The BLT Episode 2: Bots Are Everywhere

Each week, the BLT brings together the week’s news in a delicious visual sandwich, bursting at the seams! We use inventive visual thinking and rich visual storytelling to do this, and when it comes to news - this week did not disappoint.

The best part of the BLT for us is the challenge of weaving stories together that on the surface seem unrelated. After taking a closer look though, there are connections between even the most disparate news items!

Our team track our news stories down from every corner of the internet, so it’s hard for us to pick a favourite, but do you have one?

Does our universe have a twin anti-universe that runs backwards?

We thought we start this week with the small stuff…. A new theory has been put forward suggesting that there may be an ‘anti-verse’ running backwards in time from our own, prior to the Big Bang. If true, this theory would have implications for dark matter and the universe’s inflationary period, and gravitational waves may help us to validate it.

This was the perfect way to begin the episode! It was great fun to draw and sets the scene for what feels like a pretty weird week in this universe. Read the full story here.

Self-driving car stopped by San Francisco police

Speaking of a weird week, police in San Francisco had a surprise when they pulled over a car for driving without headlights. Not only did the car not have driver, it then drove off! Cruise, the company behind the car, said ‘our AV yielded to the police vehicle, then pulled over to the nearest safe location’. Find out more about the story here.

For us this was the perfect link to Elon Musk’s bid for Twitter and the threat it faces from bots.

Elon Musk is concerned about the presence of fake accounts on Twitter

Elon’s Twitter deal has been full of twists and turns from the beginning, and the latest focuses on bots. Even more doubt has been cast over Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover bid for Twitter, after Musk announced the deal can’t progress until Twitter has proved that less than 5% of its users are fake spam accounts. Twitter still remains committed to the deal. Get the latest here.

We couldn’t resist drawing Musk as a cop arresting the self-driving car!

Nigel Farage hit’s out at Twitter and calls for Brexit … again

One of the people being arrested by Elon Musk is Nigel Farage. Farage has criticised the Twitter algorithm, claiming he has had no follower growth for 18 months. Maybe we have entered the anti-universe and time has started to go backwards, because Farage has also called for Brexit, despite the fact the UK has already left the EU. This time he wants the UK out of the European Court of Human Rights. Read the original story for all the problems and errors associated with this request.

How do you attract a scallop?

Some of the best things have been discovered by accident, and there is something new to add to that list. Scientists have stumbled on the fact that scallops love ‘disco’ lights. The scientists were trying to catch more crabs by using LED lights, but were surprised to find scallops couldn’t resist the lure of the lights. This is good news for the ocean habitat, as it offers a less damaging alternative to the current method of dredging. Get the full story here.

It’s also great news for us, who doesn’t want to draw a scallop disco?!

The Wagatha Christie trial visits Davy Jones’ Locker

While discussing Rebekah Vardy’s phone and its watery grave off the Scottish coast, a High Court judge had to explain the idiom ‘Davy Jones locker’. The saying was new to Vardy, but the case also brought a new meaning to other sayings - like ‘a series of unfortunate events’. Catch-up on the story here.

Would you trust vanilla flavouring derived from plastic?

This is a question you may someday actually have to answer. Scientists converted used plastic bottles into vanilla flavouring with a little help from some genetically engineered bacteria. This is special for a number of reasons, it’s the first time a valuable chemical has been created from waste plastic and it could add extra value to waste plastic - which currently loses 95% of its value after one use. Read more here.

The fight against the cheese fraudsters

Advancements and tech are offering hope in other ways too. Counterfeit parmesan is becoming an increasing problem, the news story we found claims you may have never even eaten real parmesan! To stop fake parmesan eating into the profits of authentic cheese makers, tiny food-safe tracking devices are going to be embedded into the rind of cheese wheels. The move could help reduce the $2.1 million made by fake parmesan producers.

The pink pigeon mystery

The pink pigeon is one of the world’s rarest birds, but has one turned up in a Lancahire town? This isn’t the first time a pink pigeon has been seen in the UK, in 2021 a Staffordshire man also reported seeing one. Bird experts aren’t so sure though and think it might have been dyed pink, what do you think?

Rashford the beaver turns one

In slightly more positive news for the environment, Rashford (the first beaver born on Exmoor for 400 years) has had has turned one! Footage has been released showing the kit enjoying his special day, and we’re sure his parents Yogi and Grills are proud. We hope we have done Rashford justice, drawing him with a big grin and a party hat.

Pay at the checkout with just your smile

You might want to practice your grin as well, the Mastercard Biometric Checkout will let you pay just by smiling. After trials in Brazil, the system will be rolled out globally. Mastercard hail it as the next generation of in-person payments. Make your mind up by reading the story here.

Your fish and chips may be in trouble

This British staple is being affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has increased the prices of everyday goods. The conflict is a major driver of inflation, currently gripping the world and making life harder for many of us. Industry sources said 40% of cod and haddock comes from Russia, with almost 50% of the world’s sunflower oil coming from Ukraine. Andrew Crook, the National Federation of Fish Frier's president, predicts that a third of our 10,000 chippies might close in the next nine months. Let’s hope not, our local is a plaice close to our heart! Read the full story here.

Could a new air purifying mask help the world stop 1 in 6 people dying from pollution?

Pollution is a real problem. You didn’t need us to say that, but the scale of it may shock you. The Washington Post has reported on a study showing that for five years, pollution has caused one in six deaths. This horrific stat sets the scene for advances like a new mask from Dyson, which will purify the air we breathe as we move through the world. We really hope this doesn’t become a necessity.

The future of electricity is even greener than you thought

To some, algae is something annoying that grows on a fish tank, but to researchers from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry it might just be the future of energy production. They have managed to power a microprocessor for over six months just using cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae.

Is cress grown in moon dust a good sign for Elon Musk’s 2029 Mars hopes?

While there may not be life on the Moon now, after this week we might be closer to making it a reality, as Thale cress seeds were germinated in lunar soil. While they preferred volcanic ash, it’s a good sign for the future of humans beyond earth. This could be music to the ears of Elon Music, who still plans to get to Mars by 2029. Cress sandwich, anyone?

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!