With Earth Engine, Google has compiled decades of images taken by Earth-observing satellites. The tool is meant for "scientists, independent researchers, and nations...to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences on the Earth's surface."
May 9, 2013 Smithsonian
Contrary to what would seem logical, estimates of oil and natural gas reserves may increase as they are depleted, as the new USGS assessment of recoverable oil reserves in the greater Bakken Basin shows. How does this square with peak oil theory?
May 9, 2013 MIT Technology Review
A new study from the Pew Research Center looks at the way digital technology is changing civic engagement. Nick Judd digs into the results and pulls out four intriguing trends.
May 9, 2013 Tech President
Glowing trees are the latest project in the weird and maybe not-so-wonderful world of genetic engineering. Alarmed over the potential for the spread of "malicious organisms", environmental organizations are trying to shut down the effort.
May 8, 2013 The New York Times
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, Eric Jaffe explores how cash-strapped cities will handle terrorism. "The short answer is public surveillance cameras. The long answer is smarter public surveillance cameras."
May 8, 2013 The Atlantic Cities
As they move into positions of leadership in their communities and in the public sector, a generation once labelled as "slackers" is helping to change the relationship between governments and their citizens, reports Rob Gurwitt.
May 5, 2013 Governing
Bacterial manufacturing, bio-electric envelopes, robotic swarm construction, biosynthetic design patterns; Chris Arkenberg sketches the future of city design and construction in which "the barriers between biology and technology will start to fall."
May 4, 2013 Fast Company Co.Exist
Exclusive
With the right approach, social media can expedite the exchange of information between stakeholders, facilitate participatory planning, and build better places. Two case studies offer insight for using social media to connect with communities. Exclusive
May 3, 2013 By Jonathan Nettler
Utilizing the largest data release of its kind, researchers at IBM have analyzed the location information from 500,000 cell phones to help optimize the routing of buses in Ivory Coast's largest city of Abidjan.
May 3, 2013 MIT Technology Review
A private collection of 38,000 historical maps has been added to the Digital Public Library of America, reports Rebecca Rosen, making it more accessible to researchers and anyone interested in the history of their community.
May 2, 2013 The Atlantic
