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
🥳 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...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
News reports about the first installation of Thermify’s HeatHub technology in Essex generated lots of questions from web users, so The Reengineer contacted the company to find out more.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Sheds and garages to become mini data centres in low-cost heating drive
A UK firm says distributed computing can tackle fuel poverty
www.thereengineer.pro
November 27, 2025 at 10:51 PM
News reports about the first installation of Thermify’s HeatHub technology in Essex generated lots of questions from web users, so The Reengineer contacted the company to find out more.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Belfast rainbow. (And sheep.)
November 29, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Belfast rainbow. (And sheep.)
"It's all AI generated and due to its low quality and its inauthenticity, it's being branded AI 'slop'."
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
No, your favourite influencer hasn't got a dozen Dachshund dogs. It's just AI
There’s a new social media trend taking over - influencers are using AI to add animals to their photos.
www.bbc.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:23 AM
"It's all AI generated and due to its low quality and its inauthenticity, it's being branded AI 'slop'."
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
🚨Airbus has just confirmed to me that this issue does indeed relate to single-event upsets, also known as bit flips🚨
This is pretty massive.
There is scant detail so far but they say "solar radiation" has caused problems for some aircraft.
This *could* be related to single-event upsets, where cosmic rays trigger computer errors. I've asked Airbus if they can share more detail.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
There is scant detail so far but they say "solar radiation" has caused problems for some aircraft.
This *could* be related to single-event upsets, where cosmic rays trigger computer errors. I've asked Airbus if they can share more detail.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
Flight disruption warning as Airbus requests modifications to 6,000 planes
The European aerospace giant said it had found that intense radiation from the Sun could corrupt data crucial to flight controls.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
🚨Airbus has just confirmed to me that this issue does indeed relate to single-event upsets, also known as bit flips🚨
This is pretty massive.
There is scant detail so far but they say "solar radiation" has caused problems for some aircraft.
This *could* be related to single-event upsets, where cosmic rays trigger computer errors. I've asked Airbus if they can share more detail.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
There is scant detail so far but they say "solar radiation" has caused problems for some aircraft.
This *could* be related to single-event upsets, where cosmic rays trigger computer errors. I've asked Airbus if they can share more detail.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
Flight disruption warning as Airbus requests modifications to 6,000 planes
The European aerospace giant said it had found that intense radiation from the Sun could corrupt data crucial to flight controls.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
This is pretty massive.
There is scant detail so far but they say "solar radiation" has caused problems for some aircraft.
This *could* be related to single-event upsets, where cosmic rays trigger computer errors. I've asked Airbus if they can share more detail.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
There is scant detail so far but they say "solar radiation" has caused problems for some aircraft.
This *could* be related to single-event upsets, where cosmic rays trigger computer errors. I've asked Airbus if they can share more detail.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Flamingo
Humpback whale
Osprey
Swallowtail butterfly
Bottlenose dolphin
Flamingo
Humpback whale
Osprey
Swallowtail butterfly
Bottlenose dolphin
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Pronghorn
Beaver
Blue heron
Burrowing owls
Black-footed ferret
Pronghorn
Beaver
Blue heron
Burrowing owls
Black-footed ferret
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
November 28, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Flamingo
Humpback whale
Osprey
Swallowtail butterfly
Bottlenose dolphin
Flamingo
Humpback whale
Osprey
Swallowtail butterfly
Bottlenose dolphin
I've lost count of the times I've said "no" to Google when it's asked me to use its AI assistant.
Is AI harassment a thing?
Is AI harassment a thing?
I often have to make ads on LinkedIn for work and today I had to click 'no' on exactly 8 prompts to make my ad with AI. If it's that good, or good for me, something tells me they wouldn't need to sell it so hard.
November 28, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I've lost count of the times I've said "no" to Google when it's asked me to use its AI assistant.
Is AI harassment a thing?
Is AI harassment a thing?
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
‘War is a present reality’: Military service returns to Europe as Russia threat looms
‘War is a present reality’: Military service returns to Europe as Russia threat looms
Paris and Berlin latest to reintroduce military service to strengthen forces as United States steps back
www.irishtimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
‘War is a present reality’: Military service returns to Europe as Russia threat looms
40MW floating solar farm approved - set to be the UK's largest such solar farm.
www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/solar-projec...
www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/solar-projec...
Council approves UK’s largest floating solar project
A local council has approved plans for the development of what will be the UK’s largest floating solar PV (FPV) project at the Port of Barrow in Cumbria.
www.solarpowerportal.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 12:38 PM
40MW floating solar farm approved - set to be the UK's largest such solar farm.
www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/solar-projec...
www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/solar-projec...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Paid subscribers:
1. Support original, independent journalism
2. Get access to ALL stories
3. Receive The Reengineer Monitor, a weekly roundup of cool things happening in the climate / tech / resilience space
1. Support original, independent journalism
2. Get access to ALL stories
3. Receive The Reengineer Monitor, a weekly roundup of cool things happening in the climate / tech / resilience space
November 28, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Paid subscribers:
1. Support original, independent journalism
2. Get access to ALL stories
3. Receive The Reengineer Monitor, a weekly roundup of cool things happening in the climate / tech / resilience space
1. Support original, independent journalism
2. Get access to ALL stories
3. Receive The Reengineer Monitor, a weekly roundup of cool things happening in the climate / tech / resilience space
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Paid subscribers help make The Reengineer possible. If you like stories about unusual heat pump installations, people using gadgets to detect floods, or clever passive cooling techniques, consider signing up 👍
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
Subscribe to The Reengineer
A newsletter about the people and technologies helping us to tackle, and survive, climate change. Click to read The Reengineer, by Chris Baraniuk, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
www.thereengineer.pro
November 28, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Paid subscribers help make The Reengineer possible. If you like stories about unusual heat pump installations, people using gadgets to detect floods, or clever passive cooling techniques, consider signing up 👍
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
This is truly distressing. www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...
Asia extreme weather: Ninety dead in Indonesia floods as cyclone displaces thousands in Sri Lanka
Extreme weather across several parts of Asia has impacted millions of people in recent days.
www.bbc.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This is truly distressing. www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...
Paid subscribers help make The Reengineer possible. If you like stories about unusual heat pump installations, people using gadgets to detect floods, or clever passive cooling techniques, consider signing up 👍
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
Subscribe to The Reengineer
A newsletter about the people and technologies helping us to tackle, and survive, climate change. Click to read The Reengineer, by Chris Baraniuk, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
www.thereengineer.pro
November 28, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Paid subscribers help make The Reengineer possible. If you like stories about unusual heat pump installations, people using gadgets to detect floods, or clever passive cooling techniques, consider signing up 👍
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
For Black Friday, get 25% off an annual subscription! 🙌
www.thereengineer.pro/705fa4e7
“These seeds endure for generations, unlike hybrids that last only one season. They are drought-resistant, nutrient-rich, naturally pest-tolerant and climate-resilient — qualities essential for mountain agriculture in the climate crisis.”
www.thereengineer.pro/p/seed-keepe...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/seed-keepe...
Seed keepers of the Himalaya: The Reengineer Monitor #51
Forest city, biggest sand battery - and more!
www.thereengineer.pro
November 28, 2025 at 8:39 AM
“These seeds endure for generations, unlike hybrids that last only one season. They are drought-resistant, nutrient-rich, naturally pest-tolerant and climate-resilient — qualities essential for mountain agriculture in the climate crisis.”
www.thereengineer.pro/p/seed-keepe...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/seed-keepe...
I remember when Cleve Hill was just a twinkle in a planning officer's eye.
UK adds 1.9 GW of solar in 12 months – pv magazine International share.google/SXoR2Q8kcNvo...
UK adds 1.9 GW of solar in 12 months – pv magazine International share.google/SXoR2Q8kcNvo...
UK adds 1.9 GW of solar in 12 months
Latest government figures record 20.7 GW deployed PV capacity at the end of October 2025, up 10.4% in a 12-month period. Surge in contracts for difference (CfD) supported connections recorded in 2025 ...
share.google
November 28, 2025 at 7:54 AM
I remember when Cleve Hill was just a twinkle in a planning officer's eye.
UK adds 1.9 GW of solar in 12 months – pv magazine International share.google/SXoR2Q8kcNvo...
UK adds 1.9 GW of solar in 12 months – pv magazine International share.google/SXoR2Q8kcNvo...
News reports about the first installation of Thermify’s HeatHub technology in Essex generated lots of questions from web users, so The Reengineer contacted the company to find out more.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Sheds and garages to become mini data centres in low-cost heating drive
A UK firm says distributed computing can tackle fuel poverty
www.thereengineer.pro
November 27, 2025 at 10:51 PM
News reports about the first installation of Thermify’s HeatHub technology in Essex generated lots of questions from web users, so The Reengineer contacted the company to find out more.
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
With China putting 26MW turbines into operation, rival companies are no doubt feeling pressure to compete on size.
I know from talking to wind industry folks that not everyone is happy about this race!
But, as a spectator, it sure is interesting.
share.google/QszpNUmyufEu...
I know from talking to wind industry folks that not everyone is happy about this race!
But, as a spectator, it sure is interesting.
share.google/QszpNUmyufEu...
Siemens Gamesa plans to commercialise 21MW wind turbine, says exec
Siemens Gamesa confirms intention to commercialise its 21.5MW prototype turbine following months of speculation
share.google
November 27, 2025 at 7:39 PM
With China putting 26MW turbines into operation, rival companies are no doubt feeling pressure to compete on size.
I know from talking to wind industry folks that not everyone is happy about this race!
But, as a spectator, it sure is interesting.
share.google/QszpNUmyufEu...
I know from talking to wind industry folks that not everyone is happy about this race!
But, as a spectator, it sure is interesting.
share.google/QszpNUmyufEu...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Glorified phone doodle (ie I drew it while I was on the phone)
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Glorified phone doodle (ie I drew it while I was on the phone)
Readers of The Reengineer will know all about this!
A strategic solar energy boom is afoot in Eastern Europe share.google/lUn5HrBmIrM3...
A strategic solar energy boom is afoot in Eastern Europe share.google/lUn5HrBmIrM3...
November 27, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Readers of The Reengineer will know all about this!
A strategic solar energy boom is afoot in Eastern Europe share.google/lUn5HrBmIrM3...
A strategic solar energy boom is afoot in Eastern Europe share.google/lUn5HrBmIrM3...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
NEW: I wrote about Thermify's HeatHub technology, which acts as a mini data centre. Installed in sheds or outhouses, it gets hot enough to heat people's homes!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Sheds and garages to become mini data centres in low-cost heating drive
A UK firm says distributed computing can tackle fuel poverty
www.thereengineer.pro
November 27, 2025 at 9:02 AM
NEW: I wrote about Thermify's HeatHub technology, which acts as a mini data centre. Installed in sheds or outhouses, it gets hot enough to heat people's homes!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Fascinating.
Chris really always has the most interesting articles. Recommended.
Chris really always has the most interesting articles. Recommended.
NEW: I wrote about Thermify's HeatHub technology, which acts as a mini data centre. Installed in sheds or outhouses, it gets hot enough to heat people's homes!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Sheds and garages to become mini data centres in low-cost heating drive
A UK firm says distributed computing can tackle fuel poverty
www.thereengineer.pro
November 27, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Fascinating.
Chris really always has the most interesting articles. Recommended.
Chris really always has the most interesting articles. Recommended.
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
Re-routing of ships around the Cape of Good Hope led to a natural experiment.
By "comparing NO₂ [unaffected by the sulfur-reducing regulations], with cloud droplet number, which is sensitive to sulfur, [they] found a 67% reduction in ships' cloud-altering abilities" after the new IMO regulations.
By "comparing NO₂ [unaffected by the sulfur-reducing regulations], with cloud droplet number, which is sensitive to sulfur, [they] found a 67% reduction in ships' cloud-altering abilities" after the new IMO regulations.
When trade routes shift, so do clouds: Researchers uncover ripple effects of new global shipping regulations
When militia attacks disrupted shipping lanes in the Red Sea, few imagined the ripple effects would reach the clouds over the South Atlantic. But for Florida State University atmospheric scientist Mic...
phys.org
November 22, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Re-routing of ships around the Cape of Good Hope led to a natural experiment.
By "comparing NO₂ [unaffected by the sulfur-reducing regulations], with cloud droplet number, which is sensitive to sulfur, [they] found a 67% reduction in ships' cloud-altering abilities" after the new IMO regulations.
By "comparing NO₂ [unaffected by the sulfur-reducing regulations], with cloud droplet number, which is sensitive to sulfur, [they] found a 67% reduction in ships' cloud-altering abilities" after the new IMO regulations.
NEW: I wrote about Thermify's HeatHub technology, which acts as a mini data centre. Installed in sheds or outhouses, it gets hot enough to heat people's homes!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
Sheds and garages to become mini data centres in low-cost heating drive
A UK firm says distributed computing can tackle fuel poverty
www.thereengineer.pro
November 27, 2025 at 9:02 AM
NEW: I wrote about Thermify's HeatHub technology, which acts as a mini data centre. Installed in sheds or outhouses, it gets hot enough to heat people's homes!
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
www.thereengineer.pro/p/sheds-and-...
"Lets-a go! Oh, OH-a NO! not-a like-a that!!!!!"
letter art, electronic gaming monthly, magazine (2001) archive.org/details/elec...
November 26, 2025 at 11:04 PM
"Lets-a go! Oh, OH-a NO! not-a like-a that!!!!!"