infrastructure
Spending money on new infrastructure isn’t always the best idea
The questions about which massive structures to build, and where, are actually very hard to answer. Infrastructure is always about the future: It takes years to construct, and lasts for years beyond that.
One man visited all 2964 bus stops in San Francisco — for science
Americans don't like to ride the bus. There are ways to fix that.
57% of U.S. structures lie within a natural “hazard hotspot”
A new study mapped areas of the U.S. that are most likely to suffer natural disasters.
Why Africa’s newest super-bridge is in the continent’s weirdest border zone
The Kazungula Bridge connects Zambia and Botswana, barely missing Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Raccoons love you, but not unconditionally
Some wild animals thrive near humans, but only up to a point.
This map is alive with the beauty of lighthouse signals
The unique light signatures of nautical beacons translate into hypnotic cartography.
China’s most important border is imaginary: the Hu Line
First drawn in 1935, Hu Line illustrates persistent demographic split – how Beijing deals with it will determine the country's future.
Manmade objects now weigh more than all living things on Earth
Humans churn out about 30 gigatons (30,000,000,000 tons) of material every year.
New study argues that migrating from cities, not travel bans, slows spread of disease
Of course, it's all about where you move. The authors argue that it needs to be less populous regions.
Why Erdogan wants to turn Istanbul into an island
'Kanal Istanbul' would create a second Bosporus – and immortalize its creator.
Why virtual reality is necessary on a planet of 11 billion
Virtual reality is more than a trick. It's a solution to big problems.
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Water heist: Up to half of the world’s supply is being stolen, study finds
A new study examines the under-researched area of water theft around the world.
Study details the negative environmental impact of online shopping
Frequent shopping for single items adds to our carbon footprint.
Education vs. learning: How semantics can trigger a mind shift
The word "learning" opens up space for more people, places, and ideas.
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Will the future be ‘Mad Max’ or ‘Star Trek’? Coronavirus offers clues.
Jordan Hall speculates on the fate of the species.
Is the global economy sexist?
Answer: When 22 men make more money than all of the women in Africa, an Oxfam study says absolutely.
3 million people move to urban areas every week. How will we meet the challenge?
Cities of the future won't just be incredibly populated, they'll also be smarter than ever.
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Scientists want to use mountains like batteries to store energy
Researchers propose a gravity-based system for long-term energy storage.
MIT launches a fleet of Transformer boats
Clusters of bot boats may offer cities dynamic solutions to rising waters.
Marchetti’s Constant: The curious principle that shapes our cities
How the half-hour commute and motorised transport changed our cities into huge metropolises.
Climate change is here. It’s time to begin “managed retreats” according to scholars.
Humans hate to surrender, but this clearly makes good sense.
Why American towns are more selective than ever about what they recycle
An ecological silver bullet is missing the target altogether.
Five ways your safety depends on machine learning
Machine learning, which actively protects you from all sorts of dangers, including fires, explosions, collapses, crashes, workplace accidents, restaurant E. coli, and crime.
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Is this the world map of the future?
A vertical map might better represent a world dominated by China and determined by shipping routes across the iceless Arctic.
Birthplace influences adult income, new research suggests
A new study finds that factors influencing where you're born continue to affect your earnings throughout life.
Scotland is generating so much wind energy, it could power all of its homes — twice over
Why doesn't the U.S. generate more electricity from wind?
Tiny homes and floating apartments: California mayors’ reply to the growing homeless problem
Ideas are plentiful; execution is another story.
Just how big is India’s ‘Mount Everest of Trash’?
The Ghazipur dump keeps growing and growing every year, catching fire and leaching toxins into the ground. What can be done about it?
NYC plans to expand Manhattan to protect against rising seas
The sea levels across New York are estimated to rise between 18 and 50 inches by 2100.