Gregory Barber

American Shrapnel History Podcast · Weekly Series · The Olympics explode on a July night in 1996. The largest pipe bomb the country has ever seen. A string of bombings shakes Atlanta for the next year. Thousands of pho...

Some personal news, as they say: after three years, @johnarchibald.bsky.social, @johnhammontree.bsky.social, and I are finally launching our limited-series podcast on Eric Rudolph and right-wing extremism. Follow us and give us stars (five would be nice) here: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a...

Is Mathematics Mostly Chaos or Mostly Order? | Quanta Magazine Two new notions of infinity challenge a long-standing plan to define the mathematical universe.

Two new notions of infinity challenge a long-standing plan to define the mathematical universe. @gregbarber.bsky.social reports: www.quantamagazine.org/is-mathemati...

Any chance there’s a link to the presentation? I’m curious if anything in particular worries him that would leach through the PMMA.

AI Changes Science and Math Forever | Quanta Magazine An exploration of how artificial intelligence is changing what it means to do science and math, and what it means to be a scientist.

Out today: a new special series from @quantamagazine.bsky.social about science in the age of AI! It explores the roots of AI in fundamental science, how researchers are trying to make sense of AI today, and the ways they’re grappling with an uncertain future.

www.quantamagazine.org/series/scien...

AGU has filed a new lawsuit to prevent the Administration’s dismantling of U.S. scientific agencies.

We’re proud to take this stand with our plaintiffs’ coalition for our federal workforce.

buff.ly/3U56ooz

Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple’s carbon neutral goal The tech behemoth is betting that planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil will be the path to a greener future. Some ecologists and local residents are far less sure.

Fantastic new big story out today from Greg Barber about Big Tech's plans to plant its way to being carbon neutral.

Wonderful read, with sensational art and photos. Enjoy!

The kind of big ambitious piece that makes me proud to work at @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...

Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple’s carbon neutral goal The tech behemoth is betting that planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil will be the path to a greener future. Some ecologists and local residents are far less sure.

More than a year ago, when Apple announced a “carbon neutral” Watch, I got interested in one aspect of their claim: eucalyptus.

Here’s how the tree became the tool of choice for companies looking to scale up carbon removal fast—and what that looks like.

www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...

lol I love that this genre of story is still producing

Thank you Lakshmi!

Big Batteries Are Booming. So Are Fears They'll Catch Fire The world needs thousands of new grid battery installations to fight climate change. They rarely catch fire—but many people are skeptical of having one next door.

Sad to see Moss Landing’s big battery go up in flames yet again. Grid fires are rare (and getting rarer) but the science of how to put them out when they do happen is…not great! And there’s v little public data on HF and heavy metal emissions.

Some (old) context: www.wired.com/story/big-gr...

Mathematicians Discover New Way for Spheres to ‘Kiss’ | Quanta Magazine A new proof marks the first progress in decades on important cases of the so-called kissing problem. Getting there meant doing away with traditional approaches.

A new proof marks the first progress in decades on important cases of the “kissing spheres” problem. 😚
@gregbarber.bsky.social reports: www.quantamagazine.org/mathematicia...

For @them.us, I’m looking to interview queer couples who decided to get married ahead of the incoming Trump administration. I would be honored to tell your story. If you’re interested, feel free to DM or email at bandrews429@gmail.com.

The Year in Math | Quanta Magazine Landmark results in geometry and number theory marked an exciting year for mathematics, at a time when advances in artificial intelligence are starting to transform the subject’s future.

Here are the biggest breakthroughs that happened in mathematics this year.
www.quantamagazine.org/the-year-in-...

She was pregnant and needed cash. Utah's thriving adoption industry was happy to help. "It's like you're…baiting them in," said one adoptive mother.

Daniel was thrilled about the upcoming birth of his son. He had no idea a cottage industry of adoption agencies pays cash to women who place their kids for adoption—and that his wife was one of those women.

Inside Utah’s thriving, devastating adoption industry: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Teen Mathematicians Tie Knots Through a Mind-Blowing Fractal | Quanta Magazine Three high schoolers and their mentor revisited a century-old theorem to prove that all knots can be found in a fractal called the Menger sponge.

Wrote about tying some cool shapes into some other cool shapes, for @quantamagazine.bsky.social

www.quantamagazine.org/teen-mathema...

Super cool - thank you!

made a little animation for this piece

Hakai Magazine - bioGraphic

ICYMI two of the best science magazines ever — @hakaimagazine.com & bioGraphic — have joined forces, allowing both to continue their shared mission. However they still need donations to bring more former staff onboard and cover their 2025 budget. Details: www.biographic.com/hakai-magazi...

Just a quick note to say that the wonderful climate solutions magazine I write for has made to Bluesky. Give them a follow at @anthropocenemag.bsky.social for daily science news and in-depth features.

Mathematicians Discover New Shapes to Solve Decades-Old Geometry Problem | Quanta Magazine Mathematicians have long wondered how “shapes of constant width” behave in higher dimensions. A surprisingly simple construction has given them an answer.

A new proof on “shapes of constant width” has made a corner of the geometric universe accessible for the first time.
www.quantamagazine.org/mathematicia...

How to Fall in Love With Baseball Radio play-by-play taught me about the game’s stark beauty — and who my grandmother was.

Wrote about the unique pleasures of the radio play-by-play in @nytimes.com. Will be out in this Sunday’s magazine.

www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/m...

Asked myself the same question energy geeks have been asking for a more than a century: why isn’t Hawaii, a volcanic island chain, a geothermal powerhouse?

Turns out state officials are asking the same thing—and trying to change it.

In the wind power business, bigger is better! Could the world's biggest plane help supersize onshore wind turbines and transform the economics of wind power? Start-up aerospace company Radia unstealths today with this WSJ exclusive: www.wsj.com/business/ene... 🔌💡

This town’s mining battle reveals the contentious path to a cleaner future The world needs to dig up far more minerals to meet climate goals. But mining poses environmental dangers that are bitterly dividing communities.

Mining is the weak point where climate alliances will often fray.

For @technologyreview.com's first “Big Story,” I explored how the fundamental tension between emissions goals & environmental concerns is unfolding in a tiny Minnesota town, as a battle brews over a proposed nickel mine.

A New Type of Geothermal Power Plant Just Made the Internet a Little Greener A new approach to geothermal energy makes it possible to tap the energy of hot rocks just about anywhere. A pilot plant in Nevada is now helping to power Google data centers.

A first-of-its-kind enhanced geothermal project in northern Nevada is now supplying energy to the grid.

It's a preamble to bigger plans from geothermal startup Fervo www.wired.com/story/new-ge...

Why Teslas Totaled in the US Are Mysteriously Reincarnated in Ukraine Ukraine’s fearless and expert EV mechanics bring electric vehicles declared unfixable in the US and Canada back to life on the other side of the world.

WIRED: Why Teslas Totaled in the US Are Mysteriously Reincarnated in Ukraine www.wired.com/story/why-te...

Thank you for making this! (and for incentivizing me to send my first skeet)