Casey Crownhart

In this discussion, Casey Crownhart, a senior climate reporter at MIT Technology Review, highlights the environmental implications of the booming data center industry. She reveals that some centers could demand triple the energy of entire cities, raising concerns about rising utility rates and community pushback. Casey delves into the decision-making behind site locations, power and water consumption, and the balancing act between corporate climate pledges and increased energy needs. This insightful conversation uncovers the complex challenges facing our tech-driven future.

Casey Crownhart, a senior climate reporter at MIT Technology Review, sheds light on the confusion and fear at the NIH due to a hiring freeze implemented by the Trump administration, affecting vital research. Meanwhile, Liz Lopatto, a senior writer at The Verge, delves into the rising phenomenon of meme coins, like those launched by the Trump family. They discuss the allure of these digital assets, their ties to cultural memes, and the psychological factors driving their popularity, all while questioning their value compared to traditional cryptocurrencies.

Casey Crownhart, a climate and technology reporter at MIT Technology Review, delves into the intriguing findings from the James Webb Space Telescope, revealing the universe's unexpected acceleration in its expansion. The discussion also addresses a common misconception about the rise in food recalls, clarifying that 2024's numbers are consistent with previous years. Additionally, topics include advancements in quantum computing and innovative prosthetic technologies, shedding light on the intersection of science and everyday life.

Join Casey Crownhart, a senior climate reporter at MIT Technology Review, as she shares insights about astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returning after their record 286-day mission on the ISS. Discover how climate change is accelerating with each passing year and learn about innovative projects like the Eret Glacier Initiative. Plus, enjoy the thrill of science with a deep dive into the physics of bottle popping, revealing the surprising reactions that make that celebratory 'pop' so special.

Rachel Feltman hosts a discussion featuring Casey Crownhart, a senior climate reporter, who reveals surprising low bids in Maine's offshore wind auction amid rising renewable energy costs. They dive into pressing science news, discussing bird flu in pigs and AI’s electronic waste crisis. Artistic guest Sarah Rosalena, a Wixárika artist and professor, shares her unique fusion of Indigenous textile arts with modern tech, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with scientists, including those at NASA, to challenge the future of art and technology.

James O'Donnell, senior AI reporter at MIT Technology Review, covers AI systems and data centers. Casey Crownhart, senior climate reporter at MIT Technology Review, investigates tech's environmental impacts. They translate AI energy into microwave-time analogies. They explain training versus inference, per-query energy for text, images and video, reasoning models' higher costs, data center cooling and water use, and local grid and infrastructure effects.

Astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi shares insights on groundbreaking space missions like IMAP and the mysteries of dark matter and energy, while reflecting on profound cosmic questions. Casey Crownhart, a senior climate reporter, discusses promising climate tech trends, including sodium-ion batteries and recycling methods for rare earth magnets. The conversation unveils exciting developments in global renewable technologies and highlights China's leadership in clean energy initiatives. Together, they explore how advancements in both fields could reshape our future.

Casey Crownhart, a senior climate reporter for MIT Technology Review, dives into the recent severe flooding in Juneau, Alaska, linked to climate change. She discusses the hurdles the U.S. electric vehicle market faces amidst regulatory challenges, while highlighting a major automaker's push for affordable electric trucks. Crownhart also touches on innovative energy storage solutions, including a startup using underground water for electricity storage. The podcast critically examines the funding cuts to mRNA vaccine research and their potential long-term impact on drug development.

In this discussion, Mat Honan, Editor-in-chief of MIT Technology Review, Casey Crownhart, climate reporter, and James O'Donnell, AI reporter, dive into transformative technologies on the horizon. They explore innovative solutions like cattle supplements that reduce methane emissions and breakthrough drugs aimed at eradicating AIDS. The trio discusses generative AI’s profound impact on search engines and its societal implications, while also shedding light on advancements in climate technology and the importance of government funding in fostering innovation.

We have a new podcast! It’s called Universe Of Art, and it’s all about artists who use science to bring their creations to the next level. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Where’s The Beef? Lab-Grown Meat Gets U.S. Approval People have been looking for meat-alternatives for decades. Vegetarians avoid animal products for many reasons, from concerns over animal treatment and slaughtering practices to the meat industry’s climate impacts. Methane from cows and other livestock contribute about 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. There have been plant-based alternatives on the market for awhile now, but another method has quietly gained steam over the past decade: meat grown in a lab, using cultured cells. This past June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved two companies—Eat Just and Upside—to grow and sell cultivated chicken products in the U.S. Lab-developed beef will likely be next, while some companies are even working on cultivated pet food meat. (Lab-grown mouse meat kibble, anyone?) But will growing tissue in a lab actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and … will people even want to eat it? Joining Ira to discuss this beefy topic is Casey Crownhart, climate reporter at the MIT Technology Review, who talks about how this kind of meat is made in a lab, the challenges the industry faces, and what lab-grown beef patty tastes like.   How Rising Temperatures Are Shifting The Ground Beneath Chicago As global temperatures rise, cities are typically hotter than rural areas. Tall buildings trap heat and temperatures don’t drop nearly as low at night. Out of sight, just below the surface, it’s also getting hotter. Scientists are beginning to document the unexpected consequences of underground climate change. A new study measuring the phenomenon used sensors to track increasing temperatures underground in Chicago and map how the earth has shifted beneath the city as a result. Ira talks with the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Alessandro Rotta Loria, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, based in Chicago, Illinois.   A Fish By Any Other Name: Inside The Effort To Bring ‘Copi’ To Dinner People who live near freshwater rivers or lakes are likely familiar with Asian Carp. The fish are not native to the U.S., but over the last few decades their populations have exploded in waterways like the Mississippi River Basin and the Illinois River. Over the last few years, there’s been a major PR campaign to move away from the name Asian Carp, in favor of a new name: “Copi.” The reason is two-fold: First, it joins a general trend of moving species’ names away from nationalistic associations, considering anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The other goal is to make the fish sound more delicious—creating a market that would incentivize fishing the Copi, hopefully reducing their populations. Joining Ira to talk about this is Jim Garvey, director of fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic sciences at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.   Thanks To A Mesozoic Hot Spot, We Finally Know How Old The Utahraptor Is Sometimes Jim Kirkland wishes he had been alive 150 years ago. That’s when the golden age of North American dinosaur discovery began, and early titans of paleontology crisscrossed the Rocky Mountains unearthing dozens of new species that became household names, from the Stegosaurus to the Brontosaurus to the Triceratops. But a close second to that era is what Kirkland gets to see these days in Utah. “I am doing that kind of discovery right now,” Kirkland said. “I’m just lucky to be alive.” Kirkland, Utah’s state paleontologist, uncovered and named the Utahraptor in 1993. The deadly predator became the official state dinosaur in 2018. To read the rest, visit sciencefriday.com.   To stay updated on all-things-science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters. Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.