Mark Hellrich SM ’26, lead author of a new study on fabric molds for concrete, scans fabric-formed beams in the lab to compare their shape with the original computer design. Photo Credit: Emily Whiting
MIT engineers cast a concrete beam using a sewn fabric mold with one-third the amount of concrete and half as much steel as a conventional beam. Topology optimization is a computer design method that can help engineers design beams using reduced amounts of concrete and steel. But those intricate shapes … [continued]
AI is fun and cool when it creates useful things for you or answers tough questions quickly and well (let’s not focus on AI slop and false claims at the moment), but that doesn’t mean AI businesses are financially sustainable or sensible. AI companies are still heavily subsidizing their broad … [continued]
Caption:
A new study reports global-warming-attributed trends in monthly-averaged maximum daily temperature for every U.S. state. Shown here are temperature changes (highest increases in deeper red and dark orange) between 1991 and 2012 compared to the average temperature between 1901 and 1960.
Credits:
Image courtesy of the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
The findings indicate where adaptive measures are needed most around the United States. Global warming, the observed increase in the Earth’s average global surface temperature since preindustrial (1850-1900) times, currently stands at around 1.63 degrees Celsius. While this number is expected to continue to rise, local temperatures will not go … [continued]
The year of the robotaxi rolls on. Just after writing about Zoox expanding its robotaxi service in Las Vegas, I see news that Zoox is entering Atlanta! “Our initial rollout will focus on the Northwest region of Atlanta, near Atlantic Station, Woodward, and Home Park. We will expand throughout the … [continued]
Federal mineral leasing progresses, but the auction does not establish commercially viable seabed mining. Lease figures: October 2026 Marine Minerals Administration Final Leasing Notice; commercial assessment: Barnard–Trytten (2025).
American Samoa’s seabed auction advances mineral leasing. The technical and economic case for a profitable mining industry remains highly unfavorable.
Zoox, one of the three leading robotaxi companies in the United States so far, has just expanded commercial robotaxi service in Sin City, the city of Las Vegas. “We are expanding our service beyond the Strip into Downtown and the Arts District, while continuing to add access to even more … [continued]
Well, it’s a big day in Tesla World. The company has officially launched Cybercab sales. You can now order a Cybercab for the starting price of $30,000 (technically, $29,900). That said, there is an asterisk here — actually, there are two asterisks here. First of all, only people who have … [continued]
Marines pass food supplies to a family affected by flooding from Hurricane Harvey in Orange, Texas. Credit:U.S. Marine Corps.
States facing the greatest health damage from climate change are the least equipped to protect their residents. Across the United States, climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, resulting in escalating public health harms and severe economic damage. For example, devastating inland flooding in Texas in 2025 killed 134 people … [continued]
This analysis of eight residential programs shows that, if properly implemented, cities can use a new organics collection program to build a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable solid waste system. Coauthored with Raftelis Residential curbside organics collection is expanding across the United States as states and local governments seek to … [continued]
I wrote the other day about a top reason US voters said they voted for Democrats in such large numbers — corruption in the Trump household, Trump administration, and Republican Party. It was surprising to me that this showed up as the biggest factor for so many people … even … [continued]
