Chinese studio Muda Architects has added a series of glazed commercial spaces topped with snaking rooftop walkways to the Lujiatan Wetland Park in Chengdu.Located in the city's Wenjiang district, the Lujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center also features a double-helix observation tower that overlooks the surrounding natural landscape.Sinuous accessible roofs top the Lujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center. Photo by Dong ImageMuda Architects' took cues from the meandering shapes of the nearby Jinma and Minjiang Rivers when designing the building's sinuous white-steel roof, on which visitors can walk.The design is intended to blend into the surrounding landscape while celebrating the local nature and culture.Local rivers informed its curving shape"Fluid curves inspired by riverside textures define the structure, while the horizontal roof and transparent glass facades yield an impression of 'floating on water', blending effortlessly into the wetland's natural surroundings," said Muda Architects."This project seeks to harness the park's natural gifts and Wenjiang's cultural characteristics," the studio continued."Within a contemporary design language, the architecture not only respects the ecological essence of the site but also accentuates the distinctive charm of Wenjiang's local culture."It contains glazed retail spacesSlim columns support two curving rooftops. One shelters a glazed form containing multiple retail units and the other unites the observation tower with three additional glazed volumes containing further retail space, storage and toilet facilities.The commercial centre's centrepiece is the double-helix staircase, which spirals from the ground floor and punctures through the metal roof to rise to a viewpoint looking out to the distant Longmen Mountain.Read: Muda Architects completes circular museum dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine"The commercial areas along the circulation lines are unified through the horizontal connection of the building's roof, while the double-helix observation tower, positioned at the golden ratio point in the sequence, becomes the focus of the entire architectural complex," said Muda Architects."Balancing lightness and ecological integrity, the building integrates seamlessly with the surrounding wetland landscape, establishing a contemporary architectural landmark for the region."Muda Architects designed a walkway that cantilevers over the river. Photo by Dong ImageLujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center is built on a wooden base that extends to form curving paths and bridges leading to other areas of the park. In front of the observation tower, a walkway extends over the river to form a cantilevered waterfront platform.Muda Architects designed these pathways and the accessible rooftop to encourage visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the landscape.A double-helix viewpoint punctures through the sinuous metal roof"The wooden platform serves as a bond between the site and the wetland park," said Muda Architects."One side meanders towards the water, creating a cantilevered hydrophilic platform that offers visitors a close-up opportunity to connect with nature; the other side connects to the Jinma River greenway."Slim columns support the walkable roofAccording to Muda Architects, by combining retail and public space in the Lujiatan Wetland Park, the centre is hoped to foster a connection between local people and nature."Merging local culture with modern architectural language, the project creates a multifunctional public space with ecological significance and functional value, offering Chengdu residents a new lifestyle possibility while setting a benchmark for the integration of nature and urban development in Wenjiang," said the studio.Muda Architects was founded in Chengdu in 2015. Other projects by the studio featured on Dezeen include a museum in Pengzhou informed by the shape of the yin-yang symbol and a lakeside bookshop in Chengdu with a swooping roof.The photography is by Arch Exist unless stated otherwise.The post Muda Architects punctures sinuous retail centre in China with double-helix viewpoint appeared first on Dezeen.

The final project on our list of the 25 most significant buildings of the 21st century is the restoration of the Grand Palais in Paris by Chatillon Architectes, bookending our series with two powerful stories of reuse and renewal.Few buildings garnered as much international attention in 2024 as the Grand Palais, even though it was built 124 years earlier.The sweeping glass and steel structure on the Champs-lyses reopened following its first major restoration, securing its place as a venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.It was a herculean effort led by the French studio Chatillon Architectes, which guided a team of 1,000 artisans from over 50 companies to turn the project around in under four years.Though the Grand Palais was already one of Paris's most loved landmarks, these efforts gave rise to what became a centrepiece of the event. Echoing the ethos of the 2024 games touted as the greenest ever it illustrated the value of preserving architectural heritage.It is a fitting end to our series, which began with the Tate Modern an art gallery in the shell of an abandoned power station completed in 2000 by Herzog & de Meuron.Together, the projects offer a masterclass on how a building's history can be respected while being brought up to modern-day standards with contemporary tools, sending a pertinent message to the architectural community as it navigates an age of demolition.The Grand Palais was the most significant building of 2024The Grand Palais is arguably best known for its vast and intricate barrel-vaulted atrium, or nave, which is crafted from more than 6,000 tonnes of steel. It is crowned by the largest glass roof in Europe.Upon its reopening, architecture critic Stephen Zacks described the renovated building as "a show-stopping 21st-century centrepiece".Meanwhile, the Financial Times hailed it as "an architectural cadavre exquis", where "everywhere you look there are treasures".A show-stopping 21st-century centrepieceStephen Zacks in MetropolisThough the 72,000-square-metre landmark stole the limelight in 2024, the building's significance runs to long before that.Built to host the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900 to showcase French art, it has served as an ornate backdrop to many international exhibitions and events, ranging from Chanel fashion shows to art fairs including Art Basel Paris.More somberly, it was even used as a world war one military hospital and, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, as an exhibition space for propaganda.Originally built in 1900, it reopened last year following an extensive renovation by Chatillon ArchitectesChatillon Architectes' ambition for the project was to preserve and celebrate as much of the original Beaux-Arts structure as possible, honouring the original vision of its architects Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas and Charles Girault.Changes have included reopening areas once closed to the public, and the carving out of a sightseeing route into its plan. Its building services have also been modernised, bringing the building up to the standards of a modern-day events venue.The scale of work was so unprecedented it required the studio to split it into two phases, with the first centred around the nave, ensuring it was ready to host fencing and taekwondo events in the Olympics.We have approached the project with a contemporary mindset, ensuring that the building is prepared for its next phase of lifeFrancois ChatillonThis phase also involved improving the link between the Grand Palais and the surrounding gardens, while reinstating the building's original central axis across its Hshaped plan, reconnecting its three main spaces including the nave.In the nave itself, Chatillon Architectes restored the ornate balconies and improved escape routes, allowing its capacity to increase by more than 60 per cent.The second phase, which is yet to complete, is focused on its surrounding rooms. Its full reopening as a sporting and cultural events venue is expected in 2025, when the Centre Pompidou will temporarily move into the galleries.The building was used as a venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games"The scale of the project is quite unbelievable, from the design stage to the construction," studio founder Francois Chatillon told Dezeen on a tour of the building before its opening."We have explored thousands of archival documents to truly understand the building and its original intentions," he continued."Our focus has always been to honour and restore the best of the building's past but not to do this blindly. We have approached the project with a contemporary mindset, ensuring that the building is prepared for its next phase of life and that, above all, it is a functioning building for modern society."When French president Emmanuel Macron announced plans for the project it was met with scepticism due to the quick timeframe in which it was to be delivered. Next to the restoration of the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral, it is reportedly the country's largest public building project.Read: Herzog & de Meuron's Tate Modern was the most significant building of 2000"Four years ago, we were told that it was still crazy," said Macron of the Grand Palais restoration. "But now the whole world will rediscover the Grand Palais as a place of creation, of exhibition, of knowledge, of welcoming the public."Giving the building back to the public in this way was always the overarching goal of the studio, according to Chatillon."Our main objective from the very beginning was to make the Grand Palais a public building again," he said. "In recent times, it is a building that has been accessible on occasion but not possible to truly experience it became a monument that was often only observed from afar.""We have been able to make the Grand Palais a functioning building once again and one that the public can now truly enjoy and explore."Did we get it right? Was the Grand Palais renovation by Chatillon Architectes the most significant building completed in 2024? Let us know in the comments. With all 25 buildings revealed, we will be running a poll to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildingsseries, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influential building from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is byJack Bedford and the photography is by Edmund Sumner, unless otherwise stated.21st Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000:Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001:Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis Kr2002:Bergisel Ski Jump by Zaha Hadid2003:Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry2004:Quinta Monroy by Elemental2005:Moriyama House by Ryue Nishizawa2006:Madrid-Barajas airport by RSHP and Estudio Lamela2007:Oslo Opera House by Snhetta2008:Museum of Islamic Art by I M Pei2009:Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton Architects2010:Burj Khalifa by SOM2011:National September 11 Memorial byHandel Architects2012:CCTV Headquarters by OMA2013:Cardboard Cathedral by ShigeruBan2014:Bosco Verticale by Stefano Boeri2015:UTEC Lima campus by Grafton Architects2016:Transformation of 530 Dwellings by Lacaton & Vassal, Frdric Druot and Christophe Hutin2017:Apple Park by Foster + Partners2018:Amager Bakke by BIG2019:Goldsmith Street by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley2020:Anandaloy by Anna Heringer2021:Sara Kulturhus by White Arkitekter2022:Reggio School by Andrs Jaque2023: Third Space by Studio Saar2024: Grand Palais renovation by Chatillon ArchitectesThe post The Grand Palais was the most significant building of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

With the Lunar New Year this week, its not surprising to see quite a number of products trying to capitalize on the celebration. Snake-themed designs have been quite trendy the past few days, though some come in forms you least expected. Who would have thought that the reptile would slither on our wrists in ways that are both luxurious and nostalgic?There is, for example, this rather elaborate luxury watch that has a golden snake wrapping around the tourbillon. Although just as premium and stylish, this limited edition watch, designed just for the Year of the Snake, puts a different twist on that theme. Rather than some generic snake, The Twelve Snake reminds us of one of the most addictive mobile games that ever landed on phones, though thankfully not in a form that could have you lose time instead of tracking it.Designers: x Romaric (seconde/seconde/)Even in the 90s, mobile phones were already becoming more than just communication devices. Thats because even in the 90s, people would often find themselves with long pockets of idle time, whether waiting in line or stuck in traffic. Despite the simplicity of the graphics and controls, the Snake game on Nokia phones brought countless hours of mindless fun, mashing those two or four keys to make sure that your ever-growing snake doesnt go hungry and eat itself.This attention-grabbing 40mm watch brings back memories of those days by imprinting that pixelated snake on your wrist. The bright Venom Green dial and its woven pattern mimic the low-res screens of the old Nokia phones on which the game found its notoriety. The black snake slithers around the clock like the 90s, trying to take a bit out of the Christopher Ward twin-flags logo. Thankfully, this isnt some smartwatch that will let you play the game at the expense of your productivity and eyesight.There are other literally small details that add even more elements of fun to the watch. A false date window at the 7:30 position cycles through six different treats at random times throughout the month. Although definitely Swiss-made, the watchs text says HISS MADE instead, along with two red bite marks at 6 oclock to prove it. Flipping the watch over reveals a green sovereign with the words CHEERS TO THE SNAKE YEAR(S) printed on it. There you will also find yet another snake circling its way around the perimeter.The Twelve Snake isnt just all looks, of course, with a Sellita SW200-1 Automatic movement powering its intricate mechanism. The 26-jewel movement boasts a 38-hour power reserve, longer than the life of an old-school Nokia phone. As expected, such a special watch has quite an exquisite price tag attached to it to the tune of $1,225. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity to grab this nostalgia trip is closing fast, As the pre-order ends on February 12th.The post The Twelve Snake limited edition watch lets you reminisce the simple joys of the 90s first appeared on Yanko Design.

Digital artist Maciek azowski learned Blender in a year.

Welcome to the White Houses own cinematic universe. Plus, the upcoming Democratic National Committee election and how candidates are pitching their digital plans.

For years, the Twitch streamer Valentin Squirelo has been seeking new ways players with disabilities can enjoy games without expensive hardware. Now he and his community of fans have invented a solution.

MacworldWhether youre a veteran Mac user or a macOS Sequoia newbie, youve probably heard that Macs never need to be restarted. Its a belief that goes back to the time when PC and Macs were represented by different actors and let me tell you: Its a myth.Now, some of you reading this will roll your eyes and say, Well, of course. But there are plenty of MacBook users who simply close their lid at the end of the day and reopen it the next morning. The only time they might consider a restart is when a macOS update forces them to.I know because I was one. Ive been a Mac user since 2000 (Power Mac G4 Gigabit Ethernet)and have never made a habit of restarting. It was never an issue until I got my first Apple silicon Mac. Even though it had 16GB of RAM, twice that of the laptop it replaced, I had constant issues, with memory pressure causing regular slowdowns and crashes, and battery life suffering.I thought maybe it was an M1 issue, being a first-generation chip and all, but the problem persisted when I upgraded to an M2 Pro machine a year later (also with 16GB of RAM). So last year I sprung for a MacBook far more capable than I needed: an M3 Max MacBook Pro with 36GB of RAM.While I use my MacBook a lot, Im not what youd call a heavy user. I use Photoshop, Microsoft 365 apps, and Safari with roughly 20 tabs open at all times. But even on this monster of a machine, which runs very fast most of the time, it struggles to keep up after a couple of weeks without a restart. Its most noticeable with the battery, which can fluctuate between hours no matter what Im doing.FoundryAs you can see in the screenshot above, last week my battery screen-on time averaged between 7-9 hours. This week, that was up to nearly 12 hours. The only difference? A restart on Sunday night.While Macs back in the day could go months without a restart and run just the same, todays modern machines are far more complex. For example, the unified memory serves both the CPU and the GPU so its constantly in use. Even as I write this, nearly 30GB of my systems 36GB of memory is in use. Thats not a flaw, its the way macOS works with Apples system architecture. Its why everything feels so speedy and smooth, but its also the reason why things get bogged down after a while.And its why a restart once a week or so will go a long way. Dont worry, I wont tell your PC friends.

MacworldBack in 2020, Apple introduced the $99 HomePod mini for those seeking a miniature, more affordable edition of its smart speaker. While I absolutely adore the pair Ive connected to my Apple TV for audio output, certain annoyances sometimes downgrade the overall experience. With the HomePod mini 2 rumored to launch at some point this year, I hope Apple addresses my concerns by equipping it with these five upgrades.1. ChatGPT integrationOn the latest versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, users can rely on ChatGPTs smarts when addressing Siri. Notably, this integration, like other Apple Intelligence perks, is limited to the latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs.With the HomePod mini 2, I sincerely hope Apple supports the ChatGPT integration and lets users configure it in the Home app. Limiting Writing Tools and image generation features to devices with at least 8GB of RAM makes sense because they work offline. Incorporating ChatGPT, on the other hand, would merely send queries to and fetch relevant responses from OpenAIs servers. Im confident there are no technical challenges preventing the company from supporting it on less powerful products.Now, you may be wondering: Cant this guy just use the upgraded Siri on his iPhone, iPad, and Mac? Does he really need ChatGPT on the HomePod?The problem is that, by design, HomePods will always handle your voice commands. So, when you holler Siri or Hey Siri, the smart speaker will process your request, even if youre actively using an Apple Intelligence-equipped device. This limits me to Siris infamous knowledge and bars me from using the ChatGPT integrationunless I trigger Siri using the physical button on my iDevice or Mac. But thats impractical when ones hands are occupied.As a workaround, I set my HomePods to only respond to Hey Siri (and not Siri). This way, when I need to control media playback on my Apple TV, I can use the longer wake phrase to catch its attention. For all other queries, I opt for vanilla Siri, which only my iPhone, iPad, and Mac recognize. While this workaround is effective to an extent, its unnecessary, and most users are probably unaware of it. Baking ChatGPT into the HomePod mini 2 would make everyones lives easier.2. A Dolby Atmo-SphereMy HomePod mini journey started with a single unit a couple of years ago. I instantly fell in love with the 10cm sphere and decided to buy a second one to enable stereo listening. Initially, Apple promised it would bring Dolby Atmos support to both the original and mini variants of its smart speaker. However, it ultimately restricted spatial audio to the non-mini editions. While some claim you can force the minis to output spatial audio with certain workarounds, I havent personally been able to make it work. Furthermore, Apple explicitly states on an official support document (https://support.apple.com/en-us/102357) that the HomePod mini is incompatible with Dolby Atmos.FoundryCritics may argue that spatial audio is a privilege exclusive to flagship devices. Though, given that the entry-level AirPods 3 and 4 support the format, its clear that Apple isnt limiting it to its premium products. So, heres hoping the HomePod mini 2 officially adopts spatial audio output to help users further liven up the atmosphere.3. Casting call: mini meets AndroidUnfortunately, life sometimes throws green-bubbled friends our way, and we cant always say no to that. While us humans have, to some extent, learned how to accept each others differences, the HomePod mini still has a long way to go. Despite packing a Bluetooth chip like most other wireless speakers, it limits audio input to Apples proprietary AirPlay protocol.So, when we accidentally invite an Android phone user over, they cant cast audio to the HomePod mini, as AirPlay isnt officially supported on Googles platform. Apples solution is using the recently upgraded SharePlay feature in Apple Music that lets anyone in your house control the queuewithout necessarily having an iPhone or active subscription.Not all HomePod owners pay for Apple Music and can access SharePlay, however, and sometimes the greenlings may want to cast a different type of audio that isnt music. While a simple OS update could theoretically unlock this restriction on existing HomePod models. I wish Apple would let mini 2 users cast media via Bluetooth, at least.4. Visual symphoniesThe HomePod mini already has a smart display of sorts. When in use, its brightness automatically adjusts to the rooms lighting, and the colors change based on the performed action. For example, you get Siris hues when relying on the assistant and a generic white dot when playing media.FoundryA welcome HomePod mini 2 upgrade would be introducing an even smarter screen that adapts to the playing media. When streaming music, the screen would double as a basic visualizer featuring the album arts prominent colors. The shades would also sway accordinglysimilar to Siris existing animations that react to your voice and its responses.5. A green-minded speakerLast but not least, a truly smart speaker would also care about our deteriorating planet. The original HomePod has a semi-removable power cord that requires users to pull it out in a very careful and specific manner. Apple then addressed the issue with the HomePod 2 by making the cables ejection process safer and more straightforward.Unlike both models, the HomePod mini has a totally non-removable cord. So, those who damage the power cable cant simply buy another one and replace it at home. Theyd either need to buy a new speaker or check if Apple can repair the damagewhich typically costs a premium. Hopefully, the HomePod mini 2 will follow in the HomePod 2s footsteps and introduce a similar cord. Its unethical to deem a functional speaker useless strictly because its degenerated cable is glued to it.The next HomePod mini should be more easily repairable, including a replaceable power cord.FoundryMake the upgrade matterThe HomePod mini is already a well-rounded speaker as it is. Besides offering a voice assistant, solid sound quality, and seamless integration with Apples ecosystem, it also fully supports Thread networking and controlling HomeKit, and Matter smart home accessories. Nevertheless, and as weve established above, there are a few imperfections that the iPhone maker could address with the forthcoming model, and I hope itll be a noteworthy refresh.Given the insignificance of the recent AirPods Max upgrade, I fear Apple may similarly go for a lazy approach with the HomePod mini 2. Beyond featuring an upgraded, in-house Wi-Fi chip with support for Wi-Fi 6E, not much is known about the new models enhancements.

Chinese start-up DeepSeeks cost-saving techniques for training and delivering generative AI (genAI) models could democratize the entire industry by lowering entry barriers for new AI companies.DeepSeek made waves this week as its chatbot overtook ChatGPT downloads on the Apple and Google App Stores. The open-source AI models impact lies in matching leading US models performance at a fraction of the cost by using compute and memory resources more efficiently.DeepSeek is more than Chinas ChatGPT; its a major step forward for global AI by making model building cheaper, faster, and more accessible, according to Forrester Research. While large language models (LLMs) arent the only route to advanced AI, DeepSeeks innovations should be celebrated as a milestone for AI progress, the research firm said.The efficiencies of DeepSeeks AI methodology means it requires vastly less compute capacity on which to run; that means it could also affect the chip industry, which has been riding a wave of GPU and AI accelerator hardware purchases by companies building out massive data centers.For example, Meta is planning to spend $65 billion to build a data center with a footprint thats almost as large as Manhattan. Expected to come online at the end of this year, the data center would house 1.3 million GPUs to power AI tech used by Facebook and other Meta ventures.Brendan Englot, a professor and AI expert at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, said the fact that DeepSeeks models are also open source will also help make it easier for other AI start-ups to compete against large tech companies. DeepSeeks technology provides an excellent example of how disruptive and innovative new tools can be built faster with the aid of open source software, said Englot, who is also director of theStevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence (SIAI).DeepSeeks arrival on the scene tanked GPU-leading provider Nvidias stock, as investors realized the impact the more efficient processes would have on AI processor and accelerator sales.DeepThink a feature within the DeepSeek AI chatbot that leverages the R1 model to provide enhanced reasoning capabilities, uses advanced techniques to break down complex queries into smaller, manageable tasks.Thanks to those kinds of optimizations, DeepThink (R1) only cost about $5.5 million to train tens of millions of dollars less than similar models. While this could reduce short-term demand for Nvidia, the lower cost will likely drive more startups and enterprises to create models, boosting demand long-term, Forrester Research said.And, while the costs to train AI models have just declined significantly with DeepThink, the cost to support inferencing will still require significant compute and storage, Forrester said. This shift shows that core AI model providers wont be enough, further opening the AI market, the firm said in a research note. Dont cry for Nvidia and the hyperscalers just yet. Also, there might be an opportunity for Intel to claw its way back to relevance.Englot agreed, saying there is a lot of competition and investment right now to produce useful AI software and hardware, and that is likely to yield many more breakthroughs in the very near future.DeepSeek base technology isnt pioneering. On the contrary, the companys recently published research paper shows that Metas Llama and Alibabas Qwen models were key to developing DeepSeek-R1 and DeepSeek-R1-Zero its first two models, Englot noted.In fact, Englot doesnt believe DeepSeeks advance poses as much of a threat to the semiconductor industry as this weeks stock slide suggests. GenAI tools will still rely on GPUs, and DeepSeeks breakthrough just shows some computing can be done more efficiently.If anything, this advancement is good news that all developers of AI technology can take advantage of, Englot said. What we saw earlier this week was just an indication that less computing hardware is needed to train and deploy a powerful language model than we originally assumed. This can permit AI innovators to forge ahead and devote more attention to the resources needed for multi-modal AI and advanced applications beyond chat-bots.Others agreed.Mel Morris, CEO of startup Corpora.ai, said DeepSeeks affordability and open-source model allows developers to customize and innovate cheaply and freely. It will also challenge the competitive landscape and push major players like OpenAI the developer of ChatGPT to adapt quickly, he said.The idea that competition drives innovation is particularly relevant here, as DeepSeeks presence is likely to spur faster advancements in AI technology, leading to more efficient and accessible solutions to meet the growing demand, Morris said. Additionally, the open-source model empowers developers to fine-tune and experiment with the system, fostering greater flexibility and innovation.Forrester cautioned that, according to its privacy policy, DeepSeek explicitly says it can collect your text or audio input, prompt, uploaded files, feedback, chat history, or other content and use it for training purposes. It also states it can share this information with law enforcement agencies [and] public authorities at its discretion.Those caveats could be of concern to enterprises who have rushed to embrace genAI tools but have been concerned about data privacy, especially when it involves sensitive corporate information.Educate and inform your employees on the ramifications of using this technology and inputting personal and company information into it, Forrester said. Align with product leaders on whether developers should be experimenting with it and whether the product should support its implementation without stricter privacy requirements.

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.Donald Trump has officially been in office for just over a week, and the new administration has hit the ground running with a blizzard of executive orders and memos.Some of the moves could have major effects for climate change and climate technologiesfor example, one of the first orders Trump signed signaled his intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the major international climate treaty.The road map for withdrawing from the Paris agreement is clear, but not all the effects of these orders are quite so obvious. Theres a whole lot of speculation about how far these actions reach, which ones might get overturned, and generally what comes next. Here are some of the crucial threads that Im going to be following.Will states be able to set their own rules on electric vehicles?Its clear that Donald Trump isnt a fan of electric vehicles. One of the executive orders issued on his first day in office promised to eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate.The federal government under Biden didnt actually have an EV mandate in placerather, Trump is targeting national support programs, including subsidies that lower the cost of EVs for drivers and support building public chargers. But thats just the beginning, because the executive order will go after states that have set their own rules on EVs.While the US Environmental Protection Agency does set some rules around EVs through what are called tailpipe standards, last year California was granted a waiver that allows the state to set its own, stricter rules. The state now requires that all vehicles sold there must be zero-emissions by 2035. More than a dozen states quickly followed suit, setting a target to transition to zero-emissions vehicles within the next decade. That commitment was a major signal to automakers that there will be demand for EVs, and a lot of it, soon.Trump appears to be coming after that waiver, and with it Californias right to set its own targets on EVs. Well likely see court battles over this, and experts arent sure how its going to shake out.What will happen to wind projects?Wind energy was one of the most explicit targets for Trump on the campaign trail and during his first few days in office. In one memo, the new administration paused all federal permits, leases, and loans for all offshore and onshore wind projects.This doesnt just affect projects on federal lands or watersnearly all wind projects typically require federal permits, so this could have a wide effect.Even if the order is temporary or doesnt hold up in court, it could be enough to chill investment in a sector thats already been on shaky ground. As I reported last year, rising costs and slow timelines were already throwing offshore wind projects off track in the US. Investment has slowed since I published that story, and now, with growing political opposition, things could get even rockier.One major question is how much this will slow down existing projects, like the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, which got the green light from the Biden administration before he left office. As one source told the Washington Post, the new administration may try to go after leases and permits that have already been issued, but there may be insufficient authority to do so.What about the money?In an executive order last week, the Trump administration called for a pause on handing out the funds that are legally set aside under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That includes hundreds of billions of dollars for climate research and infrastructure.This week, a memo from the White House called for a wider pause on federal grants and loans. This goes way beyond climate spending and could affect programs like Medicaid. Theres been chaos since that was first reported; nobody seems to agree on what exactly will be affected or how long the pause was supposed to last, and as of Tuesday evening, a federal judge had blocked that order.In any case, all these efforts to pause, slow, or stop federal spending will be a major source of fighting going forward. As for effects on climate technology, I think the biggest question is how far the new administration can and will go to block spending thats already been designated by Congress. There could be political consequencesmost funds from the Inflation Reduction Act have gone to conservative-leaning states.As I wrote just after the election in November, Donald Trumps return to office means a sharp turn for the US on climate policy, and were seeing that start to play out very quickly. Ill be following it all, but Id love to hear from you. What do you most want to know more about? What questions do you have? If you work in the climate sector, how are you seeing your job affected? You can email me at casey.crownhart@technologyreview.com, message me on Bluesky, or reach me on Signal: @casey.131.Now read the rest of The SparkRelated readingEVs are mostly set for solid growth this year, but what happens in the US is still yet to be seen, as my colleague James Temple covered in a recent story.The Inflation Reduction Act set aside hundreds of billions of dollars for climate spending. Heres how the law made a difference, two years in.For more on Trumps first week in office, check out this news segment from Science Friday (featuring yours truly).STEPHANIE ARNETT/ MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW | RAWPIXELAnother thingDeepSeek has stormed onto the AI scene. The company released a new reasoning model, called DeepSeek R1, which it claims can surpass the performance of OpenAIs ChatGPT o1. The model appears to be incredibly efficient, which upends the idea that huge amounts of computing power, and energy, are needed to drive the AI revolution.For more, check out this story on the company and its model from my colleague Caiwei Chen, and this look at what it means for the AI industry and its energy claims from James ODonnell.Keeping up with climateA huge surge in clean energy caused Chinas carbon emissions to level off in 2024. Whether the countrys emissions peak and begin to fall for good depends on what wins in a race between clean-energy additions and growth in energy demand. (Carbon Brief)In a bit of good news, heat pumps just keep getting hotter. The appliances outsold gas furnaces in the US last year by a bigger margin than ever. (Canary Media) Heres everything you need to know about heat pumps and how they work. (MIT Technology Review)People are seeking refuge from floods in Kentuckys old mountaintop mines. Decades ago, the mines were a cheap source of resources but devastated local ecosystems. Now people are moving in. (New York Times)An Australian company just raised $20 million to use AI to search for key minerals. Earth AI has already discovered significant deposits of palladium, gold, and molybdenum. (Heatmap News)Some research suggests a key ocean current system is slowing down, but a new study adds to the case that theres no cause to panic yet. The new work suggests that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, hasnt shown long-term weakening over the past 60 years. (Washington Post) Efforts to observe and understand the currents have shown theyre weirder and more unpredictable than expected. (MIT Technology Review)Floating solar panels could be a major resource in US energy. A new report finds that federal reservoirs could hold enough floating solar to produce nearly 1,500 terawatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 100 million homes each year. (Canary Media)What sparked the LA wildfires is still a mystery, but AI is hunting for clues. Better understanding of what causes fires could be key in efforts to stop future blazes. (Grist)