Electricity could be just what the doctor ordered, meat-free future a long way off, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

A meat-free future? 2018 saw advances in the development of meat alternatives – but what will it take for food like the Impossible Burger to go mainstream? It’s partly a scaling problem, “The End of Animal Farming” author Jacy Reese tells The Verge. Meat-alternative production requires the “technological sophistication of biomedical operations” – which currently happens on a small scale in labs. Mass-market adoption isn’t coming soon, Reese warns: even 20 years from now may be “too optimistic.” ? Here’s what people are saying.

Your doctor’s next prescription: electricity? Scientists say using electric currents to stimulate the body’s nervous system could be used to treat everything from arthritis to alcoholism. Over 100,000 people have already been treated for drug-resistant epilepsy using a device that applies electrical impulses to the brain at regular intervals, and researchers in the U.K. aim to use electric currents to restore bladder control to patients with spinal injuries. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The rise of the robotic cowboy. In an effort to keep farmers from being kicked or stepped on by cows, which can weigh up to 1,800 pounds, a Nebraska cattle facility has employed a 450-pound robot that herds the animals by waving trash bags at them. The robot was designed by company Flock Free and farm manager Brad Churchill told MIT Technology Review: “Keeping our employees safe – that was the number one driver for me.” ? Here’s what people are saying.

Want your kids to read well? Start with music: Music processing and language development activate related networks in the brain, according to the University of Canberra’s Anita Collins and Misty Andoniou. And structured, consistent musical training can help children begin to process and understand language at a faster rate. Babies first conceive of language as a musical form, and children learn to speak by distinguishing sounds. Taking advantage of this built-in musical sensibility can aid reading comprehension and learning. ? Here's what people are saying.

Giving robots a crash course on body language: As robot-human interaction becomes more common, designer and coder Madeline Gannon has set out to experiment with how we relate to machines. In an installation for the World Economic Forum, Gannon trained 10 industrial robots to respond to the behavior of human passersby. The robots had a single central brain – allowing them to act independently and as a pack – along with 12 depth cameras and sensors. Such tech could let robots signal their intentions to humans via subtle body cues, aiding human-robot relations. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: If you find yourself bored at work, says Daniel Goleman, you probably need to up your engagement by tackling something more challenging.

“When we take on challenges that align with our abilities and interests, we feel more fulfilled and engaged by our work.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— LinkedIn Editors