Weekly Links: water does expand when it freezes, but this theory is missing some critical facts. Plus, the Supreme Court isn’t buying the argument that advertising toxic substances is a protected speech under the 1st Amendment. And, more parking is needed for the Olympics, so Tokyo’s famous fish market has to go.
Major media outlets said they had no warning about Hurricane Michael’s intensity. While the storm’s strength was unexpected, the real culprit is the media’s disinterest in understanding and reporting on the intricacies and difficulties of weather forecasting.
The term “heat wave” and excessive heat warnings are generally reserved for unusually uncomfortable and hazardous conditions. The weather doesn’t really meet that criteria right now, but perhaps we should still issue advisories for when temperatures are simply abnormal.
Weekly Links: This week, facing pressure, MARTA adds more light rail for the Beltline while cutting funding for Emory rail. Also, this month is on pace to be the hottest September on record in Atlanta. Plus, Georgia finally got its very own model solar zoning ordinance!
This week, spending $2 billion to develop the downtown Gulch isn’t sitting well with the Atlanta city council, at least for now. Plus, someone has finally made a useful 3-D map showing the steepness of streets. And Ben Carson and HUD may do the unthinkable: attempt to restrict exclusionary zoning to promote affordable housing.
Weekly Links: We all love colorful, striking maps. Unfortunately, our brains aren’t great at quickly decoding lots of colors, so scientists and cartographers would like us to stop asking for colors and just embrace duller, more informative imagery. Also, a new study shows that pollution leads to cognitive decline, particularly among older men. And coastal home prices are taking a hit due to rising sea levels.
From Facebook to Uber to electric scooters, corporations are demanding we change our behavior to adapt to their profit-driven technology. This is nothing new, but why do we continue to let it happen?
This week, what’s the deal with the recent poll showing that only 66% of young people firmly believe the Earth is round? And, when are we getting our long promised glow-in-the-dark trees to replace city street lamps? Plus, leave it to this EPA to propose a regulation that it admits will result in 1,400 more deaths.
