Within that same time frame, we evolved into an urban species, in which 60% of the human population now lives vertically in cities. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural eco-zones into semi-arid deserts. It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted. If successfully implemented, proponents claim, vertical farms offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming. Vertical farms would need to be efficient, cheap to construct and safe to operate. Situated in the heart of urban centres, they would drastically reduce the amount of transportation required to bring food to consumers. The concept is of multi-storey buildings in which food crops are grown in environmentally controlled conditions. One such proposal is for the ‘Vertical Farm’. Many believe an entirely new approach to indoor farming is required, employing cutting-edge technologies. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another three billion people. The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What can be done to ensure enough food for the world’s population to live on ? Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% larger than Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming methods continue as they are practised today.Īt present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about three billion people by then. Today I found out that the makers of Barbie used to sell a doll whose breasts grew when her arm rotated.By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the Earth’s population will live in urban centres. ![]() It was 1975 and the doll was called “Growing Up Skipper”. When you rotated her arm, she grew an inch taller and her small breasts grew out of her plastic chest. She could return to her pre-pubescent self simply by rotating the arm back the way it was. Mattel created the original Skipper doll in 1964, in response to requests of Barbie fans wanting Barbie to have children of her own. Given how Skipper eventually turned out, one would think the next logical step after the request for mother-Barbie would have been the creation of a Barbie doll where she grew bigger breasts and a pregnant belly when her arm was rotated, but that would ruin Barbie’s figure now wouldn’t it? Apparently not wanting to create “Knocked Up Barbie”, Mattel created Skipper Roberts, Barbie’s younger sister. ![]() The idea was that Barbie would babysit Skipper, who in turn, would bring out all the maternal qualities Barbie could muster, without ruining the blonde beauty’s flawless figure.Īnd it did not take long. By 1979 Skipper was pretty much unrecognizable. Now called “Super Teen Skipper” children no longer had to rotate her arm to make Skipper’s breasts appear. Skipper now came with small, permanent breasts and her face had changed to make her appear older. In keeping with the oversexualization theme of Barbie dolls, in 1985 Mattel released “Hot Stuff Skipper”. ![]() ![]() Keep in mind that this doll is designed to be only in her early teen years, which makes the whole “hot stuff” thing even slightly more creepy than the “growing breasts” version.ġ988 brought us “Teen Fun Skipper”. By now Skipper appeared to be between 13 and 15 years of age. Her breasts were larger, her waist more flexible and her body taller. She was taller and her breasts had grown even larger. She was now almost as tall as Barbie and pretty much the same age.īetween 1975 and present, Skipper’s looks have changed dramatically and presently she is just as tall, just as developed and just as oversexualized as her older sister. In fact, they are now both teenagers of about the same age. The Man Responsible for the Modern Frisbee Design was Cremated and Had His Ashes Made Into Frisbees.If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show ( iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as: What? Barbie hasn’t aged one bit and Skipper has gone from a pre-pubescent little sister that Barbie had to babysit to pretty much Barbie’s fraternal twin sister? Oh Mattel, you must have forgotten why you created Skipper in the first place.
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