All posts tagged: long

This long duration compressed air energy storage project just got a .76B DOE loan

This long duration compressed air energy storage project just got a $1.76B DOE loan

Published by skeptic

Image: Hydrostor Hydrostor’s GEM A-CAES has received a conditional loan guarantee of up to $1.76 billion from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to build the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center, a cutting-edge compressed air energy storage (CAES) system, in Eastern Kern County, California. If everything goes as planned, Willow Rock will bring 500 megawatts (MW) and 4,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of long-duration energy storage (LDES) to the southern California power grid. This system will lower energy costs, improve grid reliability during peak demand, and expand the rollout of renewable energy into the grid. Here’s how it works and why it’s unique. How compressed air energy storage works CAES technology is all about storing energy for later use, especially when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Here’s how it works: Storing energy: The system takes surplus energy (often from renewable sources like solar or wind) and uses it to compress air, which is stored in underground caverns. Releasing energy: When the grid needs power, the compressed air is released, passing through a turbine …

Writing long reads for The Conversation can be ‘instrumental’ in developing research – Insights story updates

Writing long reads for The Conversation can be ‘instrumental’ in developing research – Insights story updates

Published by skeptic

Each story for Insights, The Conversation’s longform investigative series, typically takes months to produce, building on years of academic research. And of course, these deep-dive investigations don’t just stop when the story is published. So, as another eventful year draws to a close, we’ve asked our authors to update us on how their research has progressed since publication – and about any unusual opportunities that may have arisen from writing for Insights. Here’s a selection of their responses. Sam Carr, reader in education and psychology at the University of Bath, has written three Insights articles exploring people’s struggles with loneliness and ‘tiredness of life’. One major benefit of articulating the abstract concepts I work with for a wider public audience is that people may then recognise aspects of loneliness or “tiredness of life” in themselves – and this seems to offer them a sort of “permission” to acknowledge the experience. Read more: ‘I couldn’t care less if I saw another sunrise’ – what older people who are ‘tired of life’ can tell us about the …

Nosferatu’s Resurrection Was a Long Time Coming

Nosferatu’s Resurrection Was a Long Time Coming

Published by skeptic

How so? One example is the early vampires from Balkan and Slavic lore very often didn’t drink blood. They would strangle their victims or fornicate with their victims to death. If they did drink blood, very often it was from the chest. It was this tale of obsession and love. It seemed like, OK, well, visually that seems like a nice poetic motif. But then I was also thinking about where that folklore comes from. It’s people experiencing sleep paralysis, where they’re having a waking nightmare of this vampiric visitation. They have this pressure on their chest. So it also is grounded in a kind of reality, even though piercing the sternum with the vampire’s teeth is ludicrous. So it was fun to explore those kinds of things that would keep it kind of fresh, but also felt like it could be integrated into this world. Was most of this film done with practical effects? I mean there’s tons of CG effects in the movie, but you try to do all the big crazy stuff …

How Long Does It Really Take to Build Muscle?

How Long Does It Really Take to Build Muscle?

Published by skeptic

If you’re stepping into your fitness era and wondering how long it’ll take to see changes in your muscles, here’s everything you need to know. When it comes to your body, lasting change won’t happen overnight. Many people expect to see quick results when trying to build muscle. It’s understandable, especially when you constantly see others showing off their progress on social media. However, the process can be slow and depends on more factors than just hitting the gym or doing at-home workouts regularly. Your diet, rest and even genetics play a big role in how your body responds to training and how quickly you’ll see those muscle gains. You might feel tempted to push yourself harder to see faster results, but it’s best to be patient and trust the process. After all, you don’t want to overdo it and get injured. If you’re on a quest for bigger and more toned muscles, it’s important to start your new workout plan with the right expectations. Lifting weights is the best way to build muscle over …

An expert trainer says you can build strength without weights as long you follow this simple training tip

An expert trainer says you can build strength without weights as long you follow this simple training tip

Published by skeptic

You might assume you need to lift weights to build muscle. While it’s true that dumbbell exercises and kettlebell workouts can help you get stronger, you don’t always need heavy equipment to reach your goals. Lots of studies have shown that you can build muscle with body weight alone. In fact, personal trainer and Peloton instructor Joslyn Thompson Rule encourages everyone to start with beginner bodyweight workouts. But how do you keep tabs on your progress and strength gains if you’re not lifting heavier weights each week? Instead of focusing on the numbers, Thompson Rule suggests tracking how every workout feels. “One thing I always encourage people to do when they’re starting is monitor how your body feels doing a movement,” Thompson Rule says. “So not where in the body you’re feeling the movement, but does it feel smooth? Does it feel clunky? Does it feel disjointed? Be aware of that feeling and then the next week, the same movement that felt clunky or disjointed might feel smooth—and that’s a progression.” Once you’ve noted that …

The 10 Best Men’s Topcoats are Long and Layerable

The 10 Best Men’s Topcoats are Long and Layerable

Published by skeptic

We may only be at the beginning of winter, but if you haven’t broken out the big coat yet, consider yourself lucky. There are many varieties of big coat—puffers, ski coats, parkas—and while we’re into all of them, when we think about big coats, we think about topcoats. The men’s best topcoats are those you can fit any number of layers underneath. They tend to be long, and should, for the sake of the season, be fairly heavy. Your grandparents wore them, old Hollywood celebrities wore them, and we wear them today for the very same reasons: Whether you’re stepping out in a suit or your softest old hoodie and jeans, throwing on a topcoat over it all will keep you so much warmer, and help you walk a little taller. To help you layer up like history’s most advanced dressers, we’ve gathered up 10 of our favorites below. The Winter Topcoat Hit List American Trench Highlander Balmacaan American Trench The Highlander Balmacaan Made in New York from an impossibly handsome gun-check cloth from England’s …

Young people were becoming more anxious long before social media – here’s the evidence

Young people were becoming more anxious long before social media – here’s the evidence

Published by skeptic

Thanks to bestselling authors like Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge, the public has become increasingly aware of the rapid rise in mental health issues among younger people in many western countries. Their warnings about the destructive impact of social media have had an effect, reflected not least in a wave of schools across Europe banning smartphones. While it’s good to draw attention to the rising rates of depression and anxiety, there’s a risk of becoming fixated on simplistic explanations that reduce the issue to technical variables like “screen time”. In my book, Why We Worry: A Sociological Explanation, I aim to broaden the discussion. A hallmark of Twenge and Haidt’s arguments is their use of trend lines for various types of psychological distress, showing increases after 2012, which Haidt calls the start of the “great rewiring” when smartphones became widespread. This method has been criticised for overemphasising correlations that may say little about causality. Another problem is the limited timeframe of these analyses. Most of the graphs in Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation begin around …

Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie Match in Long Sleeve Maxi Dresses at Vulture Festival in Los Angeles

Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie Match in Long Sleeve Maxi Dresses at Vulture Festival in Los Angeles

Published by skeptic

Twinning! Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie stunned while attending the Paris and Nicole Richie: How it All Began panel discussion at New York Magazine’s Vulture Festival 2024 at NYA East in Los Angeles, California on Nov. 17. Getty Images for Vulture The dynamic duo behind The Simple Life came together ahead of the premiere of their reunion special to give fans a sneak peek of what they can expect from the revival show — and they did it in style. Hilton and Richie are known for their past matching moments featuring denim-on-denim outfits, Von Dutch trucker hats, Juicy Couture tracksuits, and more memorable looks, and stuck to their twinning theme for the event. David Klein/Getty Images The DJ opted for a black, sequined look, while the House of Harlow designer chose a red number. Hilton and Richie explained how they decided to honor the 20th anniversary of the reality television series, which followed the best friends as they tried to do different blue-collar jobs, before closing out the night by chanting their famous “Sanasa” song with the audience. …

How to win the long game: Fight unfair fights

How to win the long game: Fight unfair fights

Published by skeptic

Sign up for The Nightcrawler Newsletter A weekly collection of thought-provoking articles on tech, innovation, and long-term investing from Nightview Capital’s Eric Markowitz. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. This is an installment of The Nightcrawler, a weekly collection of thought-provoking articles on tech, innovation, and long-term investing by Eric Markowitz of Nightview Capital. You can get articles like this one straight to your inbox every Friday evening by subscribing above. Follow him on X: @EricMarkowitz. Adam Karr’s journey from a single-mother upbringing in South Chicago to leading a $39 billion investment firm is an inspiring story of resilience, long-term investing, and a framework for success in life and business. In conversation with Shane Parrish of The Knowledge Project, Adam speaks about understanding your “superpowers” — those things that come naturally to you but might challenge others — and using them to fight unfair fights where your strengths shine. Ultimately, Adam’s story is an introspective look into the art of game selection — choosing battles that align with who you truly are. His advice: …

Apple Intelligence waitlist: How long it takes to get off the waitlist

Apple Intelligence waitlist: How long it takes to get off the waitlist

Published by skeptic

As part of its big week of Mac announcements, Apple let slip on Monday morning that the first wave of Apple Intelligence features have been let loose unto the world immediately. Of course, that doesn’t mean anyone with a newer iPhone, iPad, or Mac can just use Apple Intelligence right now. It would be silly to simply allow people to use features that are out. Instead, you need to go through a (hopefully quick and painless) process to get Apple Intelligence activated on your iPhone. Here’s how it works. SEE ALSO: Apple Intelligence is finally here, but these 5 features won’t be available until December Apple Intelligence: How long it takes to get off the waitlist On its support website, Apple has a handy how-to list for getting Apple Intelligence off the ground on your device. Here’s a basic rundown of how it works: Mashable Light Speed Update to iOS 18.1 Go to Settings Go to “Apple Intelligence & Siri” Tap “Join Apple Intelligence Waiting List” According to Apple, everyone has to sit on the …