Christoph
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trendspotter.bsky.social
Christoph
@trendspotter.bsky.social
interested in trends and futuristic ideas
Reposted by Christoph
Wow, “the probability of an AMOC collapse before the year 2050 is estimated to be 59%.” That would have a huge impact on the global atmospheric circulation, causing unprecedented extreme weather society is not adapted to.
August 1, 2024 at 1:43 AM
Reposted by Christoph
Uhm, hello? *tap tap* Is this thing on?

Yeah. Yet another study — this one using observational data — puts AMOC collapse at mid-century on our current emissions path.

arxiv.org/html/2406.11...
July 31, 2024 at 11:43 PM
Reposted by Christoph
CNN covers a new study on the danger of an #AMOC disruption. I do consider that a very serious risk. But I’m a bit misquoted; I told them that Greenland meltwater inflow increases that risk, but is ignored in most models.

amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/08/...
August 3, 2024 at 10:25 AM
Reposted by Christoph
"Even if we were successful in phasing out fossil fuels, we would still breach the 1,5 degrees Celsius boundary, if we do not come back into the safe space on the biosphere boundaries," says Johan Rockström on "The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens".
🎬 : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jabo...
Exceeding Earth's Safe Limits with Johan Rockström | TGS 134
(Conversation recorded on June 19th, 2024) Show Summary: While the mainstream conversation about our planet’s future is heavily dominated by the topic of cl...
www.youtube.com
July 31, 2024 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Christoph
Ending the streak of record monthly warmth, July 2024 was in fact the 2nd hottest July on record globally. Some of the largest temperature anomalies, in terms of magnitude, were found over Antarctica.

Summary of the conditions: climate.copernicus.eu/surface-air-...
August 8, 2024 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Christoph
July 2024 came in slightly below 2023, ending a 13-month streak of record-setting months.

But global temps remain far above any year prior to 2023, and 2024 is still on track to be the warmest year on record.

For details, see my latest at Climate Brink: www.theclimatebrink.com/p/second-war...
Second warmest July ends a 13-month record streak
But global temperatures remain far higher than any year prior to 2023
www.theclimatebrink.com
August 1, 2024 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Christoph
Comprehensive survey of methane emissions from US oil & gas shows leakage is:

- enough to meet annual energy needs of *more than half American homes*
- 4x more than estimated by regulators
- 50x levels companies said they'd emit under voluntary agreement

www.ft.com/content/58e7...
US emissions of planet-warming gas far exceed estimates, study finds
Fossil fuel extractors emit enough methane to meet the annual energy needs of more than half of American homes
www.ft.com
August 1, 2024 at 6:58 AM
Vast plans #microgravity lab on its Haven-1 private #space station

The commercial space station company is building a private microgravity research lab as part of its Haven-1 station plans. Vast is bringing on space biotech company Yuri as its partner in the lab.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/01/v...
Vast plans microgravity lab on its Haven-1 private space station | TechCrunch
Vast's Haven-1 Lab will provide the first private research and science facility on orbit.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:50 PM
AI-powered #water heater could banish cold #showers and carbon pollution

Water heater technology hasn’t changed much so far. Cala Systems saw an opportunity to build the best heat pump water heater, which pairs an advanced heat pump with an AI-powered control system.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/06/a...
Exclusive: AI-powered water heater could banish cold showers and carbon pollution | TechCrunch
Cala Systems’ water heater pairs an advanced heat pump with an AI-powered control system to forecast hot water demand.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:44 PM
Applied Carbon’s farm robot turns plant waste into biochar to capture #CO2

Applied Carbon have turned to a centuries-old practice that transforms waste biomass into charcoal-like substance known as biochar that can store #carbon for decades, even centuries.

techcrunch.com/2024/07/31/a...
Exclusive: Applied Carbon's farm robot turns plant waste into biochar to capture CO2 | TechCrunch
The startup has raised $21.5 million to build more of its machines and deploy them throughout the U.S.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:38 PM
Cocoon is transforming steel production runoff into a greener #cement alternative

Cocoon is building a processed bi-product of more energy-efficient steel production that serves as a environmentally friendly cement alternative.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/08/c...
Exclusive: Cocoon is transforming steel production runoff into a greener cement alternative
Cocoon is a new startup built on the belief that greener steel production and the creation of concrete slag doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:36 PM
A watchdog for corporate #climate commitments is cracking down on #carboncredits

Carbon offset credits might actually hinder efforts to slash greenhouse gas pollution — the exact opposite of what corporate climate commitments are supposed to achieve.

www.theverge.com/2024/8/1/242...
A watchdog for corporate climate commitments is cracking down on carbon credits
Companies can’t just offset their climate pollution, watchdog warns
www.theverge.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:33 PM
Google DeepMind develops a table tennis #robot

The researchers have effectively developed a “solidly amateur human-level player” when pitted against a human component. During testing, the table tennis robot was able to beat all of the beginner-level players it faced.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/08/g...
Google DeepMind develops a ‘solidly amateur’ table tennis robot | TechCrunch
During testing, Google DeepMind's table tennis bot was able to beat all of the beginner-level players it faced.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:19 PM
Looking Glass’ new lineup includes a phone-sized #holographic display

The device features a six-inch spatial display, making it roughly the size of a smartphone. The device has a foldable base that props it up for display purposes.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/08/l...
Looking Glass’ new lineup includes a $300 phone-sized holographic display | TechCrunch
The Looking Glass Pro has a 6-inch display and a foldable base. It shows spatial images like those created with the Apple Vision Pro and iPhone 15 Pro.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:15 PM
Axle Energy to decarbonize the grid

Increasing uptake of renewables is a strong trend. “Axle is an energy flexibility company,” explains Bach. “We connect distributed assets like electric vehicles and batteries to energy markets. So we exist to decarbonize the grid.“

techcrunch.com/2024/08/01/a...
Axle Energy's sprint to decarbonize the grid lights up with $9M seed led by Accel | TechCrunch
Axle Energy is a B2B, back-end infrastructure business focused on connecting flexible assets, such as electric vehicles and home batteries, to energy markets that aren't otherwise available for consum...
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 7:11 PM
Napkin turns text into visuals with generative #AI

“Napkin’s product is targeted toward professionals in the business of selling ideas and creating content,” Sharma said. “The goal is to minimize the time of the design process by turning it into a generative flow.”

techcrunch.com/2024/08/07/n...
Napkin turns text into visuals with a bit of generative AI | TechCrunch
Napkin wants to use generative AI to make turning text into visualizations as easy as clicking on a button and customizing the results.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 6:59 PM
Automattic, the owner of WordPress, launches #AI writing tool

The new generative AI #writing assistant tool helps users construct content using text-based prompts and tweak the tone of their posts to be more informal or empathetic, for example.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/07/a...
Automattic launches AI writing tool that aims to make WordPress blogs more readable and succinct | TechCrunch
Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com, has launched a new AI tool designed to help bloggers write more clearly and succinctly.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 6:55 PM
Dawn Aerospace’s rocket-propelled aircraft takes flight

The company looks to build what could be the highest-performance aircraft to take off from a runway. Mk-II is acknowledged as a development vehicle, paving the way for a two-stage-to-orbit aircraft called Mk-III

techcrunch.com/2024/08/06/d...
Dawn Aerospace's rocket-propelled aircraft takes flight | TechCrunch
Dawn Aerospace’s rocket-powered aircraft soared to new heights in its latest test campaign, as the company looks to build what could be the
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 6:51 PM
Who cut the plant-based cheese? Plonts did with microbes

Plonts says microbes are the key to what will fix the taste, flavor and melt of plant-based cheese. In fact, it’s the microbes that give cheese its distinctive smell. Plonts’ cheese is made from soybeans.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/06/w...
Who cut the plant-based cheese? Plonts did with microbes, and it’s stinky | TechCrunch %
Plonts’ cheese is made from soybeans, which are not very flavorful by themselves. That's where Plonts' technology comes in.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 6:44 PM
German computer scientists raise $30 million to help companies make sense of their data

KNIME’s software is built on visual, no-code workflows designed to integrate with an org’s systems of record. Users can transform data, regardless of where the data resides.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/06/k...
German computer scientists raise $30 million to help companies make sense of their data | TechCrunch
A startup called KNIME offers a growing portfolio of tools to automate data analytics work -- and these services have proven to be quite lucrative.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 6:39 PM
Figure’s new humanoid #robot leverages OpenAI for natural speech conversations

Figure 02 is outfitted with speakers and microphones to speak and listen to people at work. Communication is important, as the systems are designed to wander freely without a safety cage.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/06/f...
Figure’s new humanoid robot leverages OpenAI for natural speech conversations | TechCrunch
Figure 02 is outfitted with speakers and microphones to speak and listen to people at work.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 5:56 PM
H3X scales up its electric aerospace ambitions

H3X makes electric motors. What sets them apart, is how small they are for how much power they put out. If you were using an electric motor the size of a dishwasher, the H3X equivalent might be the size of a microwave.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/06/h...
H3X scales up its electric aerospace ambitions with $20M in new funding | TechCrunch
Many industries that rely on legacy energy sources are aiming to electrify or at least streamline their operations, but for countless use cases, the tech
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 5:52 PM
Riverlane to correct quantum errors

The startup is building technology that fits on chips used in #quantumcomputing systems and can track, predict and fix the errors generated by quantum bits (known as qubits). This goes beyond the capability of any supercomputer.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/05/u...
UK's Riverlane scores $75M to correct quantum errors | TechCrunch
Quantum computing may still largely be in the theoretical domain, but the money that it’s attracting is very real.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 5:47 PM
#OpenAI co-founder leaves for rival #AI startup #Anthropic

Schulman posted about the decision, saying that it stemmed from a desire to deepen his focus on AI alignment — the science of ensuring AI behaves as intended — and engage in more hands-on technical work.

techcrunch.com/2024/08/05/o...
OpenAI co-founder Schulman leaves for Anthropic, Brockman takes extended leave | TechCrunch
One of OpenAI's co-founders and a chief architect of ChatGPT has left the company for rival AI startup Anthropic.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 5:43 PM
Muon Space plans a ‘turnkey solution’ for custom Earth observation #satellites

Muon’s business model represents a new paradigm for access to space: Instead of spending years developing satellite hardware & software, customers can use Muon’s end-to-end service instead

techcrunch.com/2024/08/05/m...
Muon Space closes $56M to scale all-in-one satellite platform | TechCrunch
Muon Space closed a new tranche of funding for its space-as-a-service business.
techcrunch.com
August 8, 2024 at 5:40 PM