Chris Baraniuk
@chrisbaraniuk.com
Freelance science and technology journalist. 11+ years experience. Irish/Polish. I write for the BBC, Wired, the BMJ, The Guardian, and others!
Newsletter: thereengineer.pro
Portfolio: chrisbaraniuk.com
HQ: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Newsletter: thereengineer.pro
Portfolio: chrisbaraniuk.com
HQ: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Pinned
Chris Baraniuk
@chrisbaraniuk.com
· Nov 14
🥳 Hey everyone! It was a year ago today that I launched my newsletter The Reengineer - and it's been such fun! 🥳
thereengineer.pro
I'm getting closer to 1,000 subscribers and some have been kind enough to go for a paid subscription. THANK YOU!
🧵 Here are some highlights from the last 12 months...
thereengineer.pro
I'm getting closer to 1,000 subscribers and some have been kind enough to go for a paid subscription. THANK YOU!
🧵 Here are some highlights from the last 12 months...
Sometimes things look very dreary in the winter. And then the light does something like this.
Edited a little to bring it out, obviously.
Victoria Park, Belfast.
Edited a little to bring it out, obviously.
Victoria Park, Belfast.
January 18, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Sometimes things look very dreary in the winter. And then the light does something like this.
Edited a little to bring it out, obviously.
Victoria Park, Belfast.
Edited a little to bring it out, obviously.
Victoria Park, Belfast.
Here's this week's edition of The Reengineer Monitor, by the way! Lots going on.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/eu-renewab...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/eu-renewab...
EU renewables record: The Reengineer Monitor #56
Nuclear bunker erosion risk, hot homes backlash - and more!
www.thereengineer.pro
January 16, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Here's this week's edition of The Reengineer Monitor, by the way! Lots going on.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/eu-renewab...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/eu-renewab...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
NEW: Sadly, there have been a lot of tragic fires in the news lately. I wrote about the wonders of smoke alarm technology - which is very clever, really - and why it's so important to have one of these devices, and test it regularly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'They are essential' – how smoke detectors are evolving
AI trained to recognise fire is among the latest developments in fire alarm tech.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 8:01 AM
NEW: Sadly, there have been a lot of tragic fires in the news lately. I wrote about the wonders of smoke alarm technology - which is very clever, really - and why it's so important to have one of these devices, and test it regularly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
And this is what it looks like...
Video: SKYLIFTUAV
Video: SKYLIFTUAV
January 15, 2026 at 12:19 PM
And this is what it looks like...
Video: SKYLIFTUAV
Video: SKYLIFTUAV
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
NEW: Powerful drones are increasingly working in the renewables industry.
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
‘I use heavy-duty drones to deliver tools and parts to offshore wind turbines’
A British firm has supplied dozens of turbines in a single day
www.thereengineer.pro
January 15, 2026 at 8:40 AM
NEW: Powerful drones are increasingly working in the renewables industry.
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
It was misty in Belfast this morning!
January 16, 2026 at 11:13 AM
It was misty in Belfast this morning!
NEW: Sadly, there have been a lot of tragic fires in the news lately. I wrote about the wonders of smoke alarm technology - which is very clever, really - and why it's so important to have one of these devices, and test it regularly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'They are essential' – how smoke detectors are evolving
AI trained to recognise fire is among the latest developments in fire alarm tech.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 8:01 AM
NEW: Sadly, there have been a lot of tragic fires in the news lately. I wrote about the wonders of smoke alarm technology - which is very clever, really - and why it's so important to have one of these devices, and test it regularly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Made a bit of antwerp of himself didn't he
Heard a lad earlier talking about ‘Belgian whistles’
“A basic website costs 10k or 25k upwards if you want all the Belgian whistles”
BELGIAN WHISTLES
“A basic website costs 10k or 25k upwards if you want all the Belgian whistles”
BELGIAN WHISTLES
January 15, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Made a bit of antwerp of himself didn't he
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
open.spotify.com/episode/6XBF... Long before I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s I faced what I saw as a more scary condition - a malignant melanoma behind my left eye. I spoke to Joanne Frye who presents an excellent podcast about this rare cancer
Seeing Clearly Through Uncertainty: Rory Cellan-Jones on Rare Cancer, Parkinson’s & the Miracle of Sight
Spotify video
open.spotify.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:38 PM
open.spotify.com/episode/6XBF... Long before I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s I faced what I saw as a more scary condition - a malignant melanoma behind my left eye. I spoke to Joanne Frye who presents an excellent podcast about this rare cancer
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Absolutely massive wooden beam going into my house to remove a load-bearing wall.
A few weeks ago I asked the engineer: 'can we do it in wood instead of steel?'
His answer: 'I've never done that before, but sure.'
Turns out lowering the embodied carbon of buildings can be as easy as asking.
A few weeks ago I asked the engineer: 'can we do it in wood instead of steel?'
His answer: 'I've never done that before, but sure.'
Turns out lowering the embodied carbon of buildings can be as easy as asking.
January 15, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Absolutely massive wooden beam going into my house to remove a load-bearing wall.
A few weeks ago I asked the engineer: 'can we do it in wood instead of steel?'
His answer: 'I've never done that before, but sure.'
Turns out lowering the embodied carbon of buildings can be as easy as asking.
A few weeks ago I asked the engineer: 'can we do it in wood instead of steel?'
His answer: 'I've never done that before, but sure.'
Turns out lowering the embodied carbon of buildings can be as easy as asking.
NEW: Powerful drones are increasingly working in the renewables industry.
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
‘I use heavy-duty drones to deliver tools and parts to offshore wind turbines’
A British firm has supplied dozens of turbines in a single day
www.thereengineer.pro
January 15, 2026 at 8:40 AM
NEW: Powerful drones are increasingly working in the renewables industry.
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
From carrying solar panels up mountainsides to delivering tools and parts to wind turbines - as I found out when I spoke to a UK company that specialises in this.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-use-gian...
This is really amazing! Watch the video at the top of the story.
When Pianist Maria João Pires Prepared to Perform the Wrong Mozart Concerto, Then Recovered Miraculously
When Pianist Maria João Pires Prepared to Perform the Wrong Mozart Concerto, Then Recovered Miraculously
Imagine, if you will, taking a seat at the piano before a full house of 2,000 music lovers ready to hear Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor — and, more importantly, on stage with an orchestra a...
www.openculture.com
January 14, 2026 at 6:24 PM
This is really amazing! Watch the video at the top of the story.
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
For @designroom.bsky.social, I talked to 9 developers of Mirror's Edge for this 6000-word oral history. We've got juicy details on early Heat-inspired iterations, how the iconic art style came to be, and a peek inside the politics of the EA marketing machine.
www.designroom.site/mirrors-edge...
www.designroom.site/mirrors-edge...
Mirror's Edge: An oral history
17 years on from its release, DICE's first-person parkour thriller is a cult classic. We spoke to nine people who worked on it about how the revelatory game came to be.
www.designroom.site
January 14, 2026 at 2:23 PM
For @designroom.bsky.social, I talked to 9 developers of Mirror's Edge for this 6000-word oral history. We've got juicy details on early Heat-inspired iterations, how the iconic art style came to be, and a peek inside the politics of the EA marketing machine.
www.designroom.site/mirrors-edge...
www.designroom.site/mirrors-edge...
"The report referenced a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham that never happened [...] Chief Constable Guildford insisted the force 'do not use AI', instead blaming a Google search.
"he [now] admits the mistake was the 'result of a use of Microsoft Co Pilot' "
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3...
"he [now] admits the mistake was the 'result of a use of Microsoft Co Pilot' "
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3...
Police chief admits misleading MPs after AI used in justification for banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
An intelligence report referred to a football game that never existed - Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will make a statement later today.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 9:38 AM
"The report referenced a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham that never happened [...] Chief Constable Guildford insisted the force 'do not use AI', instead blaming a Google search.
"he [now] admits the mistake was the 'result of a use of Microsoft Co Pilot' "
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3...
"he [now] admits the mistake was the 'result of a use of Microsoft Co Pilot' "
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3...
I have just heard from a reader who has had mRNA vaccine cancer treatment - and they say they have gained at least a year of life as a result.
NEW: Last year, Trump's government slashed mRNA vaccine research funding.
But clinical trials suggest mRNA could fight a range of cancers.
Studies are also investigating its efficacy against targets as diverse as norovirus, rabies, HIV, and macular degeneration.
By me: www.bmj.com/content/392/...
But clinical trials suggest mRNA could fight a range of cancers.
Studies are also investigating its efficacy against targets as diverse as norovirus, rabies, HIV, and macular degeneration.
By me: www.bmj.com/content/392/...
mRNA vaccines are under threat—could cancer vaccines be the answer?
The safety of mRNA vaccines, hailed as a saviour in the covid-19 pandemic, has been called into question by the US administration. Yet amid the defunding and hostile public opinion, Chris Baraniuk fin...
www.bmj.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:22 AM
I have just heard from a reader who has had mRNA vaccine cancer treatment - and they say they have gained at least a year of life as a result.
"The 8.4GW secured at this latest auction just about keeps the offshore wind target in reach, several analysts have told the BBC. But all those projects will still need connecting to the grid to generate electricity."
Connecting 'em up in good time is a big challenge.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Connecting 'em up in good time is a big challenge.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK secures record supply of offshore wind but price rises
The government needs to significantly boost its capacity of offshore wind projects if it is to meet its clean power targets.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 8:19 AM
"The 8.4GW secured at this latest auction just about keeps the offshore wind target in reach, several analysts have told the BBC. But all those projects will still need connecting to the grid to generate electricity."
Connecting 'em up in good time is a big challenge.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Connecting 'em up in good time is a big challenge.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
NEW: It's been cold lately! But nowhere near as cold as THIS. This is some of the COOLEST SCIENCE in the world!
Did you know part of the LHC uses heat exchangers that can also cool down supermarket fridges??
My latest: www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Did you know part of the LHC uses heat exchangers that can also cool down supermarket fridges??
My latest: www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
The ultra-cold temperatures needed for epic nuclear science
One of the world's most sophisticated scientific facilities is turning to ultra-low temperatures to try and unravel hidden secrets of our Universe.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 10:53 AM
NEW: It's been cold lately! But nowhere near as cold as THIS. This is some of the COOLEST SCIENCE in the world!
Did you know part of the LHC uses heat exchangers that can also cool down supermarket fridges??
My latest: www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Did you know part of the LHC uses heat exchangers that can also cool down supermarket fridges??
My latest: www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
We spoke with seven outdoor guides in B.C. and Alberta about how they are navigating taking people to the places they love as the climate changes. "It’s hard not to get depressed," one guide told us. thenarwhal.ca/outdoor-guid...
Outdoor guides bear witness to a changing climate | The Narwhal
Melting ice, unpredictable weather and wildfires: outdoor guides in Alberta and B.C. reflect on professional life at environmental extremes
thenarwhal.ca
January 13, 2026 at 9:57 PM
We spoke with seven outdoor guides in B.C. and Alberta about how they are navigating taking people to the places they love as the climate changes. "It’s hard not to get depressed," one guide told us. thenarwhal.ca/outdoor-guid...
This is one of the Royal Observer Corps posts where two or three observers would monitor blasts and fallout around the UK in the event of a nuclear war.
Instead, we're all watching climate change unfold on our phones and TVs.
Instead, we're all watching climate change unfold on our phones and TVs.
"When it was built in the late 1950s the bunker was more than 100 yards from the sea." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Nuclear bunker nears collapse due to coastal erosion - BBC News
The brick building, on the East Yorkshire coast, is thought to be about 70 years old.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 10:10 PM
This is one of the Royal Observer Corps posts where two or three observers would monitor blasts and fallout around the UK in the event of a nuclear war.
Instead, we're all watching climate change unfold on our phones and TVs.
Instead, we're all watching climate change unfold on our phones and TVs.
Reports of a serious fire and flashing light filling the sky in south London right now.
January 13, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reports of a serious fire and flashing light filling the sky in south London right now.
very interesting
Warhammer sees record sales as company shuns use of AI over ‘human creators’
Warhammer sees record sales as company shuns use of AI over ‘human creators’
Warhammer sees record sales as company shuns use of AI over ‘human creators’
www.independent.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 5:08 PM
very interesting
"for the past four years, hundreds of miles of cabling have been rolled out (literally) into the tunnels and stations, while rooms have been filled with computer racks, air conditioners and a host of related equipment"
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/how... <- some great detail in this story!
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/how... <- some great detail in this story!
How London finally cracked mobile phone coverage on the Underground
Dotted around London, there are a number of private hotels that aren’t the sort of hotel you might expect – they’re needed to make mobile phones work on the London Underground.
www.ianvisits.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 4:48 PM
"for the past four years, hundreds of miles of cabling have been rolled out (literally) into the tunnels and stations, while rooms have been filled with computer racks, air conditioners and a host of related equipment"
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/how... <- some great detail in this story!
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/how... <- some great detail in this story!
"Prices for computer memory, or RAM, are expected to rise more than 50% this quarter compared to the last quarter of 2025."
www.cnbc.com/2026/01/10/m...
www.cnbc.com/2026/01/10/m...
AI memory is sold out, causing an unprecedented surge in prices
Three primary memory vendors — Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics — make up nearly the entire RAM market, and they're benefitting from this shortage.
www.cnbc.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM
"Prices for computer memory, or RAM, are expected to rise more than 50% this quarter compared to the last quarter of 2025."
www.cnbc.com/2026/01/10/m...
www.cnbc.com/2026/01/10/m...