first.

Male AI voice (00:06:03):

Precisely. It’s about, , who can use area to unravel issues like proper right here on Earth.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:08):

Issues that have an effect on everybody.

Male AI voice (00:06:10):

Precisely.

Male AI voice (00:06:11):

And the truth that they included these seeds from Thailand and Pakistan and different international locations on Shijian-19, that reveals one thing.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:20):

What’s that?

Male AI voice (00:06:21):

That China is open to working with others.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:24):

Mmm.

Male AI voice (00:06:25):

It’s form of hopeful, , even with all of the political stuff occurring.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:29):

Yeah.

Male AI voice (00:06:29):

International locations can nonetheless work collectively in relation to science.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:31):

Particularly when it’s one thing as essential as meals safety.

Male AI voice (00:06:35):

Completely.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:36):

However, , that makes me surprise, what if this area breeding factor actually takes off?

Male AI voice (00:06:40):

Yeah.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:41):

May it really develop into a supply of stress as a substitute of cooperation? Yeah.

Male AI voice (00:06:45):

That’s a great level. Any new expertise might be, nicely, a little bit of a double-edged sword.

Feminine AI voice (00:06:49):

How so?

Male AI voice (00:06:50):

Simply think about, what if, like, one nation abruptly has manner higher crops due to this?

Feminine AI voice (00:06:55):

Due to area breeding.

Male AI voice (00:06:57):

Yeah, it may create all types of imbalances, ?

Feminine AI voice (00:07:00):

Like what?

Male AI voice (00:07:01):

One nation may dominate meals manufacturing. Others would possibly develop into depending on them for seeds.

Feminine AI voice (00:07:06):

Yeah, I see what you imply.

Male AI voice (00:07:07):

So we have to speak about this stuff. Arrange some guidelines, make certain everybody advantages.

Feminine AI voice (00:07:10):

In order that the expertise is used responsibly.

Male AI voice (00:07:13):

Precisely we don’t need the advantages to simply assist a couple of yeah proper is sensible. Think about a rustic develops crops particularly for his or her local weather utilizing area breeding yeah they’d have an enormous benefit within the international meals market that’s true it raises questions on honest commerce uh what about meals safety for poorer international locations what about like bioengineered crops made for particular locations it will get sophisticated.

Feminine AI voice (00:07:36):

It does, it’s loads to consider

Male AI voice (00:07:39):

It’s, however we have to begin fascinated by this stuff now, .

Feminine AI voice (00:07:43):

To keep away from issues afterward.

Male AI voice (00:07:45):

Proper. That is what occurs with new expertise. There are at all times these greater questions, these moral and social issues.

Feminine AI voice (00:07:50):

It’s not simply concerning the science.

Male AI voice (00:07:52):

Nope, by no means. We are able to’t simply deal with the cool stuff. We’ve acquired to think about the downsides, too.

Feminine AI voice (00:07:57):

Completely.

Male AI voice (00:07:58):

So we’re not simply speaking about altering how we develop meals. It may change society.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:01):

That’s deep.

Male AI voice (00:08:02):

We’ve got to determine what sort of future we need to construct, , with this tech.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:06):

It’s plenty of accountability.

Male AI voice (00:08:08):

And these questions develop into much more essential after we take into consideration biodiversity.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:13):

Biodiversity, okay.

Male AI voice (00:08:14):

Think about a future the place there are just a few tremendous excessive yield crops, those made with area breeding.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:20):

Taking up every part.

Male AI voice (00:08:22):

And the older, , conventional crops begin to disappear.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:25):

That will be a disgrace.

Male AI voice (00:08:26):

Proper. We’d lose a lot range, all for the sake of extra meals within the quick time period.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:31):

Quick-term positive factors, long-term losses.

Male AI voice (00:08:34):

Precisely. That’s usually the dilemma with new tech. Acquired to weigh the nice and the dangerous, make certain we’re not hurting ourselves in the long term.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:39):

So how will we do this?

Male AI voice (00:08:41):

We have to plan forward, suppose issues by means of fastidiously.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:44):

Proper. Anticipate these challenges.

Male AI voice (00:08:45):

Yep. And give you some pointers for utilizing this tech responsibly.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:49):

Looks like worldwide cooperation could be key there.

Male AI voice (00:08:52):

Completely. We’d like international requirements for these items, like now we have for area exploration or nuclear weapons.

Feminine AI voice (00:08:59):

Wow. So we have to have a world dialog about just like the ethics of area meals.

Male AI voice (00:09:04):

Precisely. And perhaps even some worldwide guidelines and rules to verify this advantages everybody. Proper. Not only a choose few.

Feminine AI voice (00:09:11):

OK. We’ve talked concerning the potential downsides. However let’s not overlook concerning the optimistic stuff too.

Male AI voice (00:09:17):

Oh yeah. The potential right here is big particularly for these components of the world dealing with meals

shortages or coping with the results of local weather change.

Feminine AI voice (00:09:25):

Proper. The place it’s already a battle to develop sufficient meals.

Male AI voice (00:09:28):

Think about crops that may deal with droughts or ones which might be immune to these ailments, wiping out crops in creating international locations.

Feminine AI voice (00:09:35):

This could possibly be a lifesaver.

Male AI voice (00:09:36):

Actually. And it’s not nearly amount. It’s about high quality, too.

Feminine AI voice (00:09:39):

Yeah, that’s what I used to be fascinated by earlier.

Male AI voice (00:09:41):

What if we may make staple crops extra nutritious?

Feminine AI voice (00:09:46):

That will be enormous.

Male AI voice (00:09:47):

Think about rice with extra vitamin A or beans with extra iron.

Feminine AI voice (00:09:51):

Wow, that would actually assist folks.

Male AI voice (00:09:53):

Particularly these coping with malnutrition.

Feminine AI voice (00:09:55):

So it’s not nearly extra meals, it’s about higher meals.

Male AI voice (00:09:57):

Precisely. And don’t overlook concerning the financial aspect of issues.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:01):

Oh, proper. We haven’t talked about that.

Male AI voice (00:10:02):

This might create complete new industries, , jobs and analysis, seed manufacturing.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:07):

It may enhance native economies, give farmers a bonus.

Male AI voice (00:10:10):

It’s about folks, too, not simply science and expertise.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:13):

It’s about making life higher for everybody.

Male AI voice (00:10:16):

Precisely. House breeding could possibly be an enormous step ahead, particularly for many who want it most.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:22):

It’s a tremendous thought.

Male AI voice (00:10:23):

It’s. It’s nearly like science fiction, however it’s occurring now.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:27):

It’s, however it’s not all sunshine and roses, proper?

Male AI voice (00:10:30):

Effectively, we acquired to be sensible. This expertise remains to be new.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:34):

Proper.

Male AI voice (00:10:34):

There are issues we don’t know but, and it’s not a magic resolution.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:38):

We are able to’t similar to launch all our issues into area and hope for one of the best.

Male AI voice (00:10:43):

No, not fairly.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:44):

We nonetheless have to do the work right here on Earth.

Male AI voice (00:10:46):

Precisely. We have to preserve engaged on different options, issues like crop range, soil well being, managing water sources.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:54):

It’s an entire system.

Male AI voice (00:10:55):

However area breeding could possibly be a strong a part of that system.

Feminine AI voice (00:10:58):

Agreed.

Male AI voice (00:10:59):

However, , like all highly effective device, they acquired to make use of it fastidiously. Take into consideration the moral stuff, the environmental stuff.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:04):

We’ve got to be accountable.

Male AI voice (00:11:06):

Precisely.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:06):

We’ve lined plenty of floor right this moment. The science, the potential, the challenges.

Male AI voice (00:11:10):

Yeah, it’s been an awesome dialogue.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:12):

This subject is stuffed with prospects.

Male AI voice (00:11:15):

It’s. And as China retains pushing ahead and different international locations get entangled, issues are solely going to get extra thrilling.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:20):

It’s an area race, however in a great way.

Male AI voice (00:11:23):

I like that.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:24):

So let’s focus again on Shijian-19 for a second. What can we be taught from this particular mission?

Male AI voice (00:11:30):

Effectively, I feel Shijian-19 is essential for a couple of causes.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:33):

Okay.

Male AI voice (00:11:33):

First, it reveals simply how superior China’s expertise is getting.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:37):

Yeah, that reusable satellite tv for pc was fairly spectacular.

Male AI voice (00:11:39):

It was. That is the primary time they used it. It reveals they’re critical about making area exploration extra inexpensive, extra sustainable.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:48):

So it’s not simply concerning the seeds. It’s about how they acquired there.

Male AI voice (00:11:52):

You bought it. Shijian-19 is a marvel of engineering. It opens doorways for extra formidable missions sooner or later.

Feminine AI voice (00:11:58):

More room seeds.

Male AI voice (00:12:00):

Probably.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:01):

Yeah.

Male AI voice (00:12:01):

And we’ve already talked concerning the collaboration. That’s enormous.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:03):

Bringing international locations collectively.

Male AI voice (00:12:05):

Precisely. They had been keen to share their data, work collectively on this drawback. It reveals that area breeding may really carry folks collectively.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:11):

As an alternative of dividing them.

Male AI voice (00:12:13):

Yeah. Science can do this. You recognize, break down limitations.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:16):

It’s a strong factor.

Male AI voice (00:12:18):

It’s. However let’s shift gears a bit. We’ve talked concerning the large image, however what concerning the on a regular basis of us?

Feminine AI voice (00:12:25):

You imply just like the farmers, the individuals who eat this meals?

Male AI voice (00:12:27):

Precisely. What does all this imply for them? That’s the actual query, proper? Yeah, it’s about getting all the way down to, , the sensible stuff.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:33):

Proper, the real-world influence.

Male AI voice (00:12:35):

Precisely. For farmers, nicely, this might imply crops which might be more durable.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:39):

Harder.

Male AI voice (00:12:40):

Yeah, extra resilient, higher yields, perhaps much more worthwhile.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:45):

Hmm, much less threat, extra reward.

Male AI voice (00:12:47):

You bought it. And that’s acquired to be interesting, proper?

Feminine AI voice (00:12:50):

Particularly with all of the challenges farmers face.

Male AI voice (00:12:52):

Precisely. Take into consideration a wheat that may deal with a drought or rice that may battle off some, , nasty illness.

Feminine AI voice (00:12:58):

That could possibly be a sport changer.

Male AI voice (00:13:00):

May. Particularly for these simply making an attempt to get by.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:02):

And for us, the folks consuming this meals, what modifications may we see?

Male AI voice (00:13:06):

Effectively, the obvious one is extra meals safety.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:10):

Meals for everybody.

Male AI voice (00:13:11):

Extra resilient crops. Higher yields. Which means extra meals to go round.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:15):

Particularly with local weather change and all that.

Male AI voice (00:13:17):

It’s an enormous concern.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:18):

However what about, like, the standard of the meals? Would it not style completely different? Would it not be protected?

Male AI voice (00:13:25):

That’s the place all these checks and rules are available.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:27):

Proper.

Male AI voice (00:13:28):

These crops must undergo the identical course of as any new selection, ,

earlier than they find yourself on our plates.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:34):

To ensure they’re protected.

Male AI voice (00:13:35):

Precisely. Precisely. As for the style, nicely, that depends upon the crop, what traits they centered on.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:41):

So no, like area melons with a bizarre aftertaste.

Male AI voice (00:13:46):

In all probability not. However, , we may see some cool new flavours.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:49):

Like what?

Male AI voice (00:13:50):

Perhaps a sweeter strawberry, a juicier tomato.

Feminine AI voice (00:13:53):

A extra fragrant basil, maybe?

Male AI voice (00:13:54):

Now you’re speaking. House basil on pizza. I prefer it. However significantly, I feel essentially the most thrilling chance is bettering the dietary content material.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:04):

You talked about that earlier.

Male AI voice (00:14:05):

Yeah. Think about rice with further vitamin A or beans full of iron.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:09):

That might actually assist folks.

Male AI voice (00:14:11):

Particularly in locations the place malnutrition is an issue.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:13):

So it’s not nearly amount. It’s about making the meals extra nutritious.

Male AI voice (00:14:16):

Precisely. And there are the financial advantages, too.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:19):

Proper. New jobs, new industries.

Male AI voice (00:14:21):

Analysis, seed manufacturing. It may actually enhance these rural economies.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:25):

By giving farmers a brand new, like a leg up.

Male AI voice (00:14:28):

Precisely. It’s not simply concerning the tech. It’s concerning the individuals who profit from it. The ripple results advantages for farmers advantages for shoppers potential for financial progress.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:37):

It’s fairly superb it does sound superb so what’s the catch?

Male AI voice (00:14:41):

Effectively ,we acquired to be sensible that is nonetheless a younger expertise proper there’s loads we don’t know and it’s not a repair for every part we are able to’t simply depend on area to unravel all our meals issues precisely yeah we nonetheless have to work on all these different options like I mentioned earlier than crop range soil well being water administration.

Feminine AI voice (00:14:59):

It’s all linked.

Male AI voice (00:14:59):

It’s. However area breeding could be a actually worthwhile device.

Feminine AI voice (00:15:03):

A strong one.

Male AI voice (00:15:04):

And like with any highly effective device, we’ve acquired to watch out. Take into consideration the ethics, the environmental influence.

Feminine AI voice (00:15:09):

Use it correctly.

Male AI voice (00:15:10):

Precisely.

Feminine AI voice (00:15:11):

Effectively, this has been an unimaginable dialog. We’ve realized a lot concerning the science, the potential, and the challenges of this complete subject.

Male AI voice (00:15:19):

It’s been a pleasure.

Feminine AI voice (00:15:19):

It actually appears like there’s a lot potential right here.

Male AI voice (00:15:22):

Completely. And it’s transferring quick, with China pushing the boundaries and different international locations becoming a member of in. Who is aware of what we’ll see sooner or later?

Feminine AI voice (00:15:30):

It’s thrilling to consider. So what’s the one factor we wish our listeners to remove from this?

Male AI voice (00:15:35):

I feel an important factor is to remain curious, continue learning about these items, and speak about it, have these conversations.

Feminine AI voice (00:15:42):

As a result of it impacts everybody.

Male AI voice (00:15:44):

Precisely. The way forward for meals, it’s one thing all of us share, and all of us have a job to play in shaping it.

Feminine AI voice (00:15:49):

I like that. Effectively mentioned. Who is aware of? Perhaps sometime we’ll all be consuming salads made with area lettuce grown proper right here on Earth. Thanks for becoming a member of us for this deep dive, everybody.

–x–

I used to be pleasantly stunned by a couple of issues about that audio overview. Firstly, the voices are good to hearken to, and I’m actually choosy about issues like that. It’s actually an interesting dialog, though I discovered it a bit repetitive in locations, and maybe a bit gentle on precise particulars. The form of dialog you may need within the pub, relatively than with an skilled on area crops. And, so far as I can inform, it hasn’t made any errors.

That mentioned, it highlights some issues I wouldn’t have included, and certainly it goes past the equipped info when it’s speaking concerning the moral issues. I requested NotebookLM which supply contained that info, and it mentioned that the sources “don’t immediately deal with moral issues associated to this observe.” It added that “to offer some extra context that isn’t discovered within the sources, it’s essential to acknowledge that rising applied sciences, particularly these with potential environmental and societal impacts, usually elevate moral questions.”

It raises a great level, as a result of generative AI is an rising expertise, and after we’re utilizing it, we do have to keep in mind the moral issues. Massive Language Fashions are being ate up folks’s work with out their permission, and the environmental burden of those methods – not least their energy and water utilization – is appreciable.

I requested our Mission Specialist for this episode what it might select as its fantasy area plant, and it chosen highland barley. It mentioned that, as a crop that thrives within the difficult circumstances of the Tibetan plateau, its inherent resilience means that it may probably adapt to the demanding atmosphere of a spacecraft and even a future off-world settlement.

Having such a nutrient-rich staple crop could be important for a long-duration area mission the place dietary selection is proscribed, it mentioned, earlier than pertaining to the potential for it to be improved by area breeding. It added that the act of cultivating a plant, even in a extremely managed atmosphere, may have profound psychological advantages for the crew, fostering a way of function and connection to nature.

And it wrapped up by itemizing among the different species launched on Shijian-19, corresponding to rapeseed, rice, wheat, corn, and beans, suggesting that whereas all of them have worthwhile traits, for a deep area mission the place resilience and adaptableness are paramount, highland barley emerges as the highest contender.

So, what did you suppose? I’d actually prefer to know the way you felt about listening to 2 robots chat about area crops, whether or not you suppose NotebookLM has nailed the subject, and whether or not it was extra fascinating than simply hearken to me blather on.

I’m including the sources I uploaded to NotebookLM within the present notes, and when you’re , I can provide you entry to the pocket book itself, so you may ask it your individual questions.

You possibly can e-mail me at earth@spacebotany.uk, go away a touch upon the web site (which is theunconventionalgardener.com) or come and discover me on LinkedIn or Bluesky.

That’s it for this episode, so I’ll hand you again to Mission Management. CapCom, to show you’re not an AI, why don’t you inform us certainly one of your cracking jokes?

[Orbital Gardens, this is Mission Control confirming termination of your signal. I’ve got a joke for you. Why is Yoda so good at gardening? Because he has a green thumb. Mission Control out.]