This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. Its time for a partythe Conference of the Parties, that is. Talks kicked off this week at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Running for a couple of weeks each year, the global summit is the largest annual meeting on climate change. The issue on the table this time around: Countries need to agree to set a new goal on how much money should go to developing countries to help them finance the fight against climate change. Complicating things? A US president-elect whose approach to climate is very different from that of the current administration (understatement of the century). This is a big moment that could set the tone for what the next few years of the international climate world looks like. Heres what you need to know about COP29 and how Donald Trumps election is coloring things. The UN COP meetings are an annual chance for nearly 200 nations to get together to discuss (and hopefully act on) climate change. Greatest hits from the talks include the Paris Agreement, a 2015 global accord that set a goal to limit global warming to 1.5 C (2.7 F) above preindustrial levels. This year, the talks are in Azerbaijan, a petrostate if there ever was one. Oil and gas production makes up over 90% of the countrys export revenue and nearly half its GDP as of 2022. A perfectly ironic spot for a global climate summit! The biggest discussion this year centers on global climate financespecifically, how much of it is needed to help developing countries address climate change and adapt to changing conditions. The current goal, set in 2009, is for industrialized countries to provide $100 billion each year to developing nations. The deadline was 2020, and that target was actually met for the first time in 2022, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which keeps track of total finance via reports from contributing countries. Currently, most of that funding is in the form of public loans and grants. The thing is, that $100 billion number was somewhat arbitraryin Paris in 2015, countries agreed that a new, larger target should be set in 2025 to take into account how much countries actually need. Its looking as if the magic number is somewhere around $1 trillion each year. However, it remains to be seen how this goal will end up shaking out, because there are disagreements about basically every part of this. What should the final number be? What kind of money should countjust public funds, or private investments as well? Which nations should pay? How long will this target stand? What, exactly, would this money be going toward? Working out all those details is why nations are gathering right now. But one shadow looming over these negotiations is the impending return of Donald Trump. As I covered last week, Trumps election will almost certainly result in less progress on cutting emissions than we might have seen under a more climate-focused administration. But arguably an even bigger deal than domestic progress (or lack thereof) will be how Trump shifts the countrys climate position on the international stage. The US has emitted more carbon pollution into the atmosphere than any other country, it currently leads the world in per capita emissions, and its the worlds richest economy. If anybody should be a leader at the table in talks about climate finance, its the US. And yet, Trump is coming into power soon, and weve all seen this film before. Last time Trump was in office, he pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement. Hes made promises to do it againand could go one step further by backing out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) altogether. If leaving the Paris Agreement is walking away from the table, withdrawing from the UNFCCC is like hopping on a rocket and blasting in a different direction. Its a more drastic action and could be tougher to reverse in the future, though experts also arent sure if Trump could technically do this on his own. The uncertainty of what happens next in the US is a cloud hanging over these negotiations. This is going to be harder because we don't have a dynamic and pushy and confident US helping us on climate action, said Camilla Born, an independent climate advisor and former UK senior official at COP26, during an online event last week hosted by Carbon Brief. Some experts are confident that others will step up to fill the gap. There are many drivers of climate action beyond the White House, said Mohamed Adow, founding director of Power Shift Africa, at the CarbonBrief event. If I could characterize the current vibe in the climate world, its uncertainty. But the negotiations over the next couple of weeks could provide clues to what we can expect for the next few years. Just how much will a Trump presidency slow global climate action? Will the European Union step up? Could this cement the rise of China as a climate leader? Well be watching it all. Now read the rest of The Spark Related reading In case you want some additional context from the last few years of these meetings, heres my coverage of last years fight at COP28 over a transition away from fossil fuels, and a newsletter about negotiations over the loss and damages fund at COP27. For the nitty-gritty details about whats on the table at COP29, check out this very thorough explainer from Carbon Brief. DAN THORNBERG/ADOBE STOCK Another thing Trumps election will have significant ripple effects across the economy and our lives. His victory is a tragic loss for climate progress, as my colleague James Temple wrote in an op-ed last week. Give it a read, if you havent already, to dig into some of the potential impacts we might see over the next four years and beyond. Keeping up with climate The US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule to fine oil and gas companies for methane emissions. The fee was part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. (Associated Press) This rule faces a cloudy future under the Trump administration; industry groups are already talking about repealing it. (NPR)Speaking of the EPA, Donald Trump chose Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, to lead the agency. Zeldin isnt particularly known for climate or economic policy. (New York Times) Oil giant BP is scaling back its early-stage hydrogen projects. The company revealed in an earnings report that its canceling 18 such projects and currently plans to greenlight between five and 10. (TechCrunch) Investors betting against renewable energy scored big last week, earning nearly $1.2 billion as stocks in that sector tumbled. (Financial Times) Lithium iron phosphate batteries are taking over the world, or at least electric vehicles. These lithium-ion batteries are cheaper and longer-lasting than their nickel-containing cousins, though they also tend to be heavier. (Canary Media) I wrote about this trend last year in a newsletter about batteries and their ingredients. (MIT Technology Review)The US unveiled plans to triple its nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Thats an additional 200 gigawatts worth of consistently available power. (Bloomberg) Five subsea cables that can help power millions of homes just got the green light in Great Britain. The projects will help connect the island to other power grids, as well as to offshore wind farms in Dutch and Belgian waters. (The Guardian)

Submitted by WA ContentsOODA unveils Ndarja, a pair of fragmented towers in the center of TiranaAlbania Architecture News - Nov 14, 2024 - 15:47 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Portuguese architecture firm OODA has unveiled design for a new high-rise that comprises a pair of "fragmented" volumes in the center of Tirana, Albania.Encompassing a total of 41,000-square-metre area, the project, called Ndarja, is located on Myslym Street in a central district of Tirana, where old and new converge.Image PlompOODA has created two similar, fragmented volumes aligned at their narrowest sides, which it describes as "an opportunity for a break."This fragmentation opens up a void that welcomes visitors into a squarea sanctuary for gatherings where individuals can escape the relentless pace of the city.Image PlompThe structure, which combines commercial, residential, hotel, and office space, is tailored to the constantly changing urban morphology. This area, which is surrounded by lush vegetation and has a reflective water surface for illumination, softens the structure's solidity and lets the architecture breathe.A fluid connection between the building and the street is encouraged by the "break" in the structure's volumes, which is accomplished by a rotating design.At its center is a transparent water mirror that connects the outside and inside by attracting natural light from below. This open space creates a pleasant microclimate for the neighborhood by combining the greenery from the square, the balcony gardens, and the surrounding streets. The square transforms into a genuine urban oasis rather than merely a corridor.Image PlompWhile the upper floors support a mixed-use program, the ground and first floors are occupied by commercial spaces that profit from the street's close proximity and visibility.Taking full advantage of the stunning city views, the volume facing Myslym Street offers a range of apartment types and a high-end hotel on the upper levels.Along with additional office space, the volume on Pitarka Street is devoted to apartments and has distinct lobbies for each use. With its earthy color scheme, the faade integrates the building into the overall visual coherence of the city.Image PlompPerforated metal sheets and brises-soleil control light and give residents privacy while reflecting the activity on the balconies back into the city, simulating the urban setting inside.Apartment Living RoomThe plants were carefully chosen for the building's interior, with species picked for their resistance to sunlight and wind. This promotes a harmonious integration of nature into the urban environment by guaranteeing the creation of healthy green spaces.Apartment Living RoomHotel RoomSketchFloor planFloor planMassing diagramProgramSketch - bringing green to the centerDigital modelOODA completed a student residence with colonnaded skin in the City of Porto, Portugal. In addition, the firm revealed design for dancing Bond Towers in Tirana, Albania.Project factsProject name:NdarjaArchitects:OODALocation:Tirana, AlbaniaDate:2024Size:41,000m2Status:LicensingLandscaping:P4Engineering:LAIIITop image in the article Plomp.All renderings Plomp unless otherwise stated.All drawings OODA.> via OODA

Submitted by WA ContentsOODA unveils Ndarja, a pair of fragmented towers in the center of TiranaAlbania Architecture News - Nov 14, 2024 - 15:47 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Portuguese architecture firm OODA has unveiled design for a new high-rise that comprises a pair of "fragmented" volumes in the center of Tirana, Albania.Encompassing a total of 41,000-square-metre area, the project, called Ndarja, is located on Myslym Street in a central district of Tirana, where old and new converge.Image PlompOODA has created two similar, fragmented volumes aligned at their narrowest sides, which it describes as "an opportunity for a break."This fragmentation opens up a void that welcomes visitors into a squarea sanctuary for gatherings where individuals can escape the relentless pace of the city.Image PlompThe structure, which combines commercial, residential, hotel, and office space, is tailored to the constantly changing urban morphology. This area, which is surrounded by lush vegetation and has a reflective water surface for illumination, softens the structure's solidity and lets the architecture breathe.A fluid connection between the building and the street is encouraged by the "break" in the structure's volumes, which is accomplished by a rotating design.At its center is a transparent water mirror that connects the outside and inside by attracting natural light from below. This open space creates a pleasant microclimate for the neighborhood by combining the greenery from the square, the balcony gardens, and the surrounding streets. The square transforms into a genuine urban oasis rather than merely a corridor.Image PlompWhile the upper floors support a mixed-use program, the ground and first floors are occupied by commercial spaces that profit from the street's close proximity and visibility.Taking full advantage of the stunning city views, the volume facing Myslym Street offers a range of apartment types and a high-end hotel on the upper levels.Along with additional office space, the volume on Pitarka Street is devoted to apartments and has distinct lobbies for each use. With its earthy color scheme, the faade integrates the building into the overall visual coherence of the city.Image PlompPerforated metal sheets and brises-soleil control light and give residents privacy while reflecting the activity on the balconies back into the city, simulating the urban setting inside.Apartment Living RoomThe plants were carefully chosen for the building's interior, with species picked for their resistance to sunlight and wind. This promotes a harmonious integration of nature into the urban environment by guaranteeing the creation of healthy green spaces.Apartment Living RoomHotel RoomSketchFloor planFloor planMassing diagramProgramSketch - bringing green to the centerDigital modelOODA completed a student residence with colonnaded skin in the City of Porto, Portugal. In addition, the firm revealed design for dancing Bond Towers in Tirana, Albania.Project factsProject name:NdarjaArchitects:OODALocation:Tirana, AlbaniaDate:2024Size:41,000m2Status:LicensingLandscaping:P4Engineering:LAIIITop image in the article Plomp.All renderings Plomp unless otherwise stated.All drawings OODA.> via OODA

Winning design for Bertalia-Lazzaretto Ecodistrict focuses on sustainability and community integrationSource: a-factSource: a-fact1/3show captionA design team led by ATI Project, in collaboration with A-fact Architecture Factory, Weber Architects and Parcnouveau, has won an international competition to create a sustainable social housing district in Bologna.The proposal, commissioned by the Municipality of Bologna, aims to foster a resilient urban ecosystem in the citysBertalia-Lazzaretto neighbourhood.The 6,200sq m project prioritises landscape enhancement and sustainable mobility, with the design centred on connecting green spaces like Reno Park and the Ghisiliera Canal to surrounding areas.MasterplanSource: a-factFront elevationSource: a-factBioclimatic SectionSource: a-fact1/3show captionAccording to the design team, the new layout will support public space and foster social interactions, aiming to revitalise the community through shared courtyards and communal green areas.The schemes core feature, a north-south greenway along the Ghisiliera Canal, is intended to support sustainable transport options, linking local neighbourhoods to Bolognas city centre within a 15-minute walk.According to Giovanni Sanna, founding partner of A-fact Architecture Factory, the design seeks to respond to housing demand while integrating the development in the existing landscape and architectural context of Bologna.Rooftop terraces and communal greenhouses are incorporated to allow for urban agriculture and climate adaptation measures, with bioclimatic principles guiding the layout to maximise daylight and natural ventilation.

Brisbane-based firm appoints former Neom project lead to run UK baseWahat al Karama memorial park was designed in collaboration with Idris Khan and AecomAustralian practice Bureau Proberts has opened an office in London as it seeks to expand its global reach.The Brisbane-based firm was founded in 1990 by Liam Proberts and works mostly in Australia and the Middle East.Its most significant projects include work at the Trojena ski resort, part of the controversial Neom mega project in north western Saudi Arabia.New London office lead Monika Laudencka-Sobik was a former project lead at NeomThe practices London office will be led by Monika Laudencka-Sobik, who was previously project director for the firms work at Neom.She said Bureau Proberts said the office would provide a base for a growing portfolio of global projects.Im thrilled to lead Bureau Proberts European operations into their next phase. London is a global city and a launch pad to the rest of the world. Its a hub for talent and creative collaboration.Theres an exciting future ahead for Bureau Proberts and our international clients.Other schemes the practice has worked on include the Australian Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, and Wahat al Karama, an art installation in Abu Dhabi designed in collaboration with artist Idris Khan and Aecom.Its major projects in Australia include the 28-storey 251 Wickham Street tower in Brisbane, which is currently under construction.

Positive addition (5 million and over) category: Tower Hamlets Town Hall by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Source:&nbsp Tim SoarAllford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) has become one of the first major UK practices to release its emissions data in full including from the buildings it has designed Data shared with the AJ and published by the AJ100 practice in September outlines both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with its work, with Scope 3 emissions, from completed projects, included for the first time.Publication of the firms Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions comes after the companys annual financial report for April 2022 to March 2023, published at the end of last year, identified IT as contributing a third of all its greenhouse gas emissions.That report stated that total operational emissions were 1,410 tCO2e for the April 2022 to March 2023 period.AdvertisementControversially, the practice did not include upfront embodied carbon from completed projects in its reported Scope 3 emissions at the time of that report. But now, AHMM is thought to be one of the first of the major UK practices to make its full Scope 3 emissions public.The data shows that AHMMs emissions resulting from the upfront embodied carbon of completed projects in 2023 rose from 80,400 tCO2e in 2022 to 102,000 tCO2e in 2023.However, retrofit schemes and buildings with larger footprints but greater carbon efficiency mean the carbon intensity of those completed projects reduced from 628 kgCO2e/m2 GIA to 553 kgCO2e/m2 GIA, the practice said.Meanwhile, AHMMs operational emissions have reduced from 1,410 tCO2e to 1,010 tCO2e between 2022 and 2023 a decline of 400 tCO2e. That was despite an increasing number of staff returning to its office post-pandemic, which resulted in a rise in direct Scope 1 and 2 emissions. These derive from the gas boilers at AHMMs London headquarters and purchased electricity across all locations.The practice said its biggest operational carbon savings were made through changes to IT equipment and in-house events programmes, where 513 tCO2e has been saved compared to 2022.AdvertisementAHMMs head of sustainability, Craig Robertson, said: These figures show that AHMM is on track to deliver against our operational and project carbon reduction commitments. However, we cannot be complacent.The balance of our operational emissions needs to be carefully monitored, particularly as our studio events programme is re-established. Similarly, our design decisions will continue to be closely reviewed and interrogated using our in-house tools to ensure that we are driving robust low-carbon decisions.According to the National Grid Group, Scope 3 encompasses emissions that are not produced by the company itself and are not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by them.Typically, practices do not include Scope 3 when calculating their emissions. Instead, Scope 1 and 2 are used to cover direct emissions associated with running an office.Many practices do not include the embodied carbon from projects they design in their reported Scope 3 emissions. This is the subject of disagreement in the industry. A leading group of property developers has called on architects to join them in counting and declaring such project emissions, partly in order to transform the professions environmental approach and climate literacy.AHMM says it is committed to reducing its emissions by 42 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2040.2024-11-14Gino Spocchiacomment and share

The Twentieth Century Societys Coming of Age campaign is calling for the listing of 10 buildings that opened in 1994.The architectural campaign group, which works to save outstanding buildings completed after 1914, is demanding a more proactive listing process for iconic buildings as they turn 30.The poster child for its campaign is Nicholas Grimshaws International Terminal at Waterloo, which it describes as an iconic transport interchange and a masterpiece of engineering which has a confidence and swagger few buildings embody in the 21st century.AdvertisementThe High-Tech building, which features a telescopic glass and steel superstructure, served as Londons Eurostar terminal from 1994 till 2007 when operations moved to St Pancras. It has won awards including the RIBA Presidents Building of the Year and the Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture. Source:Peter CookWaterloo International Terminal, London by GrimshawAnother Grimshaw building, the RAC regional control centre in Bristol, is also on the list.Others included in the eclectic mix include: Populouss Kirklees Stadium in Huddersfield winner of the 1995 RIBA Building of the Year award; Hopkins Architects Glyndebourne Opera House in West Sussex; Cullinan Studios Library at St John's College in Cambridge; Phillip Englands Pepsi Max rollercoaster station in Blackpool; and Niall Phillips Welsh Wildlife Centre in Pembrokeshire.Also featured on the list are two houses: Future Systems Hauer-King House in Islington, which featured in the BBCs Building Sights series; and Hudson Architects Baggy House in Devon. There is also a spot for Garthdee student housing in Aberdeen by Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones. Source:Twentieth Century SocietyBaggy House, Devon by Hudson ArchitectsThe selection criteria for listing buildings are set by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, while Historic England provides detailed guidance and carries out research for each specific case.AdvertisementPrimary considerations for listing a building include its special architectural and historic interest, although the principles state that buildings under 30 years old are not generally considered eligible as they have yet to stand the test of time.The Twentieth Century Society is arguing that there is no current mechanism to proactively review buildings when they reach this 30-year threshold, leaving them unrecognised until they come under threat of demolition or harmful alteration.The societys director, Catherine Croft, said: Why wait until the bulldozers are poised, to intervene and try to protect outstanding buildings such as these, when it is possible to make an objective judgement far earlier?She described the 10 selected buildings as vivid manifestations of Britains aspirations and priorities at a time, in the early 1990s, which is now at the centre of our cultural nostalgia, but probably more distant than we might think from our world today.She added: The sheer glamour of Waterloo International Terminal speaks to a confidence and swagger few buildings embody in the 21st century and is one of the best examples of High-Tech architecture in the country, open and accessible for all to see. Source:Martin CharlesGlyndebourne Opera House by Hopkins Architects

When to watch the Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles?Thursday, Nov. 14, at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT).Where to watchThe Commanders-Eagles game will stream live on Amazon Prime Video and for free on Twitch. Fans in the home markets of each team can also watch on their local Fox channel. See at Amazon Thursday Night Football each week, for $9 a month Amazon Prime Video See at Amazon See more details See at YouTube TV Carries Fox for $73 a month YouTube TV See at YouTube TV See more details See at Hulu Plus Live TV Carries Fox for $83 a month Hulu Plus Live TV See at Hulu Plus Live TV See more details See at DirecTV Stream Carries Fox for $87 a month DirecTV Stream See at DirecTV Stream See more details See at Fubo Carries Fox for $92 or $95 per month Fubo See at Fubo See more details See at Sling TV Carries Fox for $45 a month in select markets Sling TV Blue See at Sling TV See more details Table of Contents The Eagles sit atop the NFC East at 7-2, and the Commanders trail by half a game at 7-3, which means the winner of tonight's game will lead the division with six weeks remaining in the season. More importantly, the winner of tonight's game will have a win in the head-to-head matchup between these two division rivals -- they meet again in Washington in Week 16. With the Cowboys and Giants out of the race, either the Commanders or Eagles will win the NFC East with the other vying for a Wild Card spot in the conference.The Commanders-Eagles game starts tonight at 5:15 p.m. PT (8:15 p.m. ET). The game will stream nationally on Prime Video and for free on Twitch. Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders have a road test against their division rivals from Philadelphia tonight on Thursday Night Football. Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesKeep reading to see your options for watching Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, Twitch, NFL Plus and -- if you live in the home markets of the Commanders or Eagles -- a local network channel.With YouTube and YouTube TV the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, along with games also streaming on Paramount Plus, Peacock and ESPN Plus, there's lots for NFL fans to keep track of this season. Check out our picks for the best live TV streaming services for NFL fans in 2024.TNF streaming: Prime Video, Twitch and NFL PlusThursday Night Football games are streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video, giving NFL fans more incentive than free two-day shipping to sign up for an Amazon Prime account, which costs $15 a month or $139 a year. You can also subscribe only to Prime Video for $9 a month. AmazonFans in the local markets of each team playing on Thursday night will be able to watch the game on an over-the-air station, while those who don't pay for either of Amazon's services can watch for free on Prime Video's Twitch channel. (Twitch is also owned by Amazon.)If you subscribe to NFL Plus, the league's $7-per-month streaming service (or $15 a month with Red Zone included), you can also stream the game without subscribing to Prime or Prime Video. Note that NFL Plus viewing is limited to watching on just a phone or tablet, not on a computer or TV. Amazon Thursday Night Football games are streamed live on Amazon Prime Video. For millions of Amazon Prime subscribers, the Prime Video channel is already included at no extra cost. But if you're not an Amazon Prime subscriber, it might be worth it to shell out the $9 a month for the stand-alone Prime Video service, not only for football but also its impressive selection ofshowsand movies.Read our Amazon Prime Video review. See at Amazon Can I watch Thursday Night Football on local TV?Yes, you can, if you live in the local market of either of the teams playing on Thursday. For this week, that's Fox 5 (WTTG) in DC and Fox 29 (WTXF) in Philadelphia, according to 506 Sports. There are two ways to watch local channels on your TV without cable or satellite TV. The first is with a live TV streaming service. And the second is with an over-the-air antenna, if you live in an area that has good reception.Each of the five major live TV streaming services carry Fox, but not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries Fox in your particular area. Sarah Tew/CNET YouTube TV costs $73 a month and includes Fox. Right now, the first two months are discounted to $50 a month and there is a 7-day free trial. Plug in your ZIP code on YouTube TV's welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review. See at YouTube TV Sarah Tew/CNET Hulu Plus Live TV costs $83 after a recent price hikeand includes Fox in most markets. On its live news page, you can enter your ZIP code under the "Can I watch local news in my area?" question at the bottom of the page to see which local channels you get. Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review. See at Hulu Plus Live TV Directv stream DirecTV Stream's basic $87-a-month package includes Fox in most markets. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV Stream review. See at DirecTV Stream Fubo Fubo costs $80 a month and includes Fox, but Fubocharges an RSN fee(either $12 a month if you get one RSN or $15 a month if you have two or more in your area) that raises the monthly charge to $92 or $95. Fubo is currently offering $30 off for the first month of some of its plans, which means you can get its base Pro plan for $62 or $65 to start.Click hereto see which local channels you get.Read our Fubo review. See at Fubo Sling/CNET Sling TV's Sling Blue package includes local Fox channels but only in a handful of markets. Sling Blue costs $45 a month in markets where it offers local networks and $40 elsewhere.Read our Sling TV review. See at Sling TV All the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out ourlive TV streaming services guide.

For many of us, our internet hardware is best left to technicians and tech-savvy friends and family to set up on our behalf. There's no shame in that, but understanding how your Wi-Fi works is still well worth it. A good start is learning the difference between your modem and router. From there, you'll have a much easier time fixing problems as they arise, and you'll have a better sense of when and how to best upgrade your network, too. What's more, plenty of home internet providers will let you skip an equipment rental fee if you use your own modem or router, so buying your own hardware could save you money over the long run, too.Let's get right to it, starting with the likely starting point for your home's internet connection:Your modem connects your home network to the outside worldThe internet is also known as the World Wide Web because that's basically what it is -- a massive web of computers and servers that can pass information back and forth in mere milliseconds. Smartphones and other cellular devices can connect to that web with a wireless connection to the nearest cell tower, but noncellular devices like smart home gadgets, gaming consoles and your computer need another way to access the web and get online. This Arris Surfboard is a good recent example of a modem -- its job is to encode your internet traffic and send it out into the web, then decode the signals you receive in response. ArrisThat's where your home's modem comes in. Short for modulator-demodulator, your modem's job is to act as the translator for your home network. It takes whatever data you want to send out into the internet -- a Google search, a request to refresh your Instagram feed, an email, you name it -- and modulates that data into an encoded electronic signal that can travel through the web. When that signal reaches its destination, the receiving modem will demodulate, decode it into readable data and then send a response.Here's a practical example: When you're at home shopping on Amazon and you click "Add to cart," your modem sends that request to Amazon's servers. Then, Amazon responds by sending the confirmation that your bulk order of red gummy bears is, indeed, in your cart. All of that happens within a fraction of a second, and you see it play out on your screen because your modem is connecting you with Amazon through the web. Thanks, modem!In the early days of the internet, a modem was all most people used to get online. You'd plug your modem into your home phone line for a dial-up connection with your internet service provider, and then you'd wire the modem to your computer to connect that computer to the web. Wired connections to the modem like that are great for a connection that's as fast and reliable as your ISP allows, but they aren't practical if you want to be able to connect from anywhere in your house, or if you want to use things like wireless smart home gadgets. For that, you'll need a way for those devices to connect to your modem without wires at all.Gee, if only there was a device for that, some way to "route" all of those wireless signals to the right place... This Asus router offers wireless access to your modem's connection with the web (hence the antennas). Chris Monroe/CNETYour router connects your devices to your modem without wiresYep, that's what your router is for. Instead of wiring each of your devices to your modem, you wire a router to it. From there, that router broadcasts a Wi-Fi network. Any Wi-Fi device in range of that network can use whatever password you've set to connect wirelessly to the router and, through it, to the modem and the web. That's also why it's important to set a strong password for your network -- without one, anyone within range will be able to use your connection and potentially interfere with other devices.There's a wide range of Wi-Fi routers available for use in people's homes, and a wide range of strengths and weaknesses between them. If you live in a small home and don't use the internet too heavily, then a basic, stand-alone router might be all you need. If your home is larger, then you might want to upgrade to a mesh router that uses multiple devices throughout your house to relay a stronger, more reliable Wi-Fi signal from room to room. If you're a hardcore gamer, you might want to invest in a feature-rich gaming router to help optimize your connection with whatever server you're playing on and keep latency as low as possible as you're lining up headshots.You should also know that all routers aren't created equal. Just as cellular connections got faster and faster from 3G to 4G to 5G, Wi-Fi has improved, too, with new-and-improved versions of the standard released every five to ten years. The latest generation, Wi-Fi 7, promises top speeds to other Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 devices, plus better performance on networks where many devices are trying to connect simultaneously.Wireless connections typically aren't as fast or dependable as wired connections, so the wireless connection between your devices and your router is likely the weakest point in the chain that connects your home to the web. That's why it makes sense to invest in a capable router with strong performance over Wi-Fi -- and it's why we're constantly testing the latest routersto bring you the best upgrade recommendations. This T-Mobile gateway acts as both a 5G modem and a wireless router. Rick Broida/CNETGateways combine a modem and router into oneA wireless home network needs a connection to the web (the modem) and wireless access to that connection for your devices (the router). That doesn't mean that you need two separate devices, though. Shop around, and you'll see all-in-one devices that combine the two into a single piece of hardware, often called a gateway. They're simply modems with their own, built-in routers.Many internet providers will rent out devices like this when setting up your connection, including AT&T, Xfinity and Optimum. Gateways are also common with cellular internet plans, like with T-Mobile Home Internet, where your incoming internet signal arrives over the air instead of by ground-laid wire like with fiber, cable or DSL. You need a special radio to accept cellular signals like those, so the provider will often provide an all-in-one gateway with that radio built right in.In most cases, you can turn off the gateway's wireless network -- the router part -- and use your own router if you so choose. Just connect that router to the gateway with an Ethernet cable, just like you would with a regular modem. Be sure to turn that gateway's wireless network off in the device settings -- otherwise, you'll have two networks in your home that could interfere with each other or cause confusion. Enlarge Image The speed ratings listed on router packaging will give you an approximate sense of the combined speed of each band -- but you can only connect to one band at a time, so those ratings are often misleading. Ry Crist/CNETHow can I tell if a modem or router is fast enough?Modem and router speed is typically described in terms of the amount of data the device can transfer each second, typically in megabits. The more megabits of data a modem or router can handle in a given second, the faster that modem or router is. Look for those top transfer rates listed in Mbps, or megabits-per-second. If it's a really fast piece of hardware, then you might see the speed listed in gigabits-per-second, or Gbps. 1Gbps equals 1,000Mbps.Mbps is the same unit internet service providers use to describe the speed of their respective plans, so it's a good idea to ensure that your modem and router are fast enough to make the most out of your connection. For instance, I have a fiber connection in my home that allows for downloads and uploads up to 300Mbps. A modem and router that supported top speeds of up to 800Mbps would likely be more than enough for my needs, but if I had a faster gigabit plan from my provider (1Gbps, or 1,000Mbps), then I'd definitely be looking to upgrade.With routers, you can get a rough sense of the speed capabilities by looking at the speed rating, typically featured prominently on the box. Those speed ratings consist of two letters followed by a number, like AX1500. The letters tell you which generation of Wi-Fi the router supports ("AX" means Wi-Fi 6, for instance, while "AC" indicates Wi-Fi 5). The number tells you the approximate combined speeds of each of the router's bands (usually 2.4 and 5GHz, as well as a second 5GHz band if it's a tri-band router -- or a 6GHz band if the router supports Wi-Fi 6E). Just know that those speed ratings are typically pretty misleading, because you can only connect to one band at a time. Checking the fine print as you shop to see the top speed of each individual band will give you a better sense of each router's true capabilities.One final thoughtIf you're considering buying your modem, make sure that your provider allows you to do that (AT&T, for instance, does not), and get one that your provider supports. Different modes of internet require different kinds of modems, so you'll want to be sure and get one that'll actually work with your connection. The help section of your ISP's website is the best place to find guidance here -- look for a list of supported modems before you pull the trigger on a purchase.

November 14, 20247 min readWhat RFK, Jr.s Role in Trumps Administration Could Mean for Public HealthFederal health scientists voice concern over an anticipated takeover by medical skeptics in Trumps second administrationBy Arthur Allen & KFF Health NewsRobert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally for president-elect Donald Trump at Macomb Community College on November 01, 2024 in Warren, Michigan. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesMany scientists at the federal health agencies await the second Donald Trump administration with dread as well as uncertainty over how the president-elect will reconcile starkly different philosophies among the leaders of his team.Trump has promised he would allow Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to go wild on medicines, food, and health. With that, a radical antiestablishment medical movement with roots in past centuries could threaten the achievements of a science-based public health order painstakingly built since World War II, some of these scientists fear.If Kennedy makes good on his vision for transforming public health, childhood vaccine mandates could wither. New vaccines might never win approval, even as the FDA allows dangerous or inefficient therapies onto the market. Agency websites could trumpet unproven or debunked health ideas. And if Trumps plan to weaken civil service rights goes through, anyone who questions these decisions could be summarily fired.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Never has anybody like RFK Jr. gotten anywhere close to the position he may be in to actually shape policy, said Lewis Grossman, a law professor at American University and the author of Choose Your Medicine, a history of U.S. public health.Kennedy and an adviser Calley Means, a health care entrepreneur, say dramatic changes are needed because of the high levels of chronic disease in the United States. Government agencies have corruptly tolerated or promoted unhealthy diets and dangerous drugs and vaccines, they say.Means and Kennedy did not respond to requests for comment. Four conservative members of the first Trump health bureaucracy spoke on condition of anonymity. They eagerly welcomed the former presidents return but voiced few opinions about specific policies. Days after last weeks election, RFK Jr. announced that the Trump administration would immediately fire and replace 600 National Institutes of Health officials. He set up a website seeking crowdsourced nominees for federal appointments, with a host of vaccination foes and chiropractors among the early favorites.At meetings last week at Mar-a-Lago involving Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump Jr., Kennedy, and Means, according to Politico, some candidates for leading health posts included Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University scientist who opposed covid lockdowns; Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who opposes mRNA covid vaccines and rejected well-established disease control practices during a measles outbreak; Johns Hopkins University surgeon Marty Makary; and Means sister, Stanford-trained surgeon and health guru Casey Means.All are mavericks of a sort, though their ideas are not uniform. Yet the notion that they could elbow aside a century of science-based health policy is profoundly troubling to many health professionals. They see Kennedys presence at the heart of the Trump transition as a triumph of the medical freedom movement, which arose in opposition to the Progressive Era idea that experts should guide health care policy and practices.It could represent a turning away from the expectation that mainstream doctors be respected for their specialized knowledge, said Howard Markel, an emeritus professor of pediatrics and history at the University of Michigan, who began his clinical career treating AIDS patients and ended it after suffering a yearlong bout of long covid.Weve gone back to the idea of every man his own doctor, he said, referring to a phrase that gained currency in the 19th century. It was a bad idea then and its even worse now, he said.What does that do to the morale of scientists? Markel asked. The public health agencies, largely a post-WWII legacy, are remarkable institutions, but you can screw up these systems, not just by defunding them but by deflating the true patriots who work in them.FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told a conference on Nov. 12 that he worried about mass firings at the FDA. Im biased, but I feel like the FDA is sort of at peak performance right now, he said. At a conference the next day, CDC Director Mandy Cohen reminded listeners of the horrors of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and polio. I dont want to have to see us go backward in order to remind ourselves that vaccines work, she said.Exodus From the Agencies?With uncertainty over the direction of their agencies, many older scientists at the NIH, FDA, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are considering retirement, said a senior NIH scientist who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job.Everybody I talk to sort of takes a deep breath and says, It doesnt look good, the official said.I hear of many people getting CVs ready, said Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York University. They include two of his former students who now work at the FDA, Caplan said.Others, such as Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, have voiced wait-and-see attitudes. We worked with the Trump administration last time. There were times things worked reasonably well, he said, and times when things were chaotic, particularly during covid. Any wholesale deregulation efforts in public health would be politically risky for Trump, he said, because when administrations screw things up, people get sick and die.At the FDA, at least, its very hard to make seismic changes, former FDA chief counsel Dan Troy said.But the administration could score easy libertarian-tinged wins by, for example, telling its new FDA chief to reverse the agencys refusal to approve the psychedelic drug MDMA from the company Lykos. Access to psychedelics to treat post-traumatic stress disorder has grabbed the interest of many veterans. Vitamins and supplements, already only lightly regulated, will probably get even more of a free pass from the next Trump FDA.Medical Freedom or Nanny StateTrumps health influencers are not monolithic. Analysts see potential clashes among Kennedy, Musk, and more traditional GOP voices. Casey Means, a holistic MD at the center of Kennedys Make America Healthy Again team, calls for the government to cut ties with industry and remove sugar, processed food, and toxic substances from American diets. Republicans lampooned such policies as exemplifying a nanny state when Mike Bloomberg promoted them as mayor of New York City.Both the libertarian and medical freedom wings oppose aspects of regulation, but Silicon Valley biotech supporters of Trump, like Samuel Hammond of the Foundation for American Innovation, have pressed the agency to speed drug and device approvals, while Kennedys team says the FDA and other agencies have been captured by industry, resulting in dangerous and unnecessary drugs, vaccines, and devices on the market.Kennedy and Casey Means want to end industry user fees that pay for drug and device rules and support nearly half the FDAs $7.2 billion budget. Its unclear whether Congress would make up the shortfall at a time when Trump and Musk have vowed to slash government programs. User fees are set by laws Congress passes every five years, most recently in 2022.The industry supports the user-fee system, which bolsters FDA staffing and speeds product approvals. Writing new rules requires an enormous amount of time, effort, energy, and collaboration by FDA staff, Troy said. Policy changes made through informal guidance alone are not binding, he added.Kennedy and the Means siblings have suggested overhauling agricultural policies so that they incentivize the cultivation of organic vegetables instead of industrial corn and soy, but I dont think theyll be very influential in that area, Caplan said. Big Ag is a powerful entrenched industry, and they arent interested in changing.Theres a fine line between the libertarian impulse of the medical freedom types and advocating a reformation of American bodies, which is definitely nanny state territory, said historian Robert Johnston of the University of Illinois-Chicago.Specific federal agencies are likely to face major changes. Republicans want to trim the NIHs 27 research institutes and centers to 15, slashing Anthony Faucis legacy by splitting the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which he led for 38 years, into two or three pieces.Numerous past attempts to slim down the NIH have failed in the face of campaigns by patients, researchers, and doctors. GOP lawmakers have advocated substantial cuts to the CDC budget in recent years, including an end to funding gun violence, climate change, and health equity research. If carried out, Project 2025, a policy blueprint from the conservative Heritage Foundation, would divide the agency into data-collecting and health-promoting arms. The CDC has limited clout in Washington, although former CDC directors and public health officials are defending its value.It would be surprising if CDC wasnt on the radar for potential change, said Anne Schuchat, a former principal deputy director of the agency, who retired in 2021.The CDCs workforce is very employable and might start to look for other work if their area of focus is going to be either cut or changed, she said.Kennedys attacks on HHS and its agencies as corrupted tools of the drug industry, and his demands that the FDA allow access to scientifically controversial drugs, are closely reminiscent of the 1970s campaign by conservative champions of Laetrile, a dangerous and ineffective apricot-pit derivative touted as a cancer treatment. Just as Kennedy championed off-patent drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat covid, Laetriles defenders claimed that the FDA and a profit-seeking industry were conspiring to suppress a cheaper alternative.The public and industry have often been skeptical of health regulatory agencies over the decades, Grossman said. The agencies succeed best when they are called in to fix things particularly after bad medicine kills or damages children, he said.The 1902 Biologics Control Act, which created the NIHs forerunner, was enacted in response to smallpox vaccine contamination that killed at least nine children in Camden, New Jersey. Child poisonings linked to the antifreeze solvent for a sulfa drug prompted the modern FDAs creation in 1938. The agency, in 1962, acquired the power to demand evidence of safety and efficacy before the marketing of drugs after the thalidomide disaster, in which children of pregnant women taking the anti-nausea drug were born with terribly malformed limbs.If vaccination rates plummet and measles and whooping cough outbreaks proliferate, babies could die or suffer brain damage. It wont be harmless for the administration to broadly attack public health, said Alfredo Morabia, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University and the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Public Health. It would be like taking away your house insurance.Sam Whitehead, Stephanie Armour, and David Hilzenrath contributed to this report.Healthbeat is a nonprofit newsroom covering public health published by Civic News Company and KFF Health News. Sign up for its newsletters here.KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.