Lifeboat Foundation

New York City is sinking under the weight of its massive buildings, leaving it more vulnerable to rising seas, a new study finds.

Most coastal cities are slowly sinking as the earth beneath them settles and groundwater is drained away. In some metropolises, the weight of large, concrete-and-steel skyscrapers may be hastening this slump, but experts rarely, if ever, account for the mass of large buildings in projections of future sinking.

For the new study, scientists tallied the weight of every building in New York, which they put at 842 million tons, and estimated the downward force of these structures across the city. They found that buildings are leaving a bigger imprint in areas rich in clay than in areas where sand or bedrock predominate.

Once a person is dead, their body usually starts to decay immediately, although a good embalming job can delay decay.

If rising oceans aren’t worry enough, add this to the risks New York City faces: The metropolis is slowly sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, homes, asphalt and humanity itself.

New research estimates the city’s landmass is sinking at an average rate of 1 to 2 millimeters per year, something referred to as “subsidence.”

That natural process happens everywhere as ground is compressed, but the study published this month in the journal Earth’s Future sought to estimate how the massive weight of the city itself is hurrying things along.

Every year since 2011 has seen at least six severe storms, costing the US billions of dollars.

– Jane Skinner, PhD, lead researcher.

In addition, physical activity and sedentary levels weren’t measured, which may have produced a different effect on the outcome.

How should we respond to the idea that advances in AI pose catastrophic risks for the wellbeing of humanity?

Two sets of arguments have been circulating online for many years, but in light of recent events, are now each mutating into new forms and are attracting much more attention from the public. The first set argues that AI risks are indeed serious. The second set is skeptical. It argues that the risks are exaggerated, or can easily be managed, and are a distraction from more important issues and opportunities.

Continue reading “Assessing AI Risk Skepticism” »

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The leading intellect on digital culture believes the recent tech reckoning is corrective justice for Silicon Valley barons.

A new report from iCIMS reveals that some HR professionals don’t want new grads to use ChatGPT to write resumes or cover letters.

Pour-over coffee is great, but it is also a hassle to make each morning. That’s why Kendigh built this pour-over coffee machine.