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“Houses and office buildings account for 75% of electricity use in the United States, and 40% of its energy use overall.” And, all the windows in these buildings can be a problem–letting in heat or cold while leaking cooling or heating energy. But, several research teams are working on ways to solve this problem. Newer solar window technologies “absorb almost exclusively invisible ultraviolet (UV) or…
See moreRead these two excerpts (here and here) from a new book by Elizabeth Rush which details the effects of sea level rise on the south coast of Florida, USA. “Sunny day flooding”–where coasts flood even without rain and storms due to rising seas and high tides is increasingly frequent today. This is not a theory or a prediction; it is happening today “from Portland, Maine…
See moreConnections: 9/11 was a big turning point in sacrificing privacy for national security. While there are differing opinions on whether this was the best decision or not, being completely off the grid identity-wise is a thing of the past. Biometric systems, especially facial recognition scans, are being introduced at major U.S. airports–a response to a U.S. Congressional mandate “for recording the entry and exit of…
See moreNatural gas has long been “promoted as a clean alternative to other fossil fuels.” It’s main ingredient is methane. Compared to other greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, methane does not stay in the atmosphere as long but, while it’s there, “its warming effect is much stronger.” A new independent study shows that methane “has been leaking from oil and gas facilities [in the United States]…
See moreRecycling plastic is a challenge. Over the past few decades, plastic “recycling” has in fact consisted–about half the time–of sending that plastic to China (often through Hong Kong). China and Hong Kong “have imported 72% of all plastic waste.” But, this route is now at an end. As of January 2018, China has banned the import of “nonindustrial plastic waste.” As a result, according to…
See moreAs of May 30, 2018, a supercritical carbon dioxide demonstration power plant began operation in Texas, USA. Operated by NET Power, LLC, the technology is powered by natural gas and generates electricity using CO2 itself to run the turbine. The technology–called the “Allam Cycle”–may eliminate “virtually all emissions from natural gas power generation without requiring expensive … carbon capture equipment.” Traditional natural gas power plants…
See moreIn 2017, Hurricane Harvey moved very slowly across parts of Texas (USA) dropping “more than 30 inches of rain in two days and nearly 50 inches over four days.” “Harvey’s rainfall exceeded every known flooding event in American history since 1899.” The reason for the high rainfall totals was the slow movement of the storm–and a 2018 study reports that “between 1949 and 2016, tropical…
See more**An updated version of this post was published on November 2, 2025.** How and when does an established viewpoint of a society change? What does it take for a society (a very large group of people) to alter its collective opinion? Is there a “tipping point” for public opinion? A recent study using a naming game discovered that when a minority viewpoint became held by…
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