Random 1: Technology and Food

"Technology and Food." There's a lot on the news about that. 

The serving of the world's first test-tube burger created a sensation this August in London.

Then there is the 2011 experiment by Japanese scientists in Okayama that synthesized meat out of human feces...
 →Digital Trends: Japanese Scientists Synthesize Meat from Human Feces 
I tried to look up more current information, but there was none.

If you think about it, it's not that outrageous (of course, it's completely repugnant at first encounter.)
Humans, feces, feces meat, regular meat...they're all composed of atoms. The difference is the combination of atoms. Even if the same atoms are used, there is the possibility of isotopes.
It even presides over the in vetro fertilized patty in that the technology reuses waste while the former simply creates more. The synthesized meat which the Okayama scientist displays in the video above looks just like normal meat, too.

It's not like they're telling us to do what these guys do.

(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baby_koala.jpg)

Think of sulfur. We Japanese people tend to describe the smell of hot springs as "sulfuric," and from this many people uneducated in chemistry think that sulfur smells. In truth, that isn't the case.
Sulfur by itself does not smell. The "rotten egg" smell is caused by sulfur COMPOUNDS, like H2S (Hydrogen sulfide). So if you were to "cut up" the compounds into atoms, the horrid smell would be gone.
What the Okayama scientists are doing is basically the same, though psychologically, it is hard to accept.

There are many other things, like DNA modification to the invention of agricultural tools, evolution of kitchen and cooking tools, waste problems, etc. Technology has changed the way that we humans interact with our food.
But today, I won't be going into all that scientific stuff.

Its about one of my current hobbies: restaurant/cafe hunting.

I recently have had quite a many occasions where I had to/got to eat out with other people, and it gets monotonous when you start running out of places to eat. You might not call it really "hunting" because I don't wandering around places and randomly going into one. I either happen upon some information about the place like with #3 below, or search using keywords on Google:
- I use the internet.

I've had 3 chances to actually do something with this newly-fermented hobby:

1. A sushi restaurant in Iwate's Iwaki during the summer.
∟The review site which I found the restaurant informed me that it was a Kaitenzushi. It indeed had a rail, the only problem being that it wasn't moving. The store also boasted of unique menus, and they had some, but they were pretty costly.

It became a reminder not to trust the internet so much. Nevertheless, it had served as an incentive for me to explore Iwaki further. 

2. caffe beanDaisy
This is a cafe in Yokohama. It had a really nice, relaxing atmosphere; the walls and floor were wood, and the illuminations were subdued. I was having a meeting with my friend, so it helped in that the place was basically quiet too.

3. Pizza at the ongoing Italian fair at Shinjuku's Takashimaya

Akinari Makishima, the 2010 world champion of Pizza-making is holding a special event where you can eat-in the pizza that he and his staff make.
The Italian fair will be held till this Monday, so anyone interested should definitely give it a go.

Restaurant/cafe hunting really is fun because it prompts me to go into avenues and take turns that I've never taken before. If it is close to my home, I get to know more about my hometown. If it is close to university, the same for that town. If the restaurant/cafe is nice, it can become a future dining place with various friends as well. 
Not only that, the hunt has given me opportunity to experience atmospheres that I've never experienced before. It's also really interesting to just immerse myself in various buildings with different themes. Since I am eating there, it gives me time to absorb the many amazing different ideas and space that people can create.

Now I can't even think of how I would've found these places otherwise- I probably wouldn't have... especially #3.

These events spoke to me about the significance that information and one's ability to obtain it has.

RAB

. . .

Anyways

Schools which have implemented tablets and other technology are being featured increasingly in the news.
There's an article by the Wall Street Journal titled For the Web-Deprived,  McDonald's is Study Hall,
which talks about  how limited internet connectivity is still a huge problem, and a growing problem, producing even wider gaps
This lack of connectivity limits both the studnets' and the schools' ability to make use of the internet effectively.
Cafes in Japan too appeal to customers with the "There's Wi-Fi here"  pop-ups. There's already a first-world problem regarding unstable connectivity on the campus of ICU.

I find it so interesting how technology and science has not only directly affected food and changed the way they are, but also has had significant effect on how they are presented to potential customers.

This hunt really allows me to see things and experience things that I have never done before; I am keen on continuing this. Anyone who'd like to join me is always welcome :)