The BLT Episode 8: Enzymes, They Are A-Changin'

The BLT Episode 8: Enzymes, They Are A-Changin'

 

Welcome to this week’s episode of the BLT, your visually delicious round-up of news and curiosities.

This week’s episode takes us from old English woods to orbiting satellites as we tune in to the natural world’s response to climate change and create ways to reduce pollution and live more sustainably.

Are there stories perfect for the BLT that we’ve missed? Tell us, and find out more about how we work by getting in contact today!

Spring egg laying is happening three weeks earlier

Wytham Woods in Oxfordshire is one of the most studied woodlands in the world and for 75 years has been the site of a study into the woodland’s great tits. So far, the study has encomapassed 40 generations of the woodland birds and revealed something startling.

In some parts of the wood, the great tits are laying their eggs three weeks earlier than they did in 1947. The work of Oxford University ornithologist Dr Ella Cole and her colleagues is showing how these birds and the natural world are responding to climate change.

Enjoying music is linked to caring more about the climate crisis

A study by the University of Glasgow, based on YouGov UK data, has shown there is a link between loving music and being concerned about climate change. Covering 2,184 adults across the UK, the poll revealed that 82% of music fans were concerned about climate change, compared with 72% of non-music fans.

Study lead, Dr Matt Brennan, said, “music culture has a long history of playing a key role in social movements, and the evidence shows this link is still strong in the present day when it comes to the climate emergency”. 

Plastic waste is being mapped from space

There is some good news for all those concerned music lovers though, Global Plastic Watch has launched a free public tool that tracks plastic waste using AI and satelite imagery from the European Space Agency. The new tool empowers governments to measure and tackle the problem of plastic waste entering the ocean. Global Plastic Watch has already found hundreds of plastic waste sites.

 

A new enzyme can eat through plastic

On the subject of plastic, the good news keeps coming. Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a new enzyme variant that can breakdown plastic waste in less than 24 hours. The enzyme, called a hydrolase, is more robust than previous attempts and is able to break down polyethylene terephthalate plastics back into their component parts, ready to be recycled again!

We love using visual thinking and visual storytelling to create connected and layered whiteboard animations like this. We’d love to talk to you about how your message could look as a whiteboard animation, contact us today!

Previous BLT Episodes
The BLT Episode 28: Grub's up, Dog's Down and Italian's Across
The BLT Episode 28: Grub's up, Dog's Down and Italian's Across
Artboard 1.png
The BLT Episode 27: Winnie Tattooed
The BLT Episode 26: Being Human, Infinite Possibilities
The BLT Episode 26: Being Human, Infinite Possibilities
The BLT Episode 25: Juan Good Turn Deserves a Mother
The BLT Episode 25: Juan Good Turn Deserves a Mother
The BLT Episode 24: Wrapped
The BLT Episode 24: Wrapped
The BLT Episode 23: Much Ado About Puffin
The BLT Episode 23: Much Ado About Puffin
The BLT Episode 22: Skip The Crap
The BLT Episode 22: Skip The Crap
The BLT Episode 21: Lawyers of Tut
The BLT Episode 21: Lawyers of Tut
The BLT Episode 19: Dear Beer and the Poultry Pioneer
The BLT Episode 19: Dear Beer and the Poultry Pioneer
The BLT Episode 18: Bills, Beasts and Beelzebub
The BLT Episode 18: Bills, Beasts and Beelzebub
The BLT Episode 17: Sewage, Seals, Self-Satisfied
The BLT Episode 17: Sewage, Seals, Self-Satisfied
The BLT Episode 16: Gyms, Goats and Goblins
The BLT Episode 16: Gyms, Goats and Goblins
Thank you, Ma'am
Thank you, Ma'am
The BLT Episode 15: Gourd of the Rings
The BLT Episode 15: Gourd of the Rings
The BLT Episode 14: Thief In Turd
The BLT Episode 14: Thief In Turd
The BLT Episode 13: Meat the Ancestors
The BLT Episode 13: Meat the Ancestors
The BLT Episode 12: Only Fowls and Horses
The BLT Episode 12: Only Fowls and Horses
The BLT Episode 11: Bin Through A Lot
The BLT Episode 11: Bin Through A Lot
The BLT Episode 10: Booze, Lawsuits and Telescopes
The BLT Episode 10: Booze, Lawsuits and Telescopes
The BLT Episode 9: Of Ice and Men
The BLT Episode 9: Of Ice and Men
The BLT Episode 8: Enzymes, They Are A-Changin'
The BLT Episode 8: Enzymes, They Are A-Changin'
The BLT Episode 7: Running Up That Bill
The BLT Episode 7: Running Up That Bill
The BLT Episode 6: Putting I.T. Bluntly
The BLT Episode 6: Putting I.T. Bluntly
The BLT Episode 5: Knighty McKnightface
The BLT Episode 5: Knighty McKnightface
The BLT Episode 4: The Jubilee Special
The BLT Episode 4: The Jubilee Special
The BLT Episode 3: The Winner Techs It All
The BLT Episode 3: The Winner Techs It All
The BLT Episode 2: Bots Are Everywhere
The BLT Episode 2: Bots Are Everywhere
The BLT Episode 1: Liquid Thinkers - Calling time on Party-gators
The BLT Episode 1: Liquid Thinkers - Calling time on Party-gators
The We Are Cognitive Blog
Capturing Complexity Through Conversation: My Interview with Dan Ariely
Capturing Complexity Through Conversation: My Interview with Dan Ariely

If you could pin down the essence of truth, could you draw it? That’s the question that lingered in my mind after speaking with Dan Ariely for my RSA Animate documentary—a project allowing me to reconnect with some of the most compelling thinkers of our time.

Stick With It: How Can Messy Ideas Spark Creative Breakthroughs?
Stick With It: How Can Messy Ideas Spark Creative Breakthroughs?

I have written a lot about failure. It’s something of a fascination for me. I am in a constantly evolving process with failure. When does failure become a success? Are there any true failures or is it just an endless process?

How Creativity Can Transform Education
How Creativity Can Transform Education

If you’ve spent any time in creative circles, you’ll know that while education has the potential to transform, we’ve been wielding this so-called "weapon" like a blunt instrument for far too long.

To Live a Creative Life
To Live a Creative Life

No matter where we find ourselves on the spectrum of human experience, creativity can play a vital role in survival, healing, and hope. 

The Art of Medicine
The Art of Medicine

AI could revolutionise the NHS by taking on administrative tasks, giving doctors more time to spend with their patients. However, while this sounds like a dream solution, it comes with challenges. With great power comes great potential for, let’s face it, accidental chaos.

A study in scarlet... I mean pink
A study in scarlet... I mean pink

So, here’s the reflective takeaway: in a world of endless scrolling and relentless sameness, being bold is essential, but it’s only the first step. Jaguar has smashed the glass case, but now they need to decide what to do with the diamond.

Does Your Presentation Have a Pulse?
Does Your Presentation Have a Pulse?

Let’s face it, presenting isn’t just about showing up with slides and stats. It’s a performance. A dance. A chance to make ideas leap off the screen and stick. But how do you know if you’re nailing it? That’s where the Presentation Pulse Check comes in. 

99 Problems: Sticking to the Plan—Here’s Why It’s Killing Your Business
99 Problems: Sticking to the Plan—Here’s Why It’s Killing Your Business

The familiar feels safe, even when it’s clearly sinking. Here’s the harsh truth: in a world that moves as fast as a TikTok trend, being slow to adapt is a recipe for stagnation.

Keep It Simple, Stupid: Rock and Roll All Night (and Refine Every Day)
Keep It Simple, Stupid: Rock and Roll All Night (and Refine Every Day)

Over-complication isn’t just tedious—it’s the nemesis of efficiency. Enter the KISS principle: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”

99 Problems: Good Enough Isn’t Great: It’s easy to coast when you have success
99 Problems: Good Enough Isn’t Great: It’s easy to coast when you have success

Here’s the thing about getting comfortable – it’s the silent killer of real growth, and I am not talking about bottom-line growth – I’m talking about the type of growth that is far more valuable.

The Inverted Pyramid: The Principle that Explains Why it Can Be Good to Think Upside Down
The Inverted Pyramid: The Principle that Explains Why it Can Be Good to Think Upside Down

Ah, the Inverted Pyramid—It sounds like a tragic prog rock album you might find at a car boot sale, but it’s a concept that’s as intriguing as it is practical.

99 Problems: Beyond Keeping the Lights On - How Smart Leaders Balance Today's Urgencies with Tomorrow's Vision
99 Problems: Beyond Keeping the Lights On - How Smart Leaders Balance Today's Urgencies with Tomorrow's Vision

Sometimes it’s bloody tempting to focus on fighting today’s fires while forgetting the bigger picture, isn’t it?

The Magic of Affordance: A Design Principle Less Ordinary than it Affords
The Magic of Affordance: A Design Principle Less Ordinary than it Affords

Affordance is how something shows you what it can do, like a door handle that makes you want to pull the door open or a button that looks like it should be pressed.

99 Problems: I’m going to stop planning for the future like it’s some distant horizon. Here’s how
99 Problems: I’m going to stop planning for the future like it’s some distant horizon. Here’s how

Have you ever been in a meeting where you could just feel your team's energy slipping away? Sometimes meetings drag on, and fresh ideas are as rare as a decent cup of tea, well, in the whole of America!

The Golden Ratio: Where Art Meets Precision and Nature Reveals Its Blueprint
The Golden Ratio: Where Art Meets Precision and Nature Reveals Its Blueprint

This peculiar proportion, approximately 1.618, has been lurking in the shadows of human creativity for millennia, like a mathematical James Bond, seducing architects, artists, and designers with its promise of perfection.

99 Problems: How Do You Reignite Innovation in Your Team?
99 Problems: How Do You Reignite Innovation in Your Team?

Have you ever been in a meeting where you could just feel your team's energy slipping away? Sometimes meetings drag on, and fresh ideas are as rare as a decent cup of tea, well, in the whole of America!

Anthropomorphism: Why Do We Give Feelings To Machines?
Anthropomorphism: Why Do We Give Feelings To Machines?

Why do we see faces in clouds, cars with expressions, or even attribute human emotions to our household appliances (admit it, your Henry Hoover has feelings)? The answer lies in the ancient concept of anthropomorphism—a principle as old as humanity itself, born from our inherent need to understand and relate to the world around us by projecting our own characteristics onto it.

Hick's Law: The Overwhelming Choice of Dilemma
Hick's Law: The Overwhelming Choice of Dilemma

Picture this: You walk into a diner with a menu the size of a small novel. You’re hungry, but now you’re stuck—overwhelmed by choice, paralysed by indecision. Welcome to Hick’s Law in action, a psychological principle that’s been quietly dictating human behaviour since the 1950s...

99 Problems: Chasing the Market
99 Problems: Chasing the Market

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? That frantic rush, always trying to keep up with the latest trend. Blink, and it’s gone—again. It’s like standing on a moving walkway, but it’s speeding up, and you’re dragging along a suitcase packed full of never-ending to-do lists.

The Scaling Fallacy: A Tricky Little Concept
The Scaling Fallacy: A Tricky Little Concept

Understanding the Scaling Fallacy isn't just for philosophers or over-caffeinated academics. It's vital for anyone who wants to make an impact with their ideas, especially in creative fields where size does not always equate to success.

99 Problems: It’s time to break the ‘golden rule’ of playing it safe!
99 Problems: It’s time to break the ‘golden rule’ of playing it safe!

Here’s the thing—staying in your comfort zone isn’t just boring; it’s risky. You know what they say: “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” 

Performance Load: The Art of Less
Performance Load: The Art of Less

Performance Load teaches us that less truly is more. Visual thinking is about distilling complexity into clarity, turning a tangled web of ideas into a neat, navigable roadmap.

99 Problems: Why Short-Term Gains Are the Silent Killers of Your Future Success—and How to Fix It
99 Problems: Why Short-Term Gains Are the Silent Killers of Your Future Success—and How to Fix It

You know that feeling when you’ve just nailed a quick win? The rush, the thrill, the sense of accomplishment—it’s like a hit of dopamine, making you feel like you’re on top of the world. But here’s the thing no one tells you...

Constraint: Creativity's Secret Weapon
Constraint: Creativity's Secret Weapon

Ever heard of the phrase, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’? Turns out, constraint is its often-overlooked sibling—perhaps the unsung hero of creativity.

99 Problems: Overcoming Burnout
99 Problems: Overcoming Burnout

Ignoring burnout doesn't just impact outcomes; it gradually wears down the very essence of team connection and effectiveness. But here's the encouraging part: there's a way forward that is both within reach and within our control. 

Signal to Noise: Navigating the Creative Cosmos
Signal to Noise: Navigating the Creative Cosmos

In the chaotic symphony of modern life, where every ping and notification competes for our limited attention, the concept of ‘signal to noise’ has never been more relevant. But before it became the buzzword of the digital age, it had its origins in the dry and dusty world of early telecommunications.

Closure: The Unsung Hero of Visual Thinking
Closure: The Unsung Hero of Visual Thinking

It is more than just rounding off; it is a psychological experience where the brain concludes what remains hanging in the balance.

Archetypes: The Blueprints of Our Minds and Why We Should Care
Archetypes: The Blueprints of Our Minds and Why We Should Care

Have you ever wondered why certain stories just hit us in a different way? Chances are, you're in the grasp of something archetypal; those universal, almost sneaky patterns of theme and form that are hardwired into our very being.

Error: The Key To New Pathways And Understanding
Error: The Key To New Pathways And Understanding

When we design, whether that be a piece of graphic design, a software integration or a whiteboard animation, we should strive to minimise errors and make them easy to correct.

Unlocking The Potential Of Failure
Unlocking The Potential Of Failure

Today, I want to explore a theme that is as ancient as it is perpetually relevant, failure. It’s a concept that shapes our very DNA, prompting where we go, helping us grow in our personal and our professional lives.

Andrew Park

Cart (0)