Miami is on the front lines of sea level rise due to climate change. But it’s also a bustling city whose skyline continues to get taller. The tallest skyscraper in Florida is now under construction in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. How does that make sense? I went to Miami to talk to architects and engineers about how they are designing for the future, and the challenges that still haunt them.
Light it up
The incandescent light bulb has now been almost completely phased out in the United States. The light emitting diode is the new leader of light. Though LEDs have been on the market for years, many in the industry say we’re only beginning to realize their full potential. They can become even more energy efficient. And because they are tunable and dimmable, they can undo light pollution, create better workspaces, and help us sleep better.
Go big or go small?
The nuclear industry is shifting course toward smaller-sized reactors. The logic is that they’re cheaper to build and can achieve economies of scale with standardized designs. But these reactors are also facing the same headwinds as their larger brethren.
The river runs dry
I talked to scientists about what’s likely to be the worst possible scenario for drought on the Colorado River and gamed out some of the most critical impacts on the 40 million people that depend on it
Relentless heat
Nearly one in eight people in the world are suffering under an intense and expansive heat wave. Extreme temperatures are a force of nature, but human actions are making the devastation from these hot spells worse.
Melting from below
A couple recent studies revealed new details about ice loss in the Arctic and Antarctic. It turns out ice sheets and ice shelves are losing mass from below, hidden from view, faster than expected.
Ignition
Fusion energy is often treated as a running joke in discussions of climate change and energy, failing to deliver after decades of research. But scientists say fusion has never been treated as a priority and with some recent advances, they say we’re closer than ever to getting more out of it than we put in.
This is the companion article to the fusion episode of the Unexplainable podcast.