Where to stay on Mars? Robots could weave bamboo pods on the red planet

Figuring out how astronauts could live comfortably on Mars is a great challenge. They'll either need to bring materials with them, or make use of the planet's terrain to build settlements. 3D printing seems to be the practical solution, but Malaysian designers Warith Zaki and Amir Amzar think they have a better alternative: locally grown bamboo.

The idea seems far-fetched, but why not? Bamboo has been utilized by humans for centuries. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio and can withstand Mars' harsh weather conditions. According to experts, the plant is very likely to thrive on the red planet because CO 2 in its atmosphere is abundant.

So, how can we build a bamboo colony on Mars? As Dezeen points out, the concept, named Seed of Life, would require astronauts to land and find underground frozen ice for water. Once ice is found, a self-deploying ETFE structure containing bamboo shoots would be sent. After that, a drill would break into the ice and supply the plants with water.

Fully grown bamboo would be removed from the growth chamber, cut, and weaved around the ETFE structure by robots. Finally, the plants would be pumped with water, which would freeze under Mars' extreme temperature, to provide a second layer of protection against radiation.

What do you think of this concept? Is it convincing?

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This installation puts painting robots to shame

In the courtyard of London's Victoria & Albert Museum stands the Elytra Filament Pavilion , a massive glass and carbon fiber canopy fabricated by robots. It is inspired by the fibrous structures of flying beetles and will be open until November in the John Madejski Garden. The futuristic shelter is the brainchild of experimental architect Achim Menges, along with collaborators Moritz Dörstelmann, Jan Knippers and Thomas Auer. While the structure currently measures 200 square meters in size, it will gradually grow bigger overtime, depending on how visitors interact with it.

If you're into vintage erotic art, follow Cold Meat

It's not just the pictures of celebrities in skimpy outfits that makes Instagram interesting. But if those are the only people you follow, then you are missing out. The social media platform is full of some of the most talented artists of the moment, but one account that truly caught my eye is cold___meat , which is dedicated to vintage pictures of BDSM art and erotica. The account has been cancelled several times, but it's alive and kicking and is showing no sign of slowing down. Dazed recently interviewed Daryl, the mysterious founder of Cold Meat, to learn more about his background, his fear of another shutdown, and his mission to make "formerly clandestine and underground erotica available to a wider audience." A photo posted by Darryl (@cold___meat) on Oct 31, 2015 at 1:11pm PDT A photo posted by Darryl (@cold___meat) on Nov 6, 2015 at 8:35am PST A photo posted by Darryl (@cold___meat) on Jul 22, 2015 at 7:17pm PDT ...

Feast your eyes on the making of 'Heisei Mary'

This is a time-lapse video of Japanese artist Shohei Otomo drawing Heisei Mary — a naked Sailor Moon-like figure completely covered in tattoos. The highly-detailed body ink features Spiderman, Darth Vader, Hello Kitty, Naruto, Street Fighter and Dragon Ball characters to name a few. It's really satisfying to see an artist's process, the way their illustration grows and grows out of nothing. Shohei is known for his hyper-realistic sketches using ballpoint pens. Born in Tokyo in 1980, he is the son of Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of the manga Akira . He exhibits his work regularly in Japan and Australia as well as in Mexico and France. Three weeks worth of work are sped up into less than four minutes.

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