This article first appeared in The Checkup,MIT Technology Reviewsweekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,sign up here. Earlier this year, a boy in Sweden celebrated his 10th birthday. Reproductive scientists and doctors marked the occasion too. This little boys birth had been special. He was the first person to be born from a transplanted uterus. The boy was born in 2014 after his mother, a 35-year-old woman who had been born without a uterus, received a donated uterus from a 61-year-old close family friend. At the time, she was one of only 11 women who had undergone the experimental procedure. A decade on, over 135 uterus transplants have been performed globally, resulting in the births of over 50 healthy babies. The surgery has had profound consequences for these familiesthe recipients would not have been able to experience pregnancy any other way. But legal and ethical questions continue to surround the procedure, which is still considered experimental. Who should be offered a uterus transplant? Could the procedure ever be offered to transgender women? And if so, who should pay for these surgeries? These issues were raised at a recent virtual event run by Progress Educational Trust, a UK-based charity that aims to provide information to the public on genomics and infertility. One of the speakers was Mats Brnnstrm, who led the team at the University of Gothenburg that performed the first successful transplant. For Brnnstrm, the story of uterus transplantation begins in 1998. While traveling in Australia, he said, he met a 27-year-old woman called Angela, who longed to be pregnant but lacked a functional uterus. She suggested to Brnnstrm that her mother could donate hers. I was amazed I hadnt thought of it before, he said. According to Brnnstrm, around 1 in 500 women experience infertility due to whats known as absolute uterine factor infertility, or AUFI, meaning they do not have a functional uterus. Uterus transplants could offer them a way to get pregnant. His meeting with Angela kick-started a research project that started in mice and eventually moved on to pigs, sheep, and baboons. Brnnstrms team started performing uterus transplants in women as part of a small clinical trial in 2012. In that trial, all the donors were living, and in many cases they were the mothers or aunts of the recipients. The surgeries ended up being more complicated than he had anticipated, said Brnnstrm. The operation to remove a donors uterus was expected to take between three and four hours. It ended up taking between eight and 11 hours. In that first trial, Brnnstrms team transplanted uteruses into nine women, each of whom had IVF to create and store embryos beforehand. The woman who was the first to give birth had IVF over a 12-month period, which ended six months before her surgery. It took a little over 10 hours to remove the uterus from the donor, and just under five hours to stitch it into the recipient. The recipient started getting her period 43 days after her transplant. Doctors transferred one of her embryos into the uterus a year after her surgery. Three weeks later, a pregnancy test confirmed she was pregnant. At 31 weeks, she was admitted to hospital with preeclampsia, a serious medical condition that can develop during pregnancy, and her baby was delivered by C-section 16 hours later. She was discharged from hospital after three days, although the baby spent 16 days in the hospitals neonatal unit. Despite those difficulties, her story is considered a success. Other uterus recipients have also experienced pregnancy complications, and some have had surgical complications. And all transplant recipients must adhere to a regimen of immunosuppressant drugs, which can have side effects. The uteruses arent intended to last forever, either. Surgeons remove them once the recipients have completed their families, often after one or two children. The removal is also a significant operation. Given all that, uterus transplants are not to be taken lightly. And there are other paths to parenthood. Some ethicists are concerned that in pursuing uterus transplantation as a fertility treatment, we might reinforce ideas that define a womans value in terms of her reproductive potential, Natasha Hammond-Browning, a legal scholar at Cardiff University in Wales, said at the event. There is debate around whether we should be giving greater preference to adoption, to surrogacy, and to supporting children who already exist and who need care, she said. We also need to consider whether there is a right to gestate, and if there is, who has that right, said Hammond-Browning. And these concerns need to be balanced with the importance of reproductive autonomythe idea that people have the right to decide and control their own reproductive efforts. Further questions remain over whether uterus transplants might ever be an option for trans women, who not only lack a uterus but also have a different pelvic anatomy. I asked the speakers if the surgery might ever be feasible. They werent hugely optimistic that it would, at least in the near future. I personally think that the transgender community have been given false hope for responsible transplantation in the near future, was the response of J. Richard Smith of Imperial College London, who co-led the first uterus transplant performed in the UK. Even cisgender women who have needed surgery to create neovaginas arent eligible for the uterus transplants his team are offering as part of a clinical study. They have an altered vaginal microbiome that appears to increase the risk of miscarriage, he said. There is a huge amount of work to be done before this work can be translated to the transgender community, Smith said. Brnnstrm agreed but added that he thinks the surgery will be available at some pointjust after a lot more research. And then there are the legal and ethical questions, none of which have easy answers. Hammond-Browning pointed out that clinical teams would first need to determine what the goal of such an operation would be. Is it about reproduction or gender realignment, for example? And how might that goal influence decisions over who should get a donated uterus, and why? Considering only 135 human uterus transplants have ever been carried out, we still have a lot to learn about the best way to perform them. (For context, more than 25,000 kidney transplants were carried out in 2023 in the US alone.) Researchers are still figuring out how uteruses from deceased donors differ from those of living ones, and how to minimize complications in young, healthy women. Since that little boy was born 10 years ago, only 50 other children have been born in a similar way. Its still early days. Now read the rest of The Checkup Read more from MIT Technology Review The first birth following the transplantation of a uterus from a dead donor happened in 2017. A team in Brazil transferred the uterus of a 45-year-old donor, who had died from a brain hemorrhage, to a 32-year-old recipient born without a uterus. Researchers are working on artificial wombsbiobags designed to care for premature babies. They have been tested on lambs and piglets. Now FDA advisors are figuring out how to move the technology into human trials. An alternative type of artificial womb is being used to grow mouse embryos. Jacob Hanna at the Weizmann Institute of Science and his colleagues say theyve been able to grow embryos in this environment for 11 or 12 daysaround half the animals gestational period. Research is underway to develop new fertility options for transgender men. Some of these men are put off by existing approaches, which tend to involve pausing hormone therapy and undergoing potentially distressing procedures. From around the web People on Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar drugs are losing their appetite for sugary, ultraprocessed foods. The food industry will have to adapt. (TIL Nestl has already started a line of frozen meals targeted at people on these weight-loss drugs.) (The New York Times Magazine) People who have a history of obesity can find it harder to lose weight. That might be because the fat cells in our bodies seem to remember that history and have an altered response to food. (The Guardian) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took leave as chairman of Childrens Health Defense, a nonprofit known for spreading doubt about vaccines, to run for US president last year. But he is still involved in legal cases filed by the group. And several of its cases remain open, including ones against the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Healthall agencies Kennedy would lead if his nomination for head of Health and Human Services is confirmed. (STAT) Researchers are among the millions of new users of Bluesky, a social media alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter). There is this pent-up demand among scientists for what is essentially the old Twitter, says one researcher who found that the number of influential scientists using the platform doubled between August and November. (Science) Since 2016, a team of around 100 scientists have been working to catalogue the 37 trillion or so cells in the human body. This week, the Human Cell Atlas published a collection of studies that represents a significant first step toward that goalincluding maps of cells in the nervous system, lungs, heart, gut, and immune system. (Nature)

Submitted by WA ContentsDarlington Public School in Australia by fjcstudio wins World Building Of The Year Award for 2024Australia Architecture News - Nov 22, 2024 - 13:23 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"The World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2024 has named the Darlington Public School in Australia, designed by fjcstudio, the World Building of the Year.The first practice in WAF history to win the award twice was fjcstudio, which had previously won Building of the Year in 2013.As hundreds of delegates from around the globe gathered at a grand finale Gala Dinner at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the ultimate awards of World Building of the Year, World Interior of the Year, Future Project of the Year, and Landscape of the Year were announced.At the closing ceremony to commemorate the festival's seventeenth edition, a number of Special Prizes were also given out, including Best Use of Color and Small Project of the Year. The announcement comes after WAF's last day, where winners of prizes in all 42 categories fought for the top honors.Situated on the outskirts of Sydney, the community school has a deep connection to Aboriginal people, which is reflected in its design.The renovated school now blends in perfectly with the surrounding area, providing views of the inner courtyard from the main entrance, encouraging children to feel private and part of a community, and offering publicly accessible amenities like the library, community hall, and covered outdoor learning area. The architects created an inclusive learning environment by working with the school community and educational consultants to inform the brief.By conserving and showcasing Aboriginal artwork throughout the school, the redesign celebrates the rich indigenous culture and helps to tell the nation's stories to coming generations. To teach students about indigenous culture and cuisine, a community garden featuring native plants has also been established. In order to minimize time, expense, and disruption, the school kept running while construction was underway. With passive design features like sawtooth roofs angled toward the sun, high-level glazing for indirect daylight, and protective curved screens for filtered daylight, the building also embraces sustainability. "Its very humbling given the modest scale ofthe building it's a little school project, so to have won against all the other big projects at WAF is atestament to the client and the community engagement that helped drive the design process," said Alessandro Rossi, Associate at fjcstudio."The real winners are the children who will spend time in the building - a place of enrichment for many years to come," Rossi added.On behalf of the jury Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival commented on: "the very highquality of several of this years finalists, not least the National Star Observatory in Cyprus, but the jurys unanimous decision was reached relatively easily."The architect of the winning project explored and extended the formal programme of the client, to include the views and experience of the local community and a variety of users. This generated a reading of thehistory of place, culture and time," Finch added."The result of the project is poetic, a building in which topography and landscape, inside and outside, form and materials, flow seamlessly in an unexpectedly delightful way. It is also an inspirational proposition about the acknowledgement and reconciliation of historic difference a pointer to brighter, better futures for all," Finch concluded.The Super Jury for World Building of the Year chaired by Sonali Rastogi, comprised Emre Arolat, Mario Cucinella and Ian Ritchie.Site planGround floor planElevationOn November 68, 2024, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore hosted the World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors. The global architecture community gathers at WAF to celebrate, educate, network, and get inspired.The largest live-judged architecture awards program in the world is held annually by WAF. Through presentations by architects to eminent delegates and global judging panels, it honors design accomplishments.All images Brett Boardman.All drawings fjcstudio.> via WAF

Scheme is most significant revamp of grade A-listed building since it opened in 1983The Burrell Collection by John McAslan & Partners1/12show captionA refurbishment of Glasgows Burrell Collection by John McAslan & Partners has been named as Scotlands best new building by RIAS.The scheme, the most significant refurbishment of the museum since its opening in 1983, has repaired the grade A-listed building, upgraded its environmental performance and reorganised its galleries.The Burrell Collection is housed in a landmark late 20th century building designed by Barry Gasson, John Meunier and Brit Andresen.Judges for the Doolan Award said they were particularly impressed by how John McAslan & Partners respectful and deferential approach had transformed the building without losing any of its architectural integrity.> Also read:RIAS announces 17 projects vying for Scottish project of the year[It] makes a bold declaration about the role of architecture a renewed confidence and belief in it at a time when Glasgow and Scotlands creative and cultural industries are in peril, the judging panel said.RIAS president Karen Anderson added: Im delighted that the Burrell Collection has been named as the winner of this years RIAS Doolan Award. In the skilled hands of John McAslan & Partners, one of Scotlands architectural gems has been given a new lease of life saving the building and its incredible collection, and making the museum greener and more welcoming to its thousands of visitors.It is a fantastic example of how an existing building can be adapted to address new and future needs, and is unquestionably this years best building in Scotland.The 2024 RIAS Doolan Award jury was chaired by David Kohn Architects founder David Kohn alongside author and journalist Gabriella Bennett and Karen Anderson.

Approved schemes include two towersCGI of Simpson Haugh's Sparkle Street proposalsHawkins Brown's Cheetham Hill Road proposalsCGI of the expansion of Victoria Point1/3show captionManchester council has voted to add three new high rise schemes to its booming skyline in schemes with a combined total of nearly 1,500 homes.The councils planning committee voted in favour of proposals byHawkins Brown, Bell Phillips and Simpson Haugh yesterday afternoon.The tallest, designed by Simpson Haugh for JRL Group and Central & Urban, is a 28-storey tower containing 359 apartments on Sparkle Street.Hawkins Brown also secured approval for its 70m build to rent block on Cheetham Hill Road, which will contain 237 flats and commercial space in a 23-storey tower for developer Zephyr X.Victoria Point, an expansion of an existing student accommodation development, was also given the nod by councillors.The latter, designed by Bell Phillips and 5Plus for Empiric Student Property, will see the phased demolition and extension of six buildings, boosting the number of student homes on the site from 566 to 876.

Chosen as the winner of the 2024 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, the 68.25 million Burrell Renaissance project saw off two schemes by Reiach and Hall Architects, the rescue of a historic rural farmstead by Moxon Architects and the North Gate Social Housing, Glasgow, by Page\Park Architects.John McAslan + Partners was asked to carry out the most comprehensive refurbishment of the museum since the building, designed by Barry Gasson, John Meunier and Brit Andresen, was opened in 1983.The scheme repaired the Category A-listed building, upgraded its environmental performance and enabled more of the collection to be displayed.AdvertisementThe Doolan Award judges praised the revamp as an outstanding example of problem-solving and future-proofing that has rejuvenated an old friend and had been impressed by the practices respectful and deferential approach [which] has transformed the building, without losing any of its architectural integrity.The retrofit, they said, had played a key role in helping to immerse more visitors in all aspects of the collection and the series of approachable new entrances had helped make the museum a more accessible visitor experience.This is a bold declaration about the role of architectureThe jury added that the refurbishment had made a bold declaration about the role of architecture a renewed confidence and belief in it at a time when Glasgow and Scotlands creative and cultural industries are in peril.The finalists for the prize, drawn from the winners of each years RIAS Awards, were assessed by an expert jury, who visited each of the projects.The judges were chaired by David Kohn, director, David Kohn Architects, alongside author and journalist Gabriella Bennett and RIAS president Karen Anderson.AdvertisementAnderson said: In the skilled hands of John McAslan + Partners, one of Scotlands architectural gems has been given a new lease of life saving the building and its incredible collection and making the museum greener and more welcoming to its thousands of visitors.It is a fantastic example of how an existing building can be adapted to address new and future needs and is unquestionably this years best building in Scotland.The annual award was founded in 2002 by architect and entrepreneur, the late Andrew Doolan, and was famously billed as the richest architectural award in the UK, initially boasting a 25,000 top prize at the time 5,000 more than what the winner of the Stirling Prize received. In 2019 the Doolan jackpot fell to 10,000 and there was no cash payment to this years winner. The AJ understands the RIAS continues to explore a number of sponsorship options so a prize fund can be brought back in future years.Last years RIAS Doolan Award went to Ann Nisbet Studio for its Cuddymoss scheme, a home within a ruin in Ayrshire, which the Doolan judges described as carefully positioned and playful. It was the first one-off house to pick up the prize. Source:Hufton + CrowDoolan finalist: The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, by John McAslan + PartnersRIAS Doolan Award shortlist with judges citations[WINNER] The Burrell Collection, Glasgow John McAslan + PartnersJohn McAslan + Partners has refurbished this internationally significant building, opening up the heart of the museum to create a three-storey atrium, unlock additional space and improve connections throughout the building. The judges praised the project as a considerate and bold reimagining of a seminal late-20th-century building and an exemplary retrofit that will allow visitors to engage with more of the Burrells collections for generations to come.Ardoch, Ballater, Aberdeenshire Moxon ArchitectsNorth Gate Social Housing, Glasgow Page\Park ArchitectsAn urban social housing scheme on the south side of Glasgow, North Gate is primarily designed to suit the needs of older residents, enabling them to lead active, independent lives. It comprises 31 apartments with shared facilities including a communal lounge, kitchen, activity area, bike store and laundry. The jury were impressed by the architects commitment to provide convivial, attractive and robustly detailed homes clearly adored by residents and making for a new part of the city.The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh Reiach and Hall ArchitectsThis popular gallery has been refurbished and extended, bringing a neighbouring warehouse building into use. While the work to the original gallery is a subtle upgrade to its much-loved interiors, the extension is a rich tangle of structure and rough materials to create a dark, uninhibited and materially intense space. The judges praised Reiach and Hall Architects expression of a contemporary architectural spirit of reuse and openness, and for challenging how art can be displayed and received.University of Aberdeen Science and Teaching HubReiach and Hall ArchitectsThis building enables, promotes and signifies the importance of scientific learning to the university, city and the wider region. Laboratories from a range of departments are gathered into a singular entity, with a series of flexible, digitally enhanced lab spaces. Inspired in part by buildings of the Enlightenment period, the building exudes a sense of quiet and controlled scientific optimism. It impressed the jury with its high quality and architectural precision.

Local developer Castleguard Homes approached aoft in 2021 to explore the feasibility of a restricted backland site at the end of a small lane at the back of Walthamstow Village.Originally occupied by the large rear kitchen of a double-fronted restaurant, the developer wanted to bring more housing to the neighbourhood. A mature London plane tree to the corner of the site guided the design strategy for the new-build home.The home is a single-storey, two-bedroom dwelling with level access, all within a compact 63m floor plan. Accessibility played a key role from the outset, prioritising flexibility for future adaptations.AdvertisementCorridors have been omitted to maximise space efficiency and offer smooth transitions between spaces throughout the home. The entrance sits to the centre of the plan, with a living room, kitchen, dining and bathroom all accessed off this and bookended by two bedrooms facing a courtyard garden.The house has been positioned in the north-east corner of the site to allow for a 50m garden, protecting the London plane trees roots.Internally, a hip roof creates the main focus within a L-shaped plan, developed in collaboration with ConstruktCLT. The main supporting glulam beam has been cut diagonally, inverted and embedded into the roof construction, allowing the CLT panels to the underside of the ceiling to appear unsupported.To protect the privacy of the homes inhabitants from overlooking, the faade has been extended to create a mono-pitched roof form. Windows are located higher up, giving views out to the tree foliage. This has also in turn made the courtyard into a protected enclave. A large skylight to the bathroom looks out onto neighbouring trees.The CLT structure was prefabricated offsite, dispensing with the need to shut down local streets. An air heat pump re-uses energy from exhausted air, reducing operational carbon.AdvertisementExternally, the project is clad in a dark brick, with light mortar joints to blend into its context. Deep border planting around the tree and to the front of each bedroom allow for extra privacy.Architects viewsWe wanted to maximise space and comfort within limited site constraints. Ultimately, our goal was to design a house that is generous for its occupants, but also considerate and sensitive to the needs of its neighbours.Liz Tatarintseva, director, aoftThe context guided our design process. We thought about the people who could possibly inhabit the building even before design and construction. By prioritising logistical efficiency and understanding the needs of both our client and the wider community, we made decisions that elevated the project beyond mere construction.Zach Fluker, director, aoftClients viewIdentifying this opportunity for a neighbourhood I was born in and have worked in for almost 40 years has been incredibly rewarding. My first time working on a development with CLT resulted in a home that embodies the essence of the local community open, warm and cosy. aoft has successfully created a unique space, designed sympathetically to its surroundings.Jonathan Hooker, director, Castleguard HomesProject dataStart on site March 2023CompletionMay 2024Gross internal floor area 63mGross (internal + external) floor area 103mArchitect aoftForm of contractDesign and buildExecutive architect aoftClient Castleguard HomesStructural engineer Foster StructuresLandscape consultant Saul JonesPrincipal designer aoftApproved building inspector HarwoodMain contractor ARG Building ServicesCLT contractor ConstruktCLTCAD software used AutoCAD, Rhino

Were delighted to welcome Arundi Asregadooo and Richard Little to DNEG!Most recently completing work as VFX Supervisor on Disneys Mufasa: The Lion King, Richard joins our London studio. His impressive filmography also includes Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (for which he oversaw 800 final shots and the build of all 23 CG characters), the Oscar-winning 1917, and Guardians of the Galaxy.Joining us in our Barcelona studio, Arundis list of credits as VFX Supervisor includes The Mummy, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, The Revenant, and Skyfall. Most recently, he supervised Warner Bros. superhero movie Shazam!, and Shane Blacks 2018 film The Predator for Twentieth Century Fox. On Ghost in the Shell, Arundi and his team delivered more than 1,000 shots to bring director Rupert Sanders live-action adaptation of the legendary manga series to life!Welcome to the team, Arundi and Richard!

Is anyone clamoring for more notifications? When they're actually targeted to your interests and relate to a specific event such as Prime Day sales, they can be useful. In the Amazon app on your phone or tablet, view your account (tap the person icon) and locate Deal alerts or Deals and recommendations in the Message center or Notifications settings (the specific location varies by operating system).

Our Picks View details $3,599 at Home Depot View details View details $2,899 at The Home Depot View details View details $2,099 at The Home Depot View details View details $5,499 at Ace Hardware View details Table of Contents Getting your mower ready and pushing it across the lawn can feel like a chore. With the right riding mower, youll save time and effort -- especially for larger yards. However, trying to find which one is right for you can be overwhelming. To help you make the choice, we've compared the specs and found the best mowers for different yard needs and budgets.When choosing a riding mower, consider your lawn size. For instance, a .05-acre yard may only need a push mower, which is far cheaper than even the most affordable riding mower. Plus, not all lawns are created equal. You may need to take steep inclines or other rugged terrain into consideration when making this decision.Read more: 36 Unique Gifts for People Who Have EverythingRecent advances in battery technology now offer the option of electric versus traditional gas motors. There's a lot to consider here. If you run out of gas while mowing, you can refill in minutes and continue. With an electric mower, however, you might face a one- to two-hour delay while recharging. Thats why sizing your machine to your lawn is especially important when considering electric options.On the other hand, some electric models are compatible with battery platforms, allowing you to use the mowers batteries in other tools. If you have extra charged batteries from those tools, you can swap them into the mower to avoid the downtime of recharging. There'll still be an offset on pricing, however. There's a hefty upfront investment in batteries that may be tough to recoup.Important note: Unlike most of CNETs best lists, this one is based on research rather than hands-on testing, as the size and cost of these units made obtaining samples difficult. I've compared all the specs to find the best riding lawn mowers on the market so that you can make an informed decision about which one could be right for you. $3,599 at Home Depot $3,599 at Home Depot The Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 50-inch riding mower is a great choice for homeowners with large lawns. It has a powerful 23-horsepower engine and a 50-inch cutting deck, making it easy to mow even the largest lawns quickly and efficiently. The mower also features a hydrostatic transmission, which makes it easy to maneuver around tight spaces. This also allows for a speedy 7 mph forward speed and 3.5 mph in reverse.In addition, the Ultima ZT1 comes with a variety of features (some at an extra cost) that make it a great choice for homeowners who want the best possible lawn care experience. These features include a mulching deck, a bagger, side discharge chute, tow/haul capability, snow plow or even a sun shade. The fabricated mulching deck delivers a signature cut with fewer clumps and stragglers, finer clippings, increased evenness and improved soil health, while the bagger and side discharge chute make it easy to collect grass clippings. Overall, the Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 50-inch riding mower is a great choice for homeowners who want a powerful, easy-to-use and feature-rich riding lawn mower. Photo Gallery 1/1 $2,899 at The Home Depot Best gas-powered riding lawn mower John Deere S130 $2,899 at The Home Depot Some people prefer the traditional steering experience of the round wheel mounted on the steering column, and my pick for best gas riding mower is a John Deere lawn tractor that offers just that. The S130 sports a 42-inch cutting deck and a 22-hp engine that will get you up to 5.5 mph forward or 3.2 mph in reverse. Much like my pick for best zero turn, the S130 offers many add-ons including a snow plow, snow blower, tire chains and even a full cab enclosure for extra protection from the elements.The S130 includes the John Deere "Easy Change" 30-second oil change system, a proprietary all-in-one oil and oil filter canister that allows you to quickly change its tractor oil with "no hassles and no mess." The list price of $2,899 is attractive for a name-brand unit with these specs. Throw in a seasonal discount you can likely dig up somewhere, and the S130 becomes a great choice for nearly anyone considering a riding mower. Photo Gallery 1/1 $2,099 at The Home Depot Best riding lawn mower value Troy-Bilt Bronco 42 $2,099 at The Home Depot My pick for best value riding mower falls into a categorization of riding mowers that are designed for lawns of 2 acres or smaller. You still have access to plenty of power with a 19-hp Briggs & Stratton engine and a 42-inch cutting deck. The Bronco 42 is designed to provide easy on-and-off accessibility with a "Step-Thru" frame design that makes it a great pick for people at all physical capability levels. The automatic transmission and foot pedal control are also designed to allow the mower to drive "like a car."You will still have access to all the add-ons and pull-behind carts, spreaders and sprayers with the attached rear hitch. When you look at these specs and performance options at a list price of $2,199, which is near entry-level pricing for name-brand riding mowers (entry-level being around $2,000), the Bronco 42 becomes an easy choice for best value. Photo Gallery 1/1 $5,499 at Ace Hardware Best electric riding lawn mower Ego Power Plus Z6 42-inch $5,499 at Ace Hardware Choosing the titleholder for the best electric riding mower is a bit trickier, given the wide variance in how these batteries and electrical systems perform. The Z6 42-inch does work on a removable battery platform where you can use the individual batteries from the mower (up to six of them) in the company's lineup of other outdoor tools. Included with the mower are four of the 10-Ah batteries (Ego currently offers batteries with amp-hour capacities of 2.5, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, 10 and 12) and two additional spaces for you to add additional batteries of your own. To start the mower, you will need a minimum of 15-Ah batteries loaded, with full capacity being 60 Ah, which Ego says will get you up to 3 acres.There are three driving modes: Control, Standard and Sport, which give you different degrees of aggressiveness and speed during maneuvering. Your speeds while cutting will range from 3-7 mph with an overall top speed of 8 mph during travel mode. Included is a wall-mounted fast charger similar to a standard EV charger so you don't have to charge each battery individually. This is also handy if you're invested in the Ego ecosystem and prefer to charge multiple batteries simultaneously.You'll also get some nifty extras like an LCD control screen and a USB port to charge or power things on the go. The Z6 42-inch model is a great choice if you're already invested in this outdoor tool platform or interested in one. It's also great if you're generally an electric/EV/battery power enthusiast. Generally, the performance you'll see will rival that of similarly sized 22-hp gas engine models. The price tag might be a little higher due to battery buy-in, but overall this is a great machine with exceptional performance. Photo Gallery 1/1 Other units we evaluated Ryobi 48-volt, 100-Ah Electric Zero Turn Riding Mower: Ryobi has a few nice options for electric riding mowers, including this 100-Ah version that has the largest battery capacity of all our evaluated units. Looking at the math converting both the Ryobi and Ego units to watt-hours by multiplying their battery voltage by battery amp-hours, Ryobi has 4,800Wh versus Ego's 3,360Wh. At these stated capacities, both manufacturers claim their mowers cover "up to" 3 acres, which makes the Ego system appear to be more efficient.Greenworks 60-volt, 42-inch CrossoverT Electric Riding Lawn Mower: This mower is the least expensive of the electric options I evaluated. I do like the integrated storage bed in the back of the unit. It comes with six 8-Ah batteries and there is an extensive outdoor tool collection to interact with these batteries just like the Ego platform. For recharging, you will need to use the three included double-battery chargers to bring your six batteries back online. It can cover up to 2.5 acres per charge.Craftsman T110 42-inch 17.5-hp Riding Lawn Mower: This gas-powered mower boasts similar specs to some of our other units, albeit with a slightly smaller 17.5-hp engine. A decent choice overall, especially if you're already a Craftsman fan, but a slightly higher price tag per spec keeps this one out of the winner's circle. Show more Riding mower FAQs How much does a riding lawn mower cost? Riding mowers vary greatly in cost. Entry-level costs for most known brands is around $2,000 and can exceed $25,000 for larger multifunction lawn tractors designed for very large lawn areas. An average lawn mower costs in the $3,000-$3,500 range. Show more What size lawn should I have before considering a riding mower? This answer will vary a bit based on the individual, but in general, anything over half an acre is a great candidate for a riding mower.You still might consider a riding mower for smaller lawns especially if you have concerns about your physical ability or stamina to push mow whatever size yard you have. Even in those circumstances, there are self-propelled push mowers that take the majority of the work out of the task. Show more Which is better, a traditional riding mower or a zero-turn mower? Both mowers have their advantages. Up front, one of the main differences will be cost. Zero-turn mowers will usually cost at least 25% more (usually closer to 50% more) than their traditional counterparts. Zero-turns will mow your space faster and with greater maneuverability than the traditional riding mower. Smaller residential yards are easy candidates for traditional mowers while larger yards or people who mow multiple yards (like landscape companies) might opt for zero-turns to increase their time efficiency. Show more

November 22, 20246 min readScientists Scramble to Save Climate Data from TrumpAgainFederal climate databases remained largely intact during President-elect Donald Trumps first term. Scientists say the threats are bigger this timeBy Chelsea Harvey & E&E NewsPresident-elect Donald Trump's first administration altered federal websites featuring climate change. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | Eight years ago, as the Trump administration was getting ready to take office for the first time, mathematician John Baez was making his own preparations.Together with a small group of friends and colleagues, he was arranging to download large quantities of public climate data from federal websites in order to safely store them away. Then-President-elect Donald Trump had repeatedly denied the basic science of climate change and had begun nominating climate skeptics for cabinet posts. Baez, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, was worried the information everything from satellite data on global temperatures to ocean measurements of sea-level rise might soon be destroyed.His effort, known as the Azimuth Climate Data Backup Project, archived at least 30 terabytes of federal climate data by the end of 2017.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.In the end, it was an overprecaution.The first Trump administration altered or deleted numerous federal web pages containing public-facing climate information, according to monitoring efforts by the nonprofit Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI), which tracks changes on federal websites. But federal databases, containing vast stores of globally valuable climate information, remained largely intact through the end of Trumps first term.Yet as Trump prepares to take office again, scientists are growing more worried.Federal datasets may be in bigger trouble this time than they were under the first Trump administration, they say. And theyre preparing to begin their archiving efforts anew.This time around we expect them to be much more strategic, said Gretchen Gehrke, EDGIs website monitoring program lead. My guess is that they've learned their lessons.The Trump transition team didn't respond to a request for comment.Like Baezs Azimuth project, EDGI was born in 2016 in response to Trumps first election. They werent the only ones.Scientists across the country raced to preserve federal climate data at the start of Trumps first term, organizing efforts like the Data Refuge project at the University of Pennsylvania and the volunteer-led Climate Mirror. Even scientists from other countries got involved the University of Toronto hosted at least one "guerrilla archiving event" in December 2016.Some of these projects, like Azimuth, concluded once theyd achieved their archiving goals. Others, like EDGI, continued to organize and expand over the last eight years. And now theyre using the lessons they learned under the first Trump administration to prepare for the next one.That was a wild time and burned out a ton of people, so weve been preparing for this, Gehrke said.EDGI staff have been reaching out to other organizations, like the Environmental Protection Network and the Union of Concerned Scientists, for advice on what kinds of data to prioritize under the second Trump term. Theyre also working on ways to ensure that scientists can access and use the archived datasets if they do disappear from federal websites.It does good to have the data but if you dont have a path into it or the support systems from people to actually use that data, its impact is limited, Gehrke said.'More jeopardy' under a second Trump termThreats to federal data could have big consequences for global climate research. Researchers at federal agencies collect and maintain a vast array of local, national and global climate datasets, many of which are publicly available and valuable to scientists around the world.NASA satellite missions collect data on global temperatures, sea-level rise, melting ice sheets, dwindling sea ice, clouds in the atmosphere, algae in the ocean and a huge variety of other climate variables. NOAA houses the National Weather Service, with its immense trove of weather-related data. It also collects information on a wide assortment of other environmental factors, including atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean temperatures, sea levels, climate-related disasters and other data, much of which is housed by the National Centers for Environmental Information.THe Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, EPA and other federal science agencies also collect their own climate and energy-related information.Some of the major global datasets, like NASAs estimates of global surface temperature changes, arent the only ones of their kind. Other science agencies around the world collect the same information using similar methods. But having multiple datasets from independent research groups helps scientists confirm that their instruments are working and their datasets are accurate.Some federal datasets are nearly irreplaceable. Hurricane Helene helped drive that fact home in September, when it flooded much of western North Carolina and temporarily knocked NOAAs NCEI headquarters in Asheville offline. Scientists found they were unable to complete certain kinds of analyses until the databases were back up and running.One of the things we came across after Hurricane Helene swept through and caused devastation in Asheville, North Carolina, is we didn't have access to all the NOAA data we needed to do these analyses, said Daniel Gilford, a scientist with the nonprofit Climate Central, at a webinar on Tuesday announcing the findings of a new study examining the links between climate change and Atlantic hurricanes. So we actually had to wait for the NCEI, the National Centers for Environmental lnformation, to come back online after Hurricane Helene.Shortly after Trump won the 2024 election, scientists took to social media platforms like Bluesky to begin discussing federal datasets that might be in jeopardy, pointing to agencies like NOAA and the EPA as likely starting places.Much of the renewed concern about federal data stems from Project 2025, a 900-page conservative policy blueprint spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation that outlines recommendations for the next administration.Project 2025 calls for major overhauls of some federal science agencies. It suggests that Trump should dismantle NOAA and calls for the next administration to reshape the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which coordinates federal research on climate and the environment.The plan also suggests that the "Biden Administrations climate fanaticism will need a whole-of-government unwinding.A leaked video from the Project 2025 presidential transition project suggested that political appointees will have to eradicate climate change references from absolutely everywhere.Trump has previously distanced himself from Project 2025. In July, he wrote on the social media platform Truth Social that he knew nothing about Project 2025, did not know who was behind it and did not have anything to do with the plan.But since winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump has picked several nominees for his new administration that are credited by name in the conservative policy plan, reviving fears that Project 2025 could influence his priorities.Trump has also recently named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead his new so-called Department of Government Efficiency, an external commission tasked with shrinking the federal government, restructuring federal agencies and cutting costs. The announcement has also ignited concerns about job security for federal scientists, including the researchers tasked with maintaining government datasets.There are lots and lots of signs that the Trump team is attempting to decapitate the government in the sense of firing lots of people, said Baez, who co-founded the Azimuth Climate Data Backup Project in 2016 and is currently a professor of the graduate division in the math department at University of California Riverside. If they manage to do something like that, then these databases could be in more jeopardy.Though federal datasets remained largely untouched under the first Trump administration, other climate-related information on federal websites did change or disappear, Gehrke pointed out. EDGI documented about a 40 percent decline in the use of the term climate change across 13 federal agencies it monitored during the first term.A better organized effort could result in more censoring under a second administration, she said.While groups like EDGI are gearing up for their next efforts, Baez says he has no immediate plans to revamp the Azimuth Climate Data Backup Project although he hopes other groups will step up instead. One lesson he learned the first time is just how much data exists in the federal ecosystem and how much effort it takes to archive it, even with a dedicated group of volunteers.We got sort of a little bit burnt out by that process, Baez said. Im hoping some younger generation of people picks up where we left off.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.