In 1998, Pittsburgh’s last operating steel mill closed, leaving 178 riverfront acres vacant; 28 years later, 700,000 sq ft has been built or is underway for robotics, biotech, housing and parks

In 1998, Pittsburgh's last operating steel mill closed, leaving 178 riverfront acres vacant; 28 years later, 700,000 sq ft has been built or is underway for robotics, biotech, housing and parks

The new CMU Robotics Innovation Center sits in the foreground, with new housing development under construction behind it and the U.S. Steel Community football field visible in the background. For decades, 178 acres along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh remained largely vacant after the collapse of the steel industry. The site was once home to … Read more

Meet Aditya Sengupta, the 18-year-old Bellevue student who built an AI system to better predict dangerous clear-air turbulence; his research won $100,000

Meet Aditya Sengupta, the 18-year-old Bellevue student who built an AI system to better predict dangerous clear-air turbulence; his research won $100,000

Aditya Sengupta, 2026 Davidson Fellow Laureate, $100,000 Scholarship, Age: 18, Hometown: Bellevue, WA An 18-year-old student from Bellevue, Washington, has built an artificial intelligence model designed to predict dangerous clear-air turbulence, earning a $100,000 (£75,000) scholarship from the Davidson Institute. Aditya Sengupta developed the machine-learning system, named ForeCAT, after experiencing severe and unexpected turbulence during … Read more

Airbnb is committing $250 million to help stalled US housing projects get built; its first $6.4 million investment will support 201 affordable homes in Austin

Airbnb is committing $250 million to help stalled US housing projects get built; its first $6.4 million investment will support 201 affordable homes in Austin

Airbnb has pledged $250 million (£190 million) in below-market financing to help restart stalled housing projects, with its first $6.4 million investment going toward an affordable housing development in Austin, Texas. The short-term rental company announced the Airbnb Housing Accelerator, a new program aimed at addressing the U.S. housing shortage by filling funding gaps for … Read more

Meet Benjamin Davis, the 16-year-old Massachusetts student who built a machine that turns 3D-printer waste into reusable filament and won $75,000

Meet Benjamin Davis, the 16-year-old Massachusetts student who built a machine that turns 3D-printer waste into reusable filament and won $75,000

Davis, a student at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts, built the machine as part of his science research project. The system uses waste plastic, including waste generated during 3D printing and converts it into filament that can again be fed into a 3D printer. A failed 3D print typically goes straight to the … Read more

In 1928, Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell built this Los Angeles mansion; bought for $5.5 million in 2010, it underwent a five-year restoration and is now asking $32.5 million

In 1928, Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell built this Los Angeles mansion; bought for $5.5 million in 2010, it underwent a five-year restoration and is now asking $32.5 million

The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration. A nearly 100-year-old mansion in Los Angeles, built in 1928 for Alphonzo Bell, the oil businessman who helped create Bel-Air, is now on the market for $32.5 million. The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael … Read more

Scientists built a wood-based sponge that pulls water from air as dry as 15% humidity; it produced up to 1.72 litres per kg per day

Scientists built a wood-based sponge that pulls water from air as dry as 15% humidity; it produced up to 1.72 litres per kg per day

Image: AI-generated representation of a wood-based sponge that pulls water from air as dry as 15% humidity Water vapour is present almost everywhere, even in places where rivers, lakes and groundwater are scarce. The challenge has always been turning that invisible moisture into usable freshwater efficiently enough to make atmospheric water harvesting practical. Now, researchers … Read more

Built in 1878, this 8,500-sq-ft Ohio jail held prisoners for 110 years; 148 years later, a developer bought it and may turn its cells into offices or a speakeasy

Built in 1878, this 8,500-sq-ft Ohio jail held prisoners for 110 years; 148 years later, a developer bought it and may turn its cells into offices or a speakeasy

Built in 1878 by Toledo architect David Gibbs, the building operated as a working jail until 1988. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. A former Ohio jail that spent more than a century behind bars is getting a very different future. The historic Jail and Sheriff’s Residence in Delaware, … Read more

Built in 1966, San Francisco’s Empress of China closed in 2016; 10 years later, a collaborative founded by six nonprofits returned it to community ownership and reopened its doors

Built in 1966, San Francisco's Empress of China closed in 2016; 10 years later, a collaborative founded by six nonprofits returned it to community ownership and reopened its doors

San Francisco Empress of China San Francisco’s historic Empress of China building has returned to community ownership a decade after closing, following its purchase by a group formed by six leading Asian American non-profit organisations. The Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative announced the purchase of the landmark six-storey property at 838 Grant Avenue, clearing the … Read more

In 1936, Memphis built Overton Park Shell for $14,000; 18 years later Elvis played his first paid concert there, and 90 years on the stage is still hosting shows

In 1936, Memphis built Overton Park Shell for $14,000; 18 years later Elvis played his first paid concert there, and 90 years on the stage is still hosting shows

A historic open-air stage in Memphis, Tennessee, built for just $14,000 during the Great Depression, is celebrating nine decades of live music with a major series of public concerts. The Overton Park Shell, built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project, became internationally known 18 years later when 19-year-old Elvis Presley performed his first … Read more

A former fuel-tank farm beside an Alaska national park visitor center has been erased; a young conservation crew restored 15,000 square yards of landscape and built 500 feet of new trail

A former fuel-tank farm beside an Alaska national park visitor center has been erased; a young conservation crew restored 15,000 square yards of landscape and built 500 feet of new trail

The project also created about 500 feet of new pedestrian trail, connecting the visitor center with the Lakeview Tinitun trail and the broader trail network. What was once a utilitarian patch of ground beside an Alaska visitor center is now becoming part of the landscape again. At Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, a young … Read more