Officials in the Western U.S. who warn the public aboutavalanchesare sounding a different type of alarm. They say theyre worried that the Trump administrationfiring hundreds of meteorologistsand other environmental scientists could hinderlife-saving forecaststhat skiers and mountain drivers rely on.The forecasting work is crucial for skiers and climbers who flirt with danger when they travel through mountain gullies that are prone to slide. Recovery efforts for three victims of a largeavalanche near Anchorage, Alaska, were ongoing Thursday, two days after the accident in mountains where forecasters had warned it would be easy to trigger a slide that day because of a weak layer in the deep snow.The forecasts also are used toprotect the general public. Transportation officials use them to gauge the risk on well-traveled roads like one in Colorado where a vehicle got pushed off the highway by a slide earlier this month.We save lives and there are people alive today because of the work we do, said Doug Chabot, who directed the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in Montana for almost 24 years. To take funding and to just randomly cut programs, it will affect our ability to save lives.Theres a lot of pieces that will fall apartAvalanches kill about two dozen people annually in the U.S. Predicting their likelihood, potential severity and location depends heavily on information provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The information comes in two forms: data-driven models and conversations between avalanche forecasters and National Weather Service meteorologists who can help assess the data.We have our own numerical model, but we cant run that without the work that NOAA is doing, said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which publishes avalanche forecasts. Without that work, theres a lot of pieces that will fall apart.So far this winter18 people had been killedby avalanches, most of them in remote areas in Western states.Weather models from NOAA are used by 14 avalanche centers run by the U.S. Forest Service. The Colorado center is largely state funded. Chabot said employees at the federal avalanche centers have so far been exempt from cuts, but officials worry that could change.Shrinking the federal workforceThe Trump administration has not disclosed what positions are being lost at NOAA.Former leaders of the agencyhave said the firings will have wide-ranging negative impacts on flight safety, shipping safety and warning networks for tornados and hurricanes.NOAA has about 13,000 employees. The firings come as billionaire Elon Musk and hisDepartment of Government Efficiencyshrink a federal workforce that President Donald Trump has called bloated and sloppy.A NOAA spokesperson declined to answer questions from The Associated Press about the potential for the cuts to degrade avalanche forecasting quality.We are not discussing internal personnel and management matters, spokesperson Susan Buchanan wrote in an email. We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.Greene and Chabot said they dont anticipate immediate effects. But if NOAAs data is weaker, Greene said his centers forecasts will be more uncertain.We will probably look at the same things that were looking at and see that theyre not working as well as they were, he said.Dangerous layers of snowOn a mountainside near Leadville, Colorado, this week, Greene dug a pit into the snow and scooped out snow crystals that he scattered across a plastic blue card.Its so beautiful, he said, referring to a layer of snow turned to ice crystals, which under certain conditions can create weak layers prone to avalanche.Such surveys are an essential part of forecasting and so is data on weather, which impacts snow and helps drive avalanche risk.In nearby Frisco, Colorado, light snow fell in the parking lot at the Mayflower Gulch trailhead, where college students Joseph Burgoyne and his friend Michael Otenbaker from Michigan donned snow shoes and strapped skis to a backpack before heading up a mountain trail. Burgoyne said its scary to see headlines on social media sites about skiers who were carried and buried by avalanchesIts serious terrain, and those reports, they can save lives, Burgyone said of the avalanche forecasts. Everybody just wants to have a good time. Going fast is fun. Finding deep snow is fun, but theres serious dangers behind that.Brittany Peterson and Matthew Brown, Associated Press

I can confidently say that Im a creative person but I will probably never be an artist in the strictest sense of the word. I cannot draw to save my life and I probably will never be able to create a piece of sculpture. But that doesnt stop me from admiring artists and how they are able to incorporate a piece of themselves into their creations and also be inspired by both likely and unlikely sources. In turn, they also inspire other artists and creatives to evolve with their own pieces.Designer: Shiyuan XuShiyuan Xu is an artist who was born in China but is now based in the U.S. Her body of work has been inspired scientific and microscopic phenomena, ranging from oceanic single-celled organisms as well as land-based plant seeds, and of course the building blocks of life forms themselves, cells. Another source of inspiration is Scottish mathematical biologist DArcy Thompsons book On Growth and Form which traces the scale and shapes of living things. But her experience as an outsider in America also adds to her creations as she incorporates Chinese ceramic color palettes in her sculptures.Some of these uniquely shaped pieces will be on display at a museum in London as part of an exhibition dedicated to Chinese contemporary studio craft. She worked on these sculptures using porcelain, glaze, and Paperclay which is a mix of clay and cellulose fibers. What came out are these amorphous shaped creatures that seem to be pulsing with life. Most of them seem to look like amoeba and various organisms that feel like they are expanding and contracting in intricate patterns.She says that she had to go through a labor-intensive process in creating her sculptures and at times, they were also pretty repetitive. This became a sort of therapeutic response to her experience as a foreigner living in an unfamiliar environment while balancing two cultures. The pieces became a metaphor for her personal life, showing her evolution and journey and incorporating all of these in her work. Even for those of us who may not wield a sculptors tools, her pieces resonate with a universal understanding of growth, adaptation, and the beauty found in the intricate details of life. Her sculptures, like her journey, are a testament to the transformative power of art, inspiring us to see the world, and ourselves, with a renewed sense of wonder and appreciation.The post Shiyuan Xus porcelain sculptures bring together biology and tradition first appeared on Yanko Design.

This towable home, crafted by Tiny House Listings, offers versatility and comfort in a compact design. Measuring 25 ft (7.6 m) in length, it features an interior layout optimized for full-time living, as well as use as a guest house or vacation retreat. Built on a double-axle gooseneck trailer, this tiny house is easier to tow compared to standard bumper-pull trailers, making it ideal for those who enjoy frequent travel. The exterior is finished with engineered wood and topped with a metal roof, combining durability with aesthetic appeal.Designer: Tiny House ListingsThe home welcomes visitors through elegant double glass doors, which are sheltered by a quaint porch area, perfect for taking a moment to enjoy the outdoors before stepping inside. Upon entering, guests find themselves in the cozy living room, thoughtfully designed to maximize space and comfort. This area features a custom-built sofa, perfectly tailored to fit the rooms dimensions, providing a comfortable spot for relaxation or entertaining. An entertainment center has been strategically placed to offer easy access to media and storage.Adjacent to the living room is the well-equipped kitchen. The kitchen boasts sleek quartz countertops that offer ample space for meal preparation, complemented by a generous amount of cabinetry to store kitchen essentials neatly. It is equipped with modern appliances, including a refrigerator, a sink, and a four-burner stove powered by propane. There is also designated space for installing an oven and additional appliances. This thoughtfully designed kitchen serves as the central hub of the home.The bathroom in this model is conveniently accessed directly from the kitchen, offering a compact yet functional design. Although the bathroom appears relatively small, it includes essential amenities such as a shower and a flushing toilet. While the firm doesnt specifically mention a sink, we can assume that a compact sink is integrated into the layout. This setup ensures that even in a smaller footprint, the bathroom provides the necessary facilities for daily use.The tiny house features a single bedroom located in the raised gooseneck section of the trailer, positioned at the opposite end of the home from the entrance. The bedroom seems just large enough to accommodate a double bed, offering a cozy retreat for rest. This tiny home, unlike typical ones, features a slightly higher ceiling, which offers more space and enhances comfort. The elevated design optimizes space and also adds a unique architectural detail to the home.This model is currently available for purchase at US$65,000, making it an affordable option in todays tiny house market. Tiny House Listings has been quite active recently, having completed several projects, including a duplex tiny house and an extra-wide model reminiscent of an apartment.The post This Thoughtfully Designed 25-ft Tiny House Offers Full-Time Living Capabilities With Compact Comfort first appeared on Yanko Design.

On Uncanny Valley this week, our hosts talk about the pronatalism movement, and how the push to increase birth rates is trending among some of Silicon Valley's biggest and wealthiest names.

OneWeb, Project Kuiper, and IRIS2 could all, in time, replace Elon Musk's satellite communications system in Ukraine, but they will struggle to replicate Starlink's coverage and usability.

After hours of uncertainty, officials from the Houston company said there are clues that the spacecraft is on its side, which could limit the missions scientific accomplishments.

The ticket reselling site joins the social chat app Discord and the artificial intelligence company CoreWeave in pursuing a public offering.

Following our recent preview of the $89 million soon-to-reopenOMA-designed New Museum extension in New York City, heres a sneak preview of its new 100-seat restaurant space for the Oberon Group from partner Shohei Shigematsu."We imagined the restaurant both as part of and independent from the Museum. Conceived as a freestanding box inserted into the ground floor lobby, it will be accessible from the buildings front and back, day to night. Inside, a large dining room and fixed pockets of seating will offer space to gather or retreat. Organic, tactile material finishes complementing the New Museums polished lightness will create a warm and comforting environment," he describes.The New Museum expects to open its new expanded galleries to the public this fall.Previously on Archinect: OMA's New Museum expansion to open this fall

The design framework for the forthcoming Austin Light Rail transportation system in the Texas state capital has been unveiled by the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) in collaboration with UNStudio, Gehl, and HKS.The 15-station Phase 1 plan includes a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake and expanded green infrastructure. The ATP will say it will 'prioritize intuitive, multimodal connectivity" as an "expression" of the citys unique identity, with each station tailored to its surrounding neighborhood and a full integration of pedestrian, cycling, and transit networks into its design.Image: WAX Architectural Visualizations The project, therefore, "goes beyond infrastructure," in the words of the ATP and Amsterdam-based firm. They further emphasized the projects importance in terms of its enhancements to the existing urban realm (e.g. new tree-lined streets and shaded public areas). The network will cover about 10 miles once it begins operation.Image: WAX Architectural Visualizatio...

Simply by virtue of being Assassins Creed,any time a new game in the series releases, it stands as one of the biggest new titles of its year. There are exceptions to that, of course such as 2023sAssassins Creed Mirage,which was explicitly marketed as a smaller, cheaper, more compact sidequel to keep players occupied until the series Next Big Thing arrived. Well, guess what- that Next Big Thing is almost upon us, and appropriately enough, itislooking quite significant in its stature. Unless things go spectacularly wrong which, admittedly, has been a worryingly common occurrence with even the most major of Ubisoft releases in recent years its likely thatAssassins Creed Shadowsends the year as one of its biggest, most prominent releases.In fact, for many longtime fans of the series, this release feels more significant than many other past flagshipAssassins Creedtitles. There are several reasons for that, but chief among them has to be the fact that withShadows,werefinallygetting the feudal JapanAssassins Creedsetting that fans have been begging for for what feels like forever at this point. Since the series earliest days, Japan has been one ofAssassins Creedsmost widely requested settings, so naturally, excitement surrounding the series long-awaited visit to the region is high.There are some who, on the flipside, might argue that maybeAssassins Creedhas taken a little bit too long to make its way to Japan- or, more specifically, thatGhost of Tsushimamay have eaten its lunch by getting to it first, and doing it so well that many no longer feel the thirst for such a game that they once did. For many,anAssassins Creedgame set in Japan feels way less necessary in a post-Ghost of Tsushimaworld, while others still will argue that even if theres still enough demand for such an experience (which there obviously will be),Assassins Creed Shadowsis going to have a tough time of doing things as well asGhostdid when it launched close to five years ago.Looking at the up-and-down trajectory of theAssassins Creedfranchise, at how it has exacerbated some of its worst tendencies with bloated open world design in its action RPG era, and at the terrible vein of form that Ubisoft has been in in recent years, its hard not to see the merit in the skeptics arguments. Then again. as the eternal optimist (especially when it comes to Assassins Creed,a longtime personal favourite of mine), I cant help but look atShadowsand grow increasingly confident about how its taking shape. As the open world action RPG has approached its release, with each new info drop, trailer, and gameplay showing, it has looked progressively better, and the promises that its developers have made have been all the right ones.Take, for instance,Assassins Creed Shadowscommitment (at least according to its developers) to keep a wary eye on its size and scope to try and ensure things dont go out of hand quite the way they did with the notoriously bloated and unnecessarily massive monstrosity that wasAssassins Creed Valhalla.Time and again we have heard fromShadowsdevelopment team that in terms of map size, the game is going to be roughly comparable to 2017sAssassins Creed Origins which means its still going to be a big game no matter how you cut it, only not excessively so. As far as its runtime is concerned, meanwhile, Shadowsdevelopers have once again promised an experience closer to OriginsandOdysseythanValhalla-which, again, is still a massive game, to the extent that many might still feel like theres plenty that can be trimmed there. It is, however, a decided step back from the excessiveness of Valhalla,which is definitely a step in the right direction.But thats not all- not by a stretch. Because the changes and tweaks thatAssassins Creed Shadowsis making on a more fundamental level i.e. with things such as gameplay and design are also showing a great deal of promise. Especially if youre a longtimeAssassins Creedfan who has grown increasingly dissatisfied with how much the series has deviated from its original vision, some of the ways that the pendulum is swinging back withShadowswill sound particularly exciting. Stealth and parkour were the two things thatAssassins Creedgames were always designed around first and foremost, andShadowsis promising some potentially excellent changes.The introduction of Naoe the shinobi as one of two central mechanics will usher in a renewed focus on stealth, with the characters core moveset being focused around agile movement and espionage first and foremost. For the out-and-out combat fans, Yasuke will provide alternative options, but if youre looking to stealthily slip into an enemy base and try and get to your accomplish with as little hubbub as possible, in the manner thatold schoolAssassins Creedgames used to allow for, Naoes moveset and toolset will allow you to do just that. From being able to go prone and crawl around to having things such as chimes and smoke bombs to use to new light and shadow mechanics that will let you create dynamic new hiding spots by destroying light sources- in several ways,Assassins Creed Shadowsis putting the spotlight back on stealth, which, for longtime series fans, is quite exciting.Parkour is seeing a similar switch back to an older, more precise style of gameplay.Assassins Cred Originsintroduced a new climb anywhere mentality that the series has since then stuck with, with the exception of the aforementionedMirage.Shadows,likeMirage,is going to be more in line with the pre-Originstitles in this department. Every single surface will not be climbable, with handholds and ledges and cracks and what have you having actual importance where movement is concerned. Meanwhile, Naoe is also going to have access to a grappling hook, which also promises to spice up traversal in some interesting ways.And for those hoping to get the most out of exploring a vast, open world, feudal Japan map-Shadowsis also approaching exploration in a manner that at least on paper is checking all the right boxes. The game is promising organic exploration that will prioritize immersion and detail over density of content, a problem thatValhallafell prey to. Rather than inundating players with optional content and markers and what have you every few seconds,Shadowsworld is promising environmental diversity, gorgeously detailed locales, and a design style that will more organically take you from distraction to distraction- hopefully in a way that doesnt feel like youre crossing off a checklist. That kind of open world design is obviously quite difficult to pull off, but ifShadowscan make good on its promises, itll be quite a step up from its immediate predecessors.And that, ultimately, is the thing withAssassins Creed Shadows.Its making a lot of the right promises, which, if it can actually make good on, could easily make for one of the series best outings in years. Butwillit actually succeed there? Theres been increasing confidence in the lead up to the games release that it will, even as Ubisofts misfortunes and mistakes continue to pile one on top of another. Hopefully,Shadowswill break the company out of that rut and turn out to be the long, long wait weve had to endure forAssassins Creedsvisit to feudal Japan.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.