 |
|
|
|||||
The Doomsday Clock is perhaps the most sobering graphic symbol ever created: a quarter of a clock with four big dots to mark the countdown to midnight, an euphemism for the end of world You might think that the significance of a clock that counts down the moments until humanitys annihilation cant be understated, yet its physical form has always been lightweight compared to its intent. For 78 years, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists have presented a new tic-tock of doom in a press conference, informing the public of the latest doom countdown based on the events of the past year. Each year, they accompanied the news with a physical representation of the clock that is not much of a clock at all. Rather, it’s a flimsy panel with paper hands and dots stuck to it. The occasion needed a much stronger visual, one that would attract the attention of photo editors everywhere. That happened last week, when a new clock appeared one tic closer to apocalypse: It is 89 seconds to midnight. [Image: courtesy Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists] The physical clock that they were using was basically like a whiteboard, says Juan Noguera, Assistant Professor of Industrial Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. They would unveil it by pulling this black cloth and it was just a wobbly setup, with stuff almost falling off it. Together with Tom Weiss, Associate Department Head at the Rhode Island School of Design and founder of Altimeter Design Group, Noguera redesigned the physical clock in 2024. It came at the request of Rachel Bronson, then the President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Bronson wanted something more iconic; something that would capture the gravity of the clock’s message. The physical clock had to be as powerful as the symbol it represents; it need to command the attention of photographers and journalists who could echo the message of this timepiece of doom. The bulletins June 1947 cover page [Image: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists] Tic-toc to apocalypse American artist Martyl Suzanne Langsdorf conceived of the very first Doomsday Clock back in 1947. It followed the aesthetic of public clocks of that era. It featured a minimalistic large face with smaller dots and a white minute hand that was much thinner than the black hour hand, which was anchored at 12. That design served as a stark reminder of nuclear danger for nearly 80 years, becoming a universally recognized symbol of existential threat. The clock’s hand has moved closer to and further from midnight over the years, reflecting the changing global landscape of nuclear risk and climate change. As things got really grim during the worst years of the Cold War, the clock design went from showing only the second half hour of a face to showing just the quarter, Noguera says. It never went back past the 45 minute mark again. The 2017 iteration [Image: Pentagram] In 2017, design studio Pentagram updated the Doomsday Clock’s graphic symbol, modernizing its look while maintaining its iconic essence. I believe [Pentagram] hastily produced a physical version of it that had been used by the bulletin in events since then, Noguera says. The Pentagram symbol was strong then and now, however, and it served as the foundation for Noguera and Weiss’s design of the physical clock from the very beginning of the process. Noguera and Weiss started with traditional sketches, which were then brought to life using a generative AI tool called Vizcom that lets designers add color, texture, and lighting to their sketches. The front of the physical clock is a flat surface that features the graphic symbol designed by Pentagram. Under it, Noguera and Weis introduced two lines of text that spell out the time in English. According to Noguera, this element turned out to be a big success, as most of the photographers focused on it during the presentation. The typography on the clock face uses the Bulletin’s specific Helvetica subvariant, ensuring consistency with their brand identity. On the back of the clock theres the logo of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set over a gently curved surface that gets thinner towards the top. Their design also included a pedestal. At the beginning they played with the idea of making the entire thing a large monolith but ultimately decided to separate the two pieces. Leaving the face as its own object meant Bulletin could more easily bring the two parts around the world to different events. It also allowed for a unique aesthetic. We wanted that dichotomy of the handmade traditional and the 3D printed object, Noguera says. A deliberate juxtaposition of modern technology and traditional craftsmanship. [Image: courtesy Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists] A star is born Once they locked this design, they created CAD models for manufacturing. The clock was 3D printed in a single piece that’s 33 inches tall. Embedded within the clock face are close to 100 magnets that hold the hands and the interchangeable numbers and text, which allows the date and text to be easily updated. This clock rests on a handcrafted wooden pedestal. The pedestal for the clock itself is completely handmade, intentionally, very traditionally, Noguera says. The legs of the pedestal were hand-turned, and the walls were steam-bent. The entire piece is an imposing 6.5 feet tall. The new Doomsday Clock made its debut at the Bulletin’s 2025 press conference on January 28, where it was the star. Its striking design and prominent display ensured that the clock’s message was front and center in media coverage, Noguera told me with satisfaction: Instead of seeing some people talking on the photos like every other year before, now you see the clock featured in every single shot.
Category:
E-Commerce
A new browser from the Norwegian company Opera just launched today, and it wants you to stop stressing out so much. The free browser, called Opera Air, is billed as the first-ever mindful browser. While existing mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace can help you take a break to reduce feelings of stress, Opera Air proposes a product that integrates mindfulness directly into working online. The browser comes with a sleek, minimal UI and built-in mindfulness toolslike breathing exercises and binaural beatsso users can code, type, or browse the web and get a brain boost simultaneously. Nikita Walia is a brand strategist at U.N.N.A.M.E.D, the creative partners behind Opera Air. According to Walia, who led the strategy behind the new browsers launch campaign, the team landed on the key insight that most people dont actually want to disconnect from technologyinstead, they want room to think clearly in a busy digital world. We noticed that there was a pretty binary relationship to technology as it’s presented by people’s opinions online, Walia says. Either you want to throw your phone in the ocean and disappear, or you’re super, super addicted to technology. We thought Opera could present a third way, where technology can be really supportive to your overall goals and your wellbeing. For the sizable portion of the workforce that relies on computers for their livelihoods, chucking your Macbook into the sea isnt exactly the solution to a better workday experience. As a remote journalist myself, ditching technology isnt a sustainable solution, and even tried-and-true mindfulness practices like meditation can feel difficult to incorporate into a busy schedule. So, I gave Opera Air a try to see if its worth abandoning Google Chrome once and for all. [Image: Opera] A browser for minimalists The first thing youll notice when you open Opera Air is that there arent many bells and whistlesand thats by design. According to Tomasz Stawarz, Opera Airs senior director of product, Opera Air is a purposefully pared-down version of Operas other browser options, a choice thats intended to combat the chaotic and overwhelming nature of the web. The browsers default settings include one simple Google search bar, an uplifting quote at the bottom of the screen, and a sidebar with five preloaded icons, including Operas AI, Aria, and the browsers two mindfulness tools. This sidebar can be updated to include any combination of apps, but Stawarz suggests that users get a feel for their most-used programs before updating it to keep the screen decluttered. [Image: Opera] Users can choose from a set of custom-designed CGI wallpapers by U.N.N.A.M.E.D and the creative studio Future Romance as their backdrop (I chose a green mountainscape). Opera Airs features and launch campaign both emphasize a visual bubble metaphor, which pulsates and bounces to mimic the tempo of relaxed breathing. And all of the browsers UI elements, including search bars, tabs, and icons, are rendered in what Stawarz calls a frosted glass effect, which is essentially a minimal, semi-transparent look. Weve kept distractions to a minimum by limiting the color palette and embracing clean, minimalistic design,” Stawarz says. [Image: Opera] As a loyal Chrome user, I found Opera Air quite easy to navigate. My main qualm with the browser itself is that, once youve racked up enough tabs, it becomes difficult to select one without inadvertently clicking the X and exiting out of ita minor annoyance that got pretty frustrating after about the tenth time it happened. Still, I appreciated the simplicity of the default settings and the browsers streamlined aesthetics. [Image: Opera] Putting Opera Air to the test The true test of Opera Air is in its two mindfulness features, called Boosts and Take a Break. I decided to give these tools a trial by fire by testing them out for the first time during a workday with several quick turn-around deadlines. The first feature, Boosts, uses something called binaural beats to help users achieve sensations ranging from Energized Focus to Deep Relaxation. Binaural beats are an auditory technique wherein two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear, causing the brain to generate its own perceived third frequency. According to a press release from Opera, This is known to influence brainwave activity, helping to promote relaxation, focus, or a meditative statealthough, it should be noted that scientists are still debating exactly how effective binaural beats actually are, and under what conditions. [Image: Opera] Currently, Opera Air comes with 19 Boosts, each of which is composed of three elements: background music, ambient noise (like bird sounds or waves), and binaural frequencies. The Boosts have been created by the Opera Air team with different effects in mind. Focused Calm, for example, includes a slower music track and comes with more prominent binaural beats. Energized Focus, on the other hand, features a more upbeat soundtrack and less noticeable beats. Users can browse the Boosts descriptions to select one thats right for their current task, and even customize them by adjusting the volumes of the three components of the beats. Both Boosts and “Take a Break” are easily accessible as icons in the browser’s sidebar, so it’s pretty simple to change your Boost or tweak its volume from whatever tab you’re working in. [Image: Opera] I frequently use binaural beats to get into a flow state while writing, so, predictably, I found myself better able to focus on my work while a Boost was playing. Still, Im not entirely sold on the utility of this tool, considering that thousands of similar compositions are just a few clicks away on YouTube. Opera Airs second mindfulness feature, Take a Break, is a bit more involved. This tool takes users to a variety of exercises, including guided breathing sessions, meditation, neck exercises, and a full-body scan, all designed to encourage a moment of relaxation. Each of the four categories includes several different session options, ranging from a three-minute destress breathing session to a 15-minute full body scan. During my workday trial, I was pleasantly surprised by a four-minute neck exercise, which gave me some much-need tension release after a few hours spent hunched over my laptop (though the program relies on tracking your facial movements, which I noticed could be somewhat finicky, especially for those with longer hair). Similarly, I observed a noticeable difference in my stress levels before and after a five-minute box breathing exercise. All of the sessions include voiceovers from a male or female narratoryou can toggle between Alex or Emmawhich made it easy to close my eyes and really commit to slowing down for a moment. Going into this test, I was concerned that I might be irritated by the browsers reminders to use Take a Break, but I actually found myself wishing it would badger me more. Opera Air lets you decide whether you want to be reminded to do your activities, and you can determine the frequency of reminders, ranging from every 45 to 180 minutes. When your time is up, the Take a Break icon on the browser sidebar will begin subtly flashing. Despite setting my reminder frequency to 45 minutes, I found that I often missed the flashing cue, and then ultimately decided to just skip the exercise and do it next time. Granted, theres only so much a browser can do to convince us to actually practice self-care, but I hope the next iteration of Opera Air will include an option for more aggressive notification. Do I think Opera Air is the answer to my work-induced stress? No. But could it help make staring at my screen for hours more manageable? Definitely.
Category:
E-Commerce
Water scarcity is often viewed as an issue for the arid American West, but the U.S. Northeasts experience in 2024 shows how severe droughts can occur in just about any part of the country. Cities in the Northeast experienced record-breaking drought conditions in the second half of 2024 after a hot, dry summer in many areas. Wildfires broke out in several states that rarely see them. By December, much of the region was experiencing moderate to severe drought. Residents in New York City and Boston were asked to reduce their water use, while Philadelphia faced risk to its water supply due to saltwater coming up the Delaware River. Before the drought, many people in the region werent prepared for water shortages or even paying much attention to their water use. As global temperatures rise, cities throughout the U.S. are more likely to experience hotter, drier conditions like this. Those conditions increase evaporation, drying out vegetation and soil and lowering groundwater tables. The Northeast drought was easing in much of the region in early 2025, but communities across the U.S. should take note of what happened. They can learn from the experiences of cities that have had to confront major water supply crises such as Cape Town, South Africa; So Paulo, Brazil; Melbourne, Australia; Las Vegas; and New Orleans and start planning now to avoid the worst impacts of future droughts. Lessons from cities that have seen the worst Our new analysis of these five cities experiences provides lessons on how to avoid a water supply crisis or minimize the effects through proactive policies and planning. Many cities have had to confront major water supply crises in recent years. Perhaps the most well-known example is Cape Towns Day Zero. After three years of persistent drought in the region, Cape Town officials in fall 2017 began a countdown to Day Zerothe point at which water supplies would likely run so low that water would be turned off in neighborhoods and residents would need to fetch a daily allocation of water at public distribution points. Initially it was forecast to occur in April 2018. Water rates were raised, and some households installed flow restrictors, which would automatically limit the amount of water that could be used. Public awareness and conservation efforts cut water consumption in half, allowing the city to push back its estimate for when Day Zero would arrive. And when the rains finally came in summer 2018, Day Zero was canceled. A second example is So Paulo, which similarly experienced a severe drought between 2013 and 2015. The citys reservoirs were reduced to just 5% of their capacity, and the water utility reduced the pressure in the water system to limit water use by residents. Water pricing adjustments were used to penalize high water users and reward water conservation, and a citywide campaign sought to increase awareness and encourage conservation. As in Cape Town, the crisis ended with heavy rains in 2016. Significant investments have since been made in upgrading the citys water distribution infrastructure, preventing leaks, and bringing water to the city from other river basins. Planning ahead can reduce the harm The experiences of Cape Town and So Pauloand the other cities in our studyshow how water supply crises can affect communities. When major changes are made to reduce water consumption, they can affect peoples daily lives and pocketbooks. Rapidly designed conservation efforts can have harmful effects on poor and vulnerable communities that may have fewer alternatives in the event of restrictions or shutoffs or lack the ability to pay higher prices for water, forcing tough choices for households between water and other necessities. Planning ahead allows for more thoughtful policy design. For example, Las Vegas has been grappling with drought conditions for the past two decades. During that time, the region implemented water-conservation policies that focus on incentivizing and even requiring reduced water consumption. Since 2023, the Las Vegas Valley Water District has implemented water rates that encourage conservation and can vary with the availability of water supplies during droughts. In its first year alone, the policy saved 3 billion gallons of water and generated $31 million in fees that can be used by programs to detect and repair leaks, among other conservation efforts. A state law now requires businesses and homeowner associations in the Las Vegas Valley to remove their decorative grass by the end of 2026. Since 2002, per capita water use in Las Vegas has dropped by an impressive 58%. Solutions and strategies for the future Most of the cities we studied incorporated a variety of approaches to building water security and drought-proofing their communityfrom publishing real-time dashboards showing water use and availability in Cape Town to investing in desalination in Melbourne. But we found the most important changes came from community members committing to and supporting efforts to conserve water and invest in water security, such as reducing lawn watering. There are also longer-term actions that can help drought-proof a community, such as fixing or replacing water- and energy-intensive fixtures and structures. This includes upgrading home appliances, such s showers, dishwashers and toilets, to be more water efficient and investing in native and drought-tolerant landscaping. Prioritizing green infrastructure, such as retention ponds and bioswales, that help absorb rain when it does fall and investing in water recycling can also diversify water supplies. Taking these steps now, ahead of the next drought, can prepare cities and lessen the pain. Sara Hughes is an adjunct professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan. Michael Wilson is a professor of policy analysis at Pardee RAND Graduate School. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||