Untapped Natural Forces: Beyond Nuclear Power
What are the most interesting or promising natural phenomena that are under-exploited by modern technology? "Nuclear reactions" an obvious one, what else?
US Uses 20M Barrels Daily Through Refineries
The US consumes over 20 million barrels of oil each day. But it doesn't consume it directly. Oil refineries take raw crude and turn it into various products - gasoline, diesel, jet fuel - that we can use. This week, I...
Construction Costs Have Rarely Declined Since 19th Century
For as far back as we have data - into the 19th century - construction costs in the US have almost never fallen. Other wealthy countries show similar patterns. https://t.co/kEEDUlPYLC https://t.co/oJ5gdNSwEU
Execs Spot Issues, Miss the Right Fixes
This reminds me of a Bill Hader story where he says that when an executive points out that something needs to be fixed in a show, they're almost always right, but their specific advice for fixing it is almost always...
Origins of Efficiency Joins Rare 20‑30% Earning Out Advance
Origins of Efficiency officially one of the 20-30% of books to earn out its advance.
Helium: The Irreplaceable Lifeline for High-Tech Industries
MRI machines, EUV lithography, fiber optic cable manufacturing, deep sea diving: none of them work without helium. This week on Construction Physics, I look at why helium is so hard to replace. https://t.co/rSbzbhoF2j
Citizens' Punishment of Pro‑development Officials Fueled California’s Anti‑growth Shift
This is how California became anti-growth in the 60s/70s btw. Citizens just started relentlessly punishing local elected officials that didn't strangle development.