Season 6, Post 34: On coughs, chocolate and compost
Too many things to read, but never enough time. Your author faces the same problem as every other reader, how to manage an overflowing email inbox. Part of the joy, however, of investing in future trends is that reading and research on a multi-thematic basis is almost mandatory. This week’s Blog comprises a curation of topic that readers may have missed but will hopefully intrigue them.
We have been learning more recently about bioacoustics. When combined with generative AI, its future potential could be significant. Think of the discipline as a crossover of biology and acoustics whose purpose is to gain insights from sounds produced by both humans and animals. One use case recently developed by Google helps diagnose tuberculosis. Its model was trained on 300m pieces of audio from around the world – a lot of coughs. With 30,000 people falling ill from tuberculosis daily, early detection via subtle changes in breathing patterns could be a life saver. Even if some doctors may be initially reluctant to embrace the new, expect the technology to develop further from here.
On a different note, we all love chocolate, but what if we could make it both healthier and more sustainable? Scientists at Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology have now developed a solution. Rather than just use the beans of the cocoa fruit, if the fruit pulp, juice and husk are included, then there is no need to add in refined sugar. Further, there is limited wastage and the potential for chocolate to be made closer to the origin of its base substance. Your author has sadly yet to taste this iteration, but other reports are highly positive. Production costs will, however, need to fall before the product starts appearing widely on supermarket shelves.
Finally, a shout-out to South Korea. The country is celebrating the 20th anniversary since the launch of its nationwide system for food waste management. Back in the early 2000s, 98% of its food waste was thrown away. Since the introduction of a mandatory composting scheme, the figure has shrunk to zero. Leftovers from homes and restaurants now find new lives as animal feed, compost and energy. We have made the case for better waste management for some time. Other countries should follow South Korea’s lead.
5 September 2024
The above does not constitute investment advice and is the sole opinion of the author at the time of publication. Past performance is no guide to future performance and the value of investments and income from them can fall as well as rise.
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Alex Gunz, Fund Manager
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