Redefining climate forecasts with AI-powered precision
CategoriesSustainable News

Redefining climate forecasts with AI-powered precision

Spotted: The volatility of weather is increasing as climate change affects all regions around the world. The International Energy Agency reports that “the temperature today is around 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre‑industrial levels, and global emissions have not yet peaked.” More changes are likely, making it even more challenging for businesses to plan for and predict future scenarios.

A new AI-powered forecasting engine has a solution to the volatility of weather and its impact on business cycles. Designed explicitly for the commonly used quarterly reporting format of businesses across many industries, Planette AI’s climate intelligence provides mid-range forecasts up to five years in the future. Reports are available seasonally, quarterly, annually, and by the decade.

The precision of the forecasts is made possible by Earth system models that incorporate ice, oceans, and land surfaces, as well as the traditional review of the atmosphere. The Planette team then adds artificial intelligence to the process to produce rapid, timely forecasts. Without the use of the AI, forecasts based on such detailed physics data would take hundreds of hours to create.

The workflow is patent-pending, and each forecast includes an analysis of 14 variables, including flood, fire, and hurricane risk, along with the potential for hail and tornadoes and the strength of the electromagnetic radiation from the sun (solar irradiance). Each forecast covers 25 square kilometres, and companies can request analysis for as many areas as needed.

Planette AI integrates its forecasts into each company’s own API and automatically updates forecasts quarterly. Each forecast also comes with a hindcast, where Planette AI reviews its predictions against actual events and measurements. Doing this helps strengthen the AI and provides businesses with insight into the system’s accuracy. So far, hindcasts for one-year forecasts have proven to be more than 80 per cent accurate worldwide, with up to 90 per cent accuracy in some locations.

As global weather patterns change, innovators are creating new methods of making what feels like constant change somewhat predictable. Examples in Springwise’s library include micro-climate forecasting for the energy sector and hyperlocal rain predictions for the tropics.

Written By: Keely Khoury

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Can we combat antimicrobial resistance with precision antibiotics? 
CategoriesSustainable News

Can we combat antimicrobial resistance with precision antibiotics? 

Spotted: The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that “the world faces an antibiotics pipeline and access crisis.” Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rising worldwide while research and development fall further behind. In the last 30 years or so, the number of new antibiotics developed has decreased considerably. This is making infections much more difficult to treat while significantly increasing the risk of what, until now, had been routine surgeries.  

Following a review of 3,000 scientific papers published in the last decade, the WHO created a priority list of the top 40 most important research topics. The list is meant to help scientists around the world focus their work on the areas needing support to lessen or prevent further AMR.  

Scottish biotechnology company Glox Therapeutics is building on the vast experience of its founders to create extra strong, targeted antibiotics that target several of the illnesses on WHO’s list of 40. The new antibiotics are engineered to attack only the disease-causing agents and nothing else. This helps reduce a patient’s level of illness during treatment by not further weakening the body.  

The extremely narrow application of the antibiotics also makes them much more difficult for pathogens to adapt to, which is what helps reduce the risk of further development of AMR. The company’s initial focus is on two pathogens, P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae, which cause ventilator-associated pneumonia. The medicines are delivered intravenously. Sepsis, lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, and other acute pneumonias are some of the diseases being targeted in the company’s next stage of research.  

The global development of AMR is a major concern, with innovations spotted by Springwise highlighting solutions that include a new library of DNA to help researchers more rapidly develop new antibiotics and an antimicrobial lipstick.

Written By: Keely Khoury

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Precision fishing technology helps fishing crews catch their target species
CategoriesSustainable News

Precision fishing technology helps fishing crews catch their target species

Spotted: Fish bycatch – when commercial fishers unintentionally catch fish and other marine animals that they cannot use – has a significant negative impact on the marine environment. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, around 38 million tonnes of sea creatures are unintentionally caught each year, representing around 40 per cent of worldwide catches. Most of this bycatch ends up dead.

A UK company – SafetyNet Technologies – has now developed technology aimed at reducing bycatch. The company designs and builds ‘precision fishing’ devices to increase the selectivity of commercial fishing practices, making the industry more sustainable.

The flagship product, called Pisces, is designed to improve the selectivity of fishing gear. It uses coloured LED lights to attract the target species while deterring unwanted bycatch, helping fishing crews to save time sorting fish.

SafetyNet has also developed an affordable underwater camera and sensor that attach to fishing gear and help fishing crews gather data. This allows them to increase efficiency, reduce bycatch, and measure the effects of climate change on fisheries. Together, SafetyNet says these technologies help both fishers and fish.

The company has recently secured £1.8 million (around €2 million) in new funding to accelerate the development of its precision fishing technology.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the percentage of stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels reached 35.4 per cent in 2019. Luckily, Springwise is also spotting innovations aimed at protecting marine life, ranging from next-generation quiet boat propellers to turning harmful algae into sustainable products.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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LG’s UltraFine Display Ergo Boasts Color Precision and Ergonomic Comfort
CategoriesArchitecture

LG’s UltraFine Display Ergo Boasts Color Precision and Ergonomic Comfort

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The LG 32UN880-B UltraFine Display Ergo monitor is designed to move with and adjust to architects’ needs. Taking ergonomic functions and visual display into deep consideration, this device has exceptional image quality, convenient flexibility and surprising portability.

This monitor was engineered to best serve architects and designs and has received countless awards, including the iF Design Talent Award a few years back. The UHD 4K IPS Display makes for an incredibly lifelike and realistic resolution, which creates a crisp and clear image display that designers can trust. The UHD IPS display enhances contrast, clarity and wide-angle details, all while exhibiting true color representation. Such visual accuracy puts trust in architects that their work is displayed accurately and will closely reflect their real-life design.

The UltraFine Display Ergo monitor has an extremely flexible and ergonomic desktop setup. This monitor can be secured on any surface and in seconds thanks to its One Click Mount and C-Clamp. It can then be adjusted to fit the user’s preferred height and tilt angle, making it a great device for designers meticulously working on renderings and edits. The monitor is equally ideal for collaborative environments; designers can pivot the screen during meetings and easily share images with clients and coworkers.

Designers who have leveraged standing desks can equally take advantage of this device by adjusting the height of their monitor depending on their current work setup — whether it be seated or standing. The monitor can swivel up to 280°, pivot 90° and tilt up to 25°. This truly allows for bespoke and personalized working environments that speak to the individual’s posture preferences and work needs. 

This device is a great fit for designers working in small studio settings as its clutter-free design takes up little desk space. The monitor comes with a USB-C cable, which ensures fast data transfer and fast charging. The USB-C cable improves the device’s efficiency, capability and declutters the desk space.

The LG 32UN880-B UltraFine Display Ergo is ideal for individuals looking to maximize comfort, productiveness and increase visual accuracy in their designs. The monitor is equally suitable for designers working in collaborative environments as the screen can mount on any surface and can be adjusted to fit the ergonomic needs of the user. For that reason, this monitor is a great tool for designers working individually and collaboratively.

For more laptops and workstation recommendations for architects, checkout 15 Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series.

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