Los invito a leer la historia de su primer trabajo de mi camarada Octavio @L31zarGdn. Es una historia con la que seguramente muchos se sentirán identificados o encontrarán similitudes en sus propias experiencias:
https://t.co/kYpLy2yLYe
Important correction:
A woman in Mexico did develop a biodegradable plastic-like material from cactus.
That part is real.
But the viral version needs nuance.
The researcher is Dr. Sandra Pascoe Ortiz, a Mexican chemical engineer at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac in Zapopan, Mexico.
She developed a bioplastic alternative using juice from the prickly pear cactus, also known as nopal.
The idea works because cactus juice contains sugars, gums, mucilage, and other natural compounds that can help form a flexible biopolymer-like material.
Her team mixed cactus juice with ingredients such as glycerin, natural proteins, and waxes, then dried it into thin plastic-like films.
That part is real.
Reports describe the material as biodegradable, non-toxic, and potentially safe for animals or humans to ingest.
ABC News reported that it could break down in about 2–3 months in soil, and faster in water or compost under some conditions.
Other viral versions say “biodegrades in a month,” but that timing depends on the formulation, thickness, humidity, soil, water, composting conditions, and what test is being described.
So “biodegrades in a month” should not be treated as a universal guarantee.
But the key context matters:
not a mass-produced plastic replacement yet
not a commercial product already replacing global plastic
not proven for every packaging use
not the same durability as petroleum plastic
not automatically scalable without cost and supply challenges
not proof it can replace all single-use plastics
not “safe to ingest” meaning it is food
not a solution to plastic waste without reducing consumption too
The most important caveat:
WIPO described the material as still being in laboratory testing, with Pascoe Ortiz continuing to explore its potential uses.
That means this is promising materials research, not a finished global plastic fix.
Translation:
The cactus plastic story is real.
But it is better described as an early-stage biodegradable bioplastic prototype, not a ready-made miracle replacement for plastic.
The accurate version is:
Mexican researcher Sandra Pascoe Ortiz developed a biodegradable, non-toxic cactus-juice bioplastic prototype from prickly pear cactus, but its degradation time depends on conditions and it remains an early-stage material still being tested for practical applications and scale-up.
Sources:
WIPO GREEN — Women in Green: Fantastic Plastic
https://t.co/amAQPtx4WE
KJZZ — How A Mexican Engineer Is Turning Prickly Pear Cactus Into Biodegradable Plastic
https://t.co/WQ7scUhYoQ
ABC News — Cactus juice is the new...plastic? Female scientist discovers biodegradable plastic alternative
https://t.co/jVKlvJLqmR
Fast Company — This new biodegradable plastic is made from cactus
https://t.co/c9GjzlAPYF
Google Patents — Mixture and method for producing a biodegradable plastic material
https://t.co/UR8QSYF5C0
Follow @TheSynapseX for anti-hype, source-based science and sustainability corrections.
@5eniorDeveloper Una duda, tú que has trabajado en bancos, cómo son esos momentos? En mi imaginación pienso que hay muchos gritos y tal vez una que otra persona terminando llorando y tal vez despidan a alguien
🤖¡Llegó el momento de poner a prueba tus circuitos! Participa en el ¡Concurso de Robótica! de la Facultad de Ciencias-UNAM.
📱¡Cupos abiertos! Escanea el QR del cartel e inscríbete.⚡️
@powerhdeleon Justo he tenido esa sensación últimamente cada que entró a YouTube. Hay mucho ruido respecto a la IA que ya ni sé que hacer. Sigo varios canales creativos sobre arte, carpintería, diseño, etc, pero me imagino que ya se cansaron del algoritmo porque cada vez publican menos
@RetroTechDreams I recall I played the Startup game from KND at my mom's office. She requested IT to install shockwave player in the computer so I could play the games on the internet. What fond memories!!!
@powerhdeleon A mí lo que ya no me gustó es que quitaran del filtro el ordenar los videos del más reciente al más antiguo. Había veces que quería buscar videos viejos sobre algún tema y lo podía hacer con ese filtro. El buscador a ido empeorando con los años
@Cypher1984 Coincido con lo que dices. Hay un proyecto que se llama PostmarketOS. La idea es revivir Smartphones y Tablets que ya no corren las últimas versiones de Android. Al final un Smartphone es una microcomputadora, como la RPi, que podemos reutilizar.
I just published a guide on how to install and configure the XPT2046 touchscreen driver for the TFT ILI9341 display on a Raspberry Pi 4:
https://t.co/6T2mcJI5rC
https://t.co/84DngIwh7Y