SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son's net worth fell by $4.6 billion on Monday, according to the Forbes real-time billionaires list.

Summer 2024s record heat is creating problems for transportation infrastructure, from roads to rails.New Yorks Third Avenue Bridge, which swings open for ship traffic on the Harlem River, was stuck for hours after its metal expanded in the heat and it couldnt close. Roads have buckled on hot days in several states, including Washington and Wisconsin. Amtrak warned passengers to prepare for heat-related problems hours before a daylong outage between New York and New Jersey; the risks to power lines and rails during high temperatures are a growing source of delays for the train system.It doesnt help that the worsening heat is hitting a U.S. infrastructure system thats already in trouble.The American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. infrastructure an overall grade of C- in its latest national Infrastructure Report Card, released in 2021. While there has been some improvementabout 7.5% of U.S. bridges were in poor condition, compared with over 12% a decade earliermany bridges are aging, making them difficult to maintain. Some 40% of the road system was considered in poor or mediocre condition, and maintenance costs have substantially increased.The rate at which a bridge or road deteriorates depends not only on the materials and construction methods used but also on the climate during the structures life span. Extreme heat, in particular, significantly affects transportation infrastructure. As climate change progresses, the frequency and intensity of heat waves are expected to increase, exacerbating these issues.I lead the Smart Infrastructure and Testing Laboratory at the University of Texas at Arlington, where my team works on ways to better monitor the structural health of infrastructure. Heres why infrastructure struggles in the heatand how engineers are innovating to help extend its life.Buckling highways pose a hazard for driversWhen a road is built, it is cut into segments to create space for the pavement to expand during high heat or to contract in the cold. Without that space, the pavement can buckle when the road material heats up. Buckling of concrete pavement has become a serious problem in several states.Pavement becomes vulnerable to buckling for a number of reasons. The roadways design, the materials it is made out of, the climate when it was built, and the weather during its lifetime can affect its life span, as can damage to the road and improper repairs.Extreme temperatures and heavy precipitation can cause significant damage to roadways and jeopardize the structural integrity of rail systems. Additionally, sea-level rise is accelerating coastal erosion that can undermine roads and rail lines. The deterioration of pavement leads to traffic delays and damaged vehicles. And, most critically, it can cause traffic accidents.Hot rails can expand and also buckleRail expansion is another significant concern, especially with continuous welded rails like the main lines that trains use.When temperatures rise, rails expand due to the heat. This expansion can create high pressure and tension within the rail material. Combined with the forces exerted by moving trains, this pressure can cause the tracks to buckle to the side and become misaligned. It is sometimes referred to as a sun kink.Buckling rails are a serious safety hazard that can cause derailments. Thats one of the reasons Amtrak slows its speed in extreme heat, often leading to schedule delays. Washington, D.C.s Metro cuts its trains speed to a maximum of 35 mph once rails reach a temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit.High heat caused thermal expansion of the rails, buckling this section of railway. [Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation]Predicting these thermal stresses can be challenging. Rail temperature measurements alone are not enough, because there are many unknown factors related to the tracks structure and how it moves. This makes it difficult to accurately forecast how much the rails will expand or contract.Engineers can reduce rail expansion risk by using heat-resistant materials, such as hypereutectoid rail steel and martensite rail steel, adjusting track design and ensuring timely repairs.To prevent roadways from buckling, engineers also have protective measures, such as using single-cut sawed joints filled with sealant to provide flexibility while keeping water out. They can also implement cold weather concreting practices that avoid pouring concrete during low temperatures or on cold bases, and they can use stronger and more durable concrete. Performing timely repairs when pavement cracks and becomes damaged can also help avoid buckling.Keeping infrastructure healthyInfrastructure health is similar to human health: If doctors detect problems such as tumors or cancer only in the later stages, it is often too late. Like human bodies, infrastructure needs to be maintained from the beginning to reduce costs and increase the potential for effective rehabilitation.One area my department works on is nondestructive evaluation methods for monitoring infrastructure without causing damage or requiring long road closures.Devices attached to a vehicle can quickly scan a roadway for weaknesses and defects, acting like mobile MRI machines.[Photo: Suyun Paul Ham/University of Texas, Arlington,CC BY-ND]We use mobile scanning systems that are almost like portable MRI machines to look for weakness or defects in bridges, roads, and runways. We are also developing advanced sensors that use mechanical and magnetic field phenomena to assess the condition of infrastructure, and we are using artificial intelligence to spot problems in the materials.A scan of a bridge roadway shows areas with weaknesses.[Photo: Smart Infrastructure and Testing Laboratory/University of Texas, Arlington]Infrastructure will face increasing challenges as the climate changes and roads, bridges, and other infrastructure age. The large number of buckling roadways and other problems this summer highlight the urgent need for resilient infrastructure to stand up to the future.Suyun Paul Ham is an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

To mark the end of Dezeen's North America Design 2024 series, Universal Design Studio has selected 10 stand-out designers each from a different city across the continent.London-based Universal Design Studio recently opened a location in New York and partnered with Dezeen as a sponsor, along with its sister studio Map, for our North American Design 2024 series, which highlighted a set of independent designers in 10 different cities across the continent."The series is a great platform for us to engage with this talent and gain a better understanding of the design culture in this part of the world," said Universal Design Studio creative director Satoshi Isono.Isono said that the studio was drawn to designers forefronting locality, including utilisation of local materials and processes as well as community-oriented approaches.Regional design and sustainability"I was intrigued to see that so many designers have a strong connection with their distinct local cultures through materiality. This is also reflected in how their environments inform their overall inspiration and methodology," said Isono."There were specific regional connections that jumped out. For example, it was interesting to see a number of former Nike designers working independently in Portland and discover how a strong maker culture in New York allows for special design pieces.""Clusters were born from regional design traditions while others formed around independent design communities."Isono also noted how local approaches seemed to be intimately woven with concerns about sustainability and waste.This approach differed from city to city and from studio to studio. However, Isono pointed to a social function or "impact" of design in connecting people and ideas.Read: This is North American Design 2024"Designers are finding innovative methods to get their designs produced from literally growing their own materials to sourcing them from waste. This was one of the most interesting aspects of their design process and approach," said Isono."It's exciting to see designers with a strong passion to create an impact through design. Sustainability is fundamental not only from an environmental point of view, but how it relates to society, economy, and industry."Read on for 10 of the best furniture design studios selected by and with comments from Universal Design Studio. Ania Jaworska, Chicago"I believe that an architectural practice should be open to developing any type and scale of design, and Ania's approach aligns well with that philosophy."See more of the Chicago designers here Wentrcek Zebulon, New York"Wentrcek Zebulon's work is inclusive of a strong material-driven design methodology and maker culture of New York, which as a studio with a growing Manhattan office, we are excited to tap into. Plus, it is very nice to see designers who value and prioritise the handmade."See more of the New York designers here Prowl Studio, San Francisco"Prowl Studio is deeply rooted in research-driven industrial design that responds to many problems in relation to the environment and people through design. Because of this, it is very easy to be captivated by their work."See more San Francisco designers here Fernando Laposse, Mexico City"Fernando was one of the most exciting discoveries for me. It is so unique that he grows materials in order to produce his natural plant-based furniture. This design methodology opens up the connection between his country and people through design, which is quite inspirational."See more Mexico City designers here Waka Waka, Los Angeles"I have always admired a designer who works with a single material to finesse their design skills. Being based in LA and working with plywood furniture seems very natural, with the California legacies of Eames furniture and the design culture of mid-century arts and architecture."See more Los Angeles designers here Lauren Goodman, Montreal"Lauren's background as a woodworker making one-off furniture out of industrial waste drew me in. As someone who thinks about this large issue that we face, I really respect her problem-solving."See more Montreal designers here Peca Estudio, Guadalajara"Again, seeing a designer working with materials that are endemic to their home, in this case, Mexico, makes me feel the close connection they have with local craftspeople. This is readily apparent in Peca's design."See more Guadalajara designers here Karen Lee, Portland"Karen's object-oriented design approach leads to forms that I find somewhat sculptural and tool-like. It is very curious to me."See more Portland designers here Donut Shop, Detroit"What stands out is that Donut Shop is making products themselves with a can-do attitude to solve problems while considering time and delivery, something we are all always grappling with."See more Detroit designers here Edwina Lee, Vancouver"I am particularly interested in how Edwina designs in response to nature. Her outdoor furniture using local wood connects well to the landscape of nearby Vancouver."See more Vancouver designers here Illustration by Alex MellonNorth American Design 2024This article is part of Dezeen'sNorth American Design 2024series selecting independent furniture and product design studios from cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.The first edition of this series is created in partnership with Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office, award-winning design studios based in London and now in New York. Their expansion into the US is part of The New Standard, a collective formed with Made Thought.The post Ten of the best independent designers across North America appeared first on Dezeen.

The year was 1940. Thousands of Allied soldiers were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. The enemy was closing in fast. Panic spread as the soldiers looked out to sea, hoping for rescue ships. With every tick of the clock, their chances of escape grew slimmer. The Germans were quickly advancing to the shores, effectively surrounding thousands of soldiers and trapping them in what could only be viewed as certain death. That was until nearly 700 boats started appearing on the horizon. Sailing over from the UK, these boats gave the Allied soldiers the escape route they needed. Among them, a British fireboat called the Massey Shaw was responsible for saving as many as 600 soldiers.Its estimated that over 300,000 British and French soldiers were rescued that day from an impending German massacre. To pay tribute to the boats that ventured out to rescue the soldiers, and the Massey Shaw fireboat in particular, William Wood designed the Dunkirk Watch. Inspired by the boats engine order telegraph, the Dunkirk Watch has a face featuring various commands that the captain would trigger while commandeering the boats engine.Designer: William WoodThe Dunkirk Watch is perfect for history buffs and steamboat nerds who like wearing a relic of marine exploration on their wrists. The watchs face gorgeously captures the details of the engine order telegraph seen on almost all boats from that time. The telegraph would have a handle that you could rotate to select one of multiple commands, allowing your boat to stay still or move ahead. The handle would have a hollow window, allowing you to highlight an option on the telegraph so to celebrate that, the watch boasts hollow outline-shaped hour and minute hands.On the side of the watch, two red pipes reference the Massey Shaws firefighting system, comprised of multiple red pipes that pumped water to help douse fires. Inside, a Sellita SW200 movement powers the timepiece. The watch also comes with luminous markings on the dial and straps made from military leather as well as fabric from firefighter suits. Flip the watch over and youre greeted with artwork on the back, capturing the tense scene of Operation Dynamo which rescued roughly 338,000 soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk. In the center of the artpiece is a small metal fragment pulled from the engine of the Massey Shaw, putting literal history on your wrist. The watch also has the message We Will Remember Them inscribed on the back, along with a serial number unique to each timepiece.The Massey Shaw played a pivotal role in Britains history through the years. While it was best remembered for its role in Operation Dynamo, the London Fire Brigade Fireboat also helped save St. Pauls Cathedral in London during the German Blitz. Its said that planes dropped as many as 28 bombs on the cathedral in December of 1940, but the Massey Shaw continuously pumped water from the Thames, keeping the cathedral standing even after an intense bombing campaign. In 1947, the fireboat was one of many secret meeting locations that helped form what we know today as Britains NHS or National Health Service.The Massey Shaw was retired from service in 1971, and now sits on Londons harbor, with a scheduled visit to Dunkirk in 2025 to mark the events 80-year anniversary. Aside from making the watch, William Wood also donated 10,000 to help repair and restore the Massey Shaw. The first 600 people to purchase the Dunkirk Watch will also receive a commemorative limited-edition Operation Dynamo coin, and will even have their names engraved on a plaque installed within the Massey Shaw.The Dunkirk Watch starts at 3,995.00 GBP ($5100 USD approx), and delivers in November 2024. You can order yours on William Woods website.The post The Gorgeous Dunkirk Watch pays tribute to the Boats that rescued British Soldiers during WW2 first appeared on Yanko Design.

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Vice President Kamala Harriss presidential campaign is officially underway. And though she has already smashed fundraising records, she still faces a daunting glass ceiling and glass cliff that many Black women encounter at work.The term glass ceiling refers to the invisible barrier that women come up against in their attempts to climb the professional ladder; the term glass cliff reflects the precarious circumstances encountered by women from historically marginalized and excluded communities. Often moved into roles in times of chaos or crisis, these leaders are often not equipped with adequate resources or support to succeed. Having broken through the ceiling, they are thrust into positions teetering on the brink of failure and into structures committed to misunderstanding them.To better understand the challenges that Harris must overcome as she seeks election to become the President of the United States, we can assess the hurdles that Black women in corporate America face every day.The corporate leadership gapI have often told people that it is unlikely I will ever be your CEO. My response is not self-deprecation, but a reluctant acknowledgment of the current reality.According to a recent paper by professors Li He and Toni Whited, there are three main common explanations as to why so few women become CEOs. First, there is a stereotype that women possess more soft skills while men possess more hard skills. For instance, its commonly said that women are better at teamwork and communication while men are better at analysis, strategy, and execution.Second, the career paths of women are more affected by the balance between work and family responsibilities, which can make it harder for women to advance in careers. This results in fewer women in managerial positions, making it more difficult to find qualified female candidates for CEO roles.Lastly, there is a belief that company boards might prefer men over women for leadership roles, even if this choice negatively impacts the companys performance. This bias can prevent women from being promoted to top positions.As a result, women are underrepresented in the top management seats of U.S. companies and boardrooms. And, while gains have certainly been made, the momentum is difficult to maintain. According to The Conference Boards March 2024 report, Corporate Americas boardrooms are significantly more gender diverse than its corner offices. Today, 33% of board members at S&P 500 companies are women, an eight-point increase since 2019. By contrast, just 9% of CEOs in the S&P 500 are women, up four points since 2019. This rise in female leadership is important because female CEOs tend to be appointed by more gender-diverse boardsbut this may soon change.The numbers become even more disheartening when you account specifically for the plight of Black women. Approximately 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women CEOs. But Black women hold just two of those positions: Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO of TIAA, and Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO of SAIC. This means Black women represent a mere 0.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs, despite Black women making up about 7.7% of the American population.These barriers are indicative of the struggles faced by Vice President Harris in this years presidential campaign. As she navigates a landscape marked by glass ceilings and glass cliffs, her journey mirrors that of Black women in corporate America and the challenges we encounter. And I believe this underscores the need for systemic change to ensure that Black women can also rise to leadership positions.Silent alliesSilent allies are those individuals who identify as supporters of DEI efforts but, too often, do not take tangible or sustained actions to support Black colleagues when it matters most. This lack of active support can be a significant hurdle in the corporate journey of Black women, and a barrier to forward momentum.For instance, white allies were painfully quiet this Black History Month and there was a noticeable drop in invitations for Black professionals to speak and participate in programming. And in just the past month, a conservative activist has effectively pushed Deere & Co. and Tractor Supply to walk back DEI initiatives.By co-opting the DEI conversation and framing DEI efforts as anti-white, some conservatives perpetuate a misleading narrative that spurs fear among corporations about legal repercussionsespecially following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn affirmative action. And when it came time for allies to push back against this backlash, many have been absent. This phenomenon is what I coined the Red Rover Effect, in which those who once counted themselves as allies tend to retreat and become apathetic to the cause when confronted with opposition or the reality of the task at hand.This shift in the legal landscape is bound to gain traction with conservative talking heads and state legislations creating an environment of fear around DEI initiatives. For instance, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton sent letters to 51 law firms and 10 recruitment firms urging them to step back from engaging in DEI initiatives. In May 2024, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds banned DEI in state universities. In fact, 85 anti-DEI bills have been introduced in 28 states and in Congress, as tracked by the Chronicle of Higher Education. These retreats by purported allies are harmful to the advancement and support of Black women and other marginalized groups, who know that the systems in place were not built with us in mind.To that point, according to a Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey, Black women are less likely to have strong allies on their teams. They are also less likely than white women to say senior colleagues have taken important sponsorship actions on their behalf, such as publicly praising their skills or advocating for a compensation increase for them. This disconnect highlights the disparity between perceived and actual allyship.Active allyship will be an important part of Vice President Harriss campaign. As she strives to break ground in an unprecedented race for the presidency, any lack of vocal and actionable support from allies could hinder her progress, much like it does for Black women in corporate America. Vice President Harriss journey brings to the forefront the need for sustained support if meaningful change is to be achieved.BurnoutBlack women in corporate America often face both burnout and exploitation, carrying the burden of being overqualified, resilient, and self-sacrificing. Many Black women find themselves in roles where they are expected not only to excel in their day-to-day responsibilities, but also to drive DEI initiatives without adequate support or resources. This dual burden can lead to significant stress that extends beyond the scope of employment, leading to serious mental and physical health issues. Nearly 40% of Black women have left their jobs due to feeling unsafe, according to Exhales The State of Self-Care for Black Women report. Black women are, biologically, 7.5 years older than white women and three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.This stress is exacerbated by systemic racism and workplace inequities. In addition to phenomena like the glass cliff and glass ceiling, Black women are often derailed before our corporate journeys begin. Known as the broken rung, this term describes the first step from entry-level positions into management roles that often evades our grip. Progress for early-career Black women has significantly regressed after peaking in 2020 and 2021, according to McKinsey.Still, these realities have not dampened Black womens ambitions. McKinsey reports that roughly 80% of women aspire to be promoted to the next level, compared with 70% in 2019. Women of color have proven to be even more ambitious, with 88% desiring promotion. Black women have previously been found to be more ambitious than all other women, with 59% wanting to be top executives.While Vice President Kamala Harriss path to the presidency mirrors the broader struggles of Black women striving for leadership roles, it also serves to highlight the heights our ambition can reach when we are given access to opportunity. Addressing the barriers we face in corporate America requires an active approach from committed allies, sustained support for DEI programs, and a willingness to acknowledge and dismantle systemic barriers. Only then can we create an environment where Black women can lead without the additional burden of navigating unnecessary cliffs, ceilings, and constraints.

French interior designer Dorothe Meilichzon has converted the restaurant of London's Henrietta Hotel into an homage to Parisian bistros for chef Jackson Boxer.Set on the ground floor of the hotel's 19th-century townhouse in Covent Garden, Henri serves classic French dishes with a British twist and British produce from grilled snails on skewers to a raclette burger au poivre.Henri is the restaurant of London boutique hotel HenriettaThe mishmash of influences in Boxer's cooking is also reflected in Meilichzon's interiors, where art nouveau details rub shoulders with the oakwood panelling and leather upholstery found in London's public houses."We have designed an interior that mixes the relaxed style of a traditional British pub with the elegance of a typical French brasserie," the designer told Dezeen.The interior merges typical features of pubs and brasseriesGuests enter the restaurant via an informal bar area, where snacks and aperitifs are served on red Coralito marble counters.Bulbous brass lights and table lamps with scalloped shades informed by plum blossoms provide points of brightness in the dimly lit interior, chosen as a tribute to Covent Garden's former life as a fruit and vegetable market.Meilichzon created custom seating banquettes for the restaurantForest-green paint adds to the cosy pub atmosphere, together with the dark timber wainscoting and the bar with its leather-upholstered stools.The entrance also introduces Belle Epoque details such as spherical lights and gridded mirrored panels to create a sense of continuity with the main dining room.Read: Dorothe Meilichzon nods to Alice in Wonderland for Cotswolds hotel interior"We have used some art nouveau elements typical in a brasserie: the detail on the arms of the banquettes, frosted glass globes, Thonet chairs and bespoke organic suspensions," Meilichzon said.Despite the restaurant's small footprint, Meilichzon managed to squeeze in several banquettes with decoratively curved backrests and hidden cutlery storage, designed bespoke for the interior.The benches are finished in velvet and leatherNear the entrance, there are smaller booths upholstered in duck-egg blue leather and velvet, with a lacquered frame in a darker midnight hue.But as the space widens towards the open kitchen at the back, the palette becomes warmer and cosier with terracotta wall tiles andlarger banquettes for sharing, finished in rust-coloured velvet with glossy red arms and backrests.The restaurant's existing ceiling murals were retainedAccompanied by classic bentwood bistro chairs from Thonet, Henri's marble-topped tables with their dramatic skirts were also custom-made for the restaurant.Ornamentation is provided by an eclectic mix of artworks and photographs, framed alongside several mirrors and blackboards listing the daily specials.Meilichzon also created custom marble-topped tables for the restaurantMeilichzon also retained the restaurant's existing floral ceiling murals, hand-painted on-site by French artists, that provide a counterweight to the rigid grid of the honeycomb parquet flooring.Henri is the latest in a long line of collaborations between Meilichzon and the Experimental Group, a French hospitality group for which she has also designed hotels in Venice, Ibiza, Biarritz and the Cotswolds.The photography is by WeTheFoodSnobs.The post Hallmarks of British pubs and French brasseries meet in Henri restaurant interior appeared first on Dezeen.

Im a coffee buff but have a limited sense of good coffee. A simple machine keeps me satisfied but a nice brew at a caf really tells the difference. I wouldnt say Im going to translate into someone keen on brewing specialty coffee at home anytime soon. But if youve been yearning for barista-level precision and control over your cup of coffee, you can settle for the new Breville Oracle Jet, which is now available in the US.A keen coffee machine that can produce hot or cold-press espresso, most of it automatically, the Oracle Jet is Australia-based Brevilles first-of-its-kind option on the market. From how it appears, its an impressive coffee machine with a brushed stainless steel finish (available in a range of exclusive colors) featuring a touchscreen display that would let you control it in most cases. Interesting however is the fact that the intuitive machine automatically does the grinding, dosing, and tamping to eliminate the human intervention, yet enhancing the brew quality in return.Designer: BrevilleWhat really distinguishes Brevilles new entrant in the world of specialty brewing at home concept is its ability to brew perfect cold espresso drinks. In fact, its the first in the Brevilles portfolio that makes cold brew but then the price of the machines really makes me skip a beat. Not that I was going to make an effort to secure finances for purchase, but $2000 for the coffee machine will have many like me deterred and setting in return for a regular drip coffee maker.This doesnt at all mean that the Oracle Jet does not have its mouth where the money is. Of course, the price is nothing for a good shot of cold brew espresso that this machine has been designed and manufactured to achieve with little to no effort. A definitely lift up of your stature from a barista visitor to a full-blown coffee specialist at home!As an auto cold-brew espresso machine, it requires a bit of doing to install it and get the beans and water calibrated. Thereafter the process is pretty automatic and straight-forward. The touchscreen panel onboard is where all the controls are for you to set the grind size, switch between hot and cold brew or add your choice of milk to the coffee. The controls on the screen are generated with the tech-based barista guidance, and the machine helps execute the moves to brew you a perfect temperature espresso every time of the day.The post Brevilles new Oracle brews barista-quality cold and hot coffee at Jet speeds with precision first appeared on Yanko Design.

"Neutrality allowed us to be very visible on campus.""We've had CWA representatives and members from other video game unions like Sega and ZeniMax on the campus."