Who knew that the North American weigh station would become the highlight of coast-to-coast trips? Forget the majestic mountains and serene lakes; nothing screams 'excitement' like a pit stop to check if your truck’s load is as heavy as your existential dread. For those who find the endless stretches of corn more thrilling than a rollercoaster, these weigh stations offer a riveting experience of standing in line while pondering life choices. After all, who doesn’t love a good chat with a scale? So, the next time you think driving across the U.S. is boring, just remember: there’s a weigh station out there waiting to validate your weight—and your life decisions. #NorthAmericanWeighStation #RoadTrip #B

A California-based company called Magrathea just turned on a new electrolyzer that can make magnesium metal from seawater. The technology has the potential to produce the material, which is used in vehicles and defense applications, with net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions. Magnesium is an incredibly light metal, and it’s used for parts in cars and planes, as well as in aluminum alloys like those in vehicles. The metal is also used in defense and industrial applications, including the production processes for steel and titanium. Today, China dominates production of magnesium, and the most common method generates a lot of the emissions that cause climate change. If Magrathea can scale up its process, it could help provide an alternative source of the metal and clean up industries that rely on it, including automotive manufacturing. The star of Magrathea’s process is an electrolyzer, a device that uses electricity to split a material into its constituent elements. Using an electrolyzer in magnesium production isn’t new, but Magrathea’s approach represents an update. “We really modernized it and brought it into the 21st century,” says Alex Grant, Magrathea’s cofounder and CEO. The whole process starts with salty water. There are small amounts of magnesium in seawater, as well as in salt lakes and groundwater.If you take that seawater or brine and clean it up, concentrate it, and dry it out, you get a solid magnesium chloride salt. Magrathea takes that saltand puts it into the electrolyzer. The device reaches temperatures of about 700 °Cand runs electricity through the molten salt to split the magnesium from the chlorine, forming magnesium metal. Typically, running an electrolyzer in this process would require a steady source of electricity. The temperature is generally kept just high enough to maintain the salt in a molten state. Allowing it to cool down too much would allow it to solidify, messing up the process and potentially damaging the equipment. Heating it up more than necessary would just waste energy.  Magrathea’s approach builds in flexibility. Basically, the company runs its electrolyzer about 100 °C higher than is necessary to keep the molten salt a liquid. It then uses the extra heat in inventive ways, including to dry out the magnesium salt that eventually goes into the reactor. This preparation can be done intermittently, so the company can take in electricity when it’s cheaper or when more renewables are available, cutting costs and emissions. In addition, the process will make a co-product, called magnesium oxide, that can be used to trap carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to cancel out the remaining carbon pollution. The result could be a production process with net-zero emissions, according to an independent life cycle assessment completed in January. While it likely won’t reach this bar at first, the potential is there for a much more climate-friendly process than what’s used in the industry today, Grant says. Breaking into magnesium production won’t be simple, says Simon Jowitt, director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and of the Center for Research in Economic Geology at the University of Nevada, Reno. China produces roughly 95% of the global supply as of 2024, according to data from the US Geological Survey. This dominant position means companies there can flood the market with cheap metal, making it difficult for others to compete. “The economics of all this is uncertain,” Jowitt says. The US has some trade protections in place, including an anti-dumping duty, but newer players with alternative processes can still face obstacles. US Magnesium, a company based in Utah, was the only company making magnesium in the US in recent years, but it shut down production in 2022 after equipment failures and a history of environmental concerns.  Magrathea plans to start building a demonstration plant in Utah in late 2025 or early 2026, which will have a capacity of roughly 1,000 tons per year and should be running in 2027. In February the company announced that it signed an agreement with a major automaker, though it declined to share its name on the record. The automaker pre-purchased material from the demonstration plant and will incorporate it into existing products. After the demonstration plant is running, the next step would be to build a commercial plant with a larger capacity of around 50,000 tons annually. #this #startup #wants #make #more

May 30, 20253 min readWhat Causes Glaciers to Collapse like the Event That Buried a Swiss Village?Climate change and thawing permafrost play a role in destabilizing glaciersBy Jen Schwartz edited by Dean VisserThe small village of Blatten in the Swiss Alps was largely destroyed by a landslide that occurred as a result of the partial collapse of the Birch Glacier on May 28, 2025. Alexandre Agrusti/AFP via Getty ImagesAn unstable glacier in the Swiss Alps collapsed this week, sending a deluge of rock, ice and mud through the valley below and burying the village of Blatten almost entirely. Scientists had warned about the possibility of a dangerous event related to the glacier, and village residents had been evacuated days earlier—but the glacier’s near-total breakup came as a surprise. One person is reported missing. Government officials initially estimated the debris deposit to be several dozen meters thick and approximately two kilometers long. Making matters worse, the collapse of the glacier, called the Birch Glacier, blocked the flow of the Lonza River, which runs through the valley. As a result, a newly created lake upstream from the debris field flooded an area that has now overflowed into the deposit zone, which could cause a debris flow downstream. As of Friday afternoon local time, officials have reported that the water flow is approaching the top of the scree cone, which is the accumulation of loose, rocky debris.Why did the glacier break apart?The glacier’s collapse and the subsequent landslide—which was so intense that it corresponded to a magnitude 3.1 earthquake captured by the Swiss Seismological Service—likely arose from a series of rockfalls that occurred above the glacier over the past couple of weeks. The rocks, dislodged because of high-altitude snowmelt, exerted significant pressure on the relatively small glacier, according to officials. Experts are looking into longer-term factors that may have weakened the glacier’s stability even before those rockfalls. Christophe Lambiel, a glaciologist who also specializes in high-mountain geology at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, said on RTS Swiss Television that the rockfalls were linked to climate change. “The increase in the falling rocks is due to the melting permafrost, which increases instability,” Lambiel said, as reported on NPR.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.How would climate change lead to a glacier’s collapse?New research published on Thursday in Science finds that, under current climate policies, more than three quarters of the world’s glacial mass could disappear by the end of this century. In this scenario, almost all small and relatively low-elevation glaciers, like the one in Switzerland, would be wiped out. In a 2024 article for Scientific American, journalist Alec Luhn explained that “the deterioration of ice and snow is triggering feedback loops that will heat the world even further. Permafrost, the frozen ground that holds twice as much carbon as is currently found in the atmosphere, is thawing and releasing these stores.” Thawing permafrost is not just dangerous because it creates instability, as in the case of Birch Glacier. As Luhn wrote, “Research has revealed that the permafrost zone is now releasing more carbon than it absorbs, heating the planet further.”Who is at risk from disintegrating glaciers?It’s clear that the weakening of Switzerland’s Birch Glacier was at least partially caused by rockfall. There are other ways in which changes to glaciers are causing risk—and occasional devastation—to people, communities and infrastructure. As a 2023 E&E News article explained, “At least 15 million people worldwide live in the flood paths of dangerous glacial lakes that can abruptly burst their banks and rush down mountainsides.” These so-called glacial lake outburst floods can be fatal and cause catastrophic damage. “The deterioration of the planet’s snow and ice regions,” wrote Luhn in his 2024 article, “is costing the world billions of dollars in damages,” according to a 2024 State of the Cryosphere report What can be done to preserve glaciers—and protect communities?Giant plastic blankets, gravity snow guns and painted rocks are all potential strategies to slow ice melt in the world’s mountain regions. The sound that glaciers make when water is coursing through their icy cracks can be used to predict glacial lake outburst floods—and thus to save lives. There’s also a growing sense of reckoning with the fate of the world’s glaciers. An essay about the Global Glacier Casualty List, which documents glaciers that have melted or are critically endangered, was also released on Thursday in Science. In it, Rice University anthropologists Cymene Howe and Dominic Boyer write, “The world’s first funeral for a glacier was held in Iceland in 2019 for a little glacier called ‘Ok….’ Since then, memorials for disappeared glaciers have increased across the world, illustrating the integral connection between loss in the natural world and human rituals of remembrance.” #what #causes #glaciers #collapse #like

MSLAN corner / DevolutionSave this picture!© Xinxin GuoCoffee Shop•Chengdu, China Architects: Devolution Area Area of this architecture project Area:  80 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Xinxin Guo Lead Architects: Jiansong Tang, Qi Wang More SpecsLess Specs this picture! Text description provided by the architects. We designed a teahouse with a courtyard along the sloping lakeside terrain at CPI Luhu. The platform in the courtyard draws inspiration from the small courtyards found in Minnan villages. In the design process, we aimed to keep both the building structure and the courtyard as open and transparent as possible.this picture!this picture!The building materials are mostly selected from old timber and old stone slabs in Fujian, retaining the natural texture and temperature in the hope of creating a simple and comfortable spatial atmosphere.this picture!this picture!To bring tea closer to everyday life, we also recycled tea stems and leaves to create tea residue boards, which are used in tabletops, seating, and other details. This allows the memory of tea aroma to become a tangible part of daily life.this picture!this picture!this picture!There is no complicated tea ceremony here, it is more like a place where you can rest your feet at any time and have a cup of tea at your own pace. Embracing the concept of "sharing tea and wandering", it offers a relaxing and easy-going resting experience.this picture!this picture!The spatial layout emphasizes openness and flow, with large floor-to-ceiling windows that naturally extend the tea garden and lake view into the interior.this picture!this picture!Every corner offers a unique perspective and atmosphere, allowing guests to experience a distinct 'tea time by the lake' every time they are seated.this picture!this picture!this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Chengdu, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeDevolutionOffice••• MaterialConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on May 31, 2025Cite: "MSLAN corner / Devolution" 31 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . < ISSN 0719-8884Save想阅读文章的中文版本吗?崎寻·分茶寻游 / 退化建筑是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream #mslan #corner #devolution

I spent years living in major East Coast cities, and now I'm back in my hometown of Rochester, New York. Emma Guillen 2025-05-30T13:49:39Z d Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? After living in Miami, Boston, and NYC, my husband and I chose to buy a home in Rochester, New York. For a midsize city, we think the access to nature and fabulous food is unparalleled. We also love the variety of art and culture available through museums and festivals. Within 24 hours of graduating from college, I hit the road and drove 1,500 miles away from my hometown to begin my first full-time job. I was officially in the "real world."For the next eight years, I moved from apartment to apartment and city to city, spending my 20s exploring Miami's vibrant art scene, Boston's rich history, and New York City's — well, everything.Still, when it came time to sign another yearlong lease on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, my husband and I reconsidered.With dreams to start a family and possibly a business someday, we decided to move back to my hometown of Rochester, New York, in June 2024.Upstate New York has so much to offer I love the festivals, restaurants, museums, and nature in Rochester. Emma Guillen For a midsize city, I think Rochester has earned some major bragging rights. It's the birthplace of Wegmans, has more than 140 annual festivals, and is home to the largest variety of lilacs on earth.The area's greatness is catching on, too. This year, Redfin named Fairport, a suburb of Rochester, one of the hottest neighborhoods in the country.The food and beverage scene is incredible We enjoy the burgers, fries, and drinks at Good Luck. Emma Guillen I may have been spoiled by New York City's global cuisine, but it's safe to say that Rochester has impressed me, too.If I'm in the mood to go out, I like to make reservations at the upscale steakhouse Patron Saint, the buzzy farm-to-table space Good Luck, or the seven-time Michelin-starred restaurant Redd.Or if the day calls for casual eats, you'll find my husband and me at the beloved hot dog joint Dogtown, the family-owned Mexican eatery Peach Blossom, or a local favorite, Pizza Wizard, for a Detroit-style slice.Award-winning wineries, breweries, and distilleries are also rising in popularity everywhere from Rochester's downtown to suburbs such as Fairport.The beautiful nature is next-level My husband and I visited Seneca Lake, one of the 11 Finger Lakes. Emma Guillen We traded taxis and turnstiles for scenic trails, and we couldn't be happier. With more than 12,000 acres of parkland, this part of New York has plenty of wide open spaces to explore, all a relatively short drive from Rochester's city limits.Our favorite place to hike is Highland Park, which was designed by the same landscape architect who created Central Park.Though we enjoyed our days biking alongside the Hudson River and relaxing on the esplanade in Boston's Back Bay, our proximity to the Finger Lakes is yet another reason we chose to grow roots in Rochester. We love spending weekends in the summer visiting the numerous vineyards in New York's wine country.Living in Rochester also means we can plan a mountain escape to the Adirondacks, a day trip to Niagara Falls, or a last-minute attempt to see the northern lights over Lake Ontario. There's always a museum to visit or an event to attend I loved visiting George Eastman House. Emma Guillen We may not be catching Broadway shows on Tuesday nights anymore, but the variety of art and culture here in Rochester is off the charts.I recommend visiting the Strong National Museum of Play, George Eastman House, and the world-class performances at the Rochester International Jazz Festival.My favorite event of the year is Fairport Canal Days, a weekend-long celebration featuring local artisans, trendy food trucks, and a whimsical rubber duck charity race held on the Erie Canal.I'm so glad I found my way back to my hometownIt's officially been a year since I reclaimed my 585 area code, and I haven't regretted it for a second. Although I gave up the hustle and bustle of New York City, the access to nature and family friendly activities have made this move more than worthwhile. Rochester is no longer just my hometown — it's now my forever home. #spent #years #living #big #cities