NECA 2020 Safety Professionals Conference Postponed Until October
NECA 2020 Safety Professionals Conference Postponed Until October aconstanza Thu, 04/30/2020 - 21:27
NECA 2020 Safety Professionals Conference Postponed Until October
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, NECA has postponed the 2020 NECA Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC), presented by WESTEX by Milliken, which was to take place in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 18–20.
The NSPC will now be held Oct. 5–7, in conjunction with the NECA Convention and Trade Show in Chicago.
“NECA recognizes all the hard work that so many contractors, chapters, exhibitors, speakers and staff have put into making the NSPC and all NECA conferences successful,” the organization said in a statement on the event website. “Given the developing circumstances, the association's main priority is to keep all of conference participants safe and sound.”
NECA also remains active supporting members and the industry at large with the latest COVID-19 materials and resources for those projects that continue to operate.
“NECA recognizes the importance of continuing to host an event where NECA Safety Professionals can convene and accomplish important work,” said Michael Johnston, NECA’s executive director of standards and safety.
The organization has worked with the Scottsdale McCormick Ranch to cancel reservations made within the NECA Safety Professionals Conference hotel block.
NECA will process refunds for individual attendee registrations and exhibitors will be contacted directly.
Safety Events Update: Postponements and More
Safety Events Update: Postponements and More aconstanza Thu, 04/30/2020 - 16:03
Safety Events Update: Postponements and More
May is National Electrical Safety Month
The theme for this year’s National Electrical Safety Month is Smart Home. In May, the Electrical Safety Foundation International will showcase resources focusing on the lifesaving devices that keep a home “smart and secure.”
“Having a smart home doesn’t mean you need a new home, you just need the right equipment to keep your family safe,” ESFI president Brett Brenner said in the announcement. “Smart homes let you save money and save time.”
The organization is providing videos such as “Smart Home: Safe, Secure, and Energy Efficient” and other informational materials to educate consumers on the devices that can meet their home’s electrical needs: ground-fault circuit interrupters, surge protective devices, arc-fault circuit interrupters and tamper resistant receptacles. These devices are all required in new or renovated homes according to the National Electrical Code.
National Safety Month Still Set for June
For June’s National Safety Month, the National Safety Council will focus on four weekly topics:
- June 1-7: Emergency Preparedness - “When a medical emergency occurs, time is of the essence. Knowing and performing first aid and CPR can drastically increase a victim’s chance of survival,” the organization said in its announcement.
- June 8-14: Driving - “Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the workplace,” the NSC said. “Whether you drive for your job or just for your commute, responsible roadway habits can keep everyone safe.”
- June 15-21: Ergonomics - “Poor ergonomics can lead to overexertion, the leading cause of preventable workplace injury. Listening to your body and properly setting up your workstation can reduce your chance of injury.”
- June 22-30 - Employee Engagement - “Complacent employees may be unaware of the hazards around them. Getting employees engaged can improve an organization’s safety culture and performance.
Participating contractors will be able to receive informational materials to pass onto their workers and customers, including NSC’s “5-Minute Safety Talks,” weekly posters, videos, tip sheets, articles and social media graphics.
Construction Safety Week Postponed
Meanwhile, Construction Safety Week has been postponed until late summer or early fall, said Scott Cassels, national chairman of Safety Week and executive vice president at Kiewit Corp., Omaha, Nebraska.
“As the COVID-19 issue rapidly evolves and impacts our companies, the industry and many others globally, this decision was warranted,” Cassels said in the announcement. “Companies in our industry need to focus on the safety and security protocols that are best for their people and business continuity during this crisis. Safety Week is important, but there is time enough to bring our industry together once we have this serious issue controlled.”
In the meantime, the Construction Safety Week website will be periodically updated with pertinent safety information, training materials and best practices to keep operations safe.
“As an industry, we’ve improved our recordable frequency three-fold over the last decade because of this safety-first focus—and this is no time to lose that momentum,” Cassels said. “Let’s ensure we continue to improve by better planning safety into our operations, holding effective safety reviews and training with the men and women building our work, and supervising our operations with a keen eye on eliminating all risks and exposures that could cause an incident.”
“Nobody gets hurt is an outcome we owe to everyone who works on and near our projects and for our companies,” he said.
NERC Outlines Three Pandemic Timelines
NERC Outlines Three Pandemic Timelines aconstanza Wed, 04/29/2020 - 23:51
NERC Outlines Three Pandemic Timelines
On April 23, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation released a special report, “Pandemic Preparedness and Operational Assessment: Spring 2020,” to update the nation’s electric utilities on the implications of the pandemic for its industry.
“The global health crisis has elevated the electric reliability risk profile due to potential workforce disruptions, supply chain interruptions, and increased cybersecurity threats,” said the report. “The electricity industry in North America is rising to the challenge, coordinating effectively with government partners, and taking aggressive steps to confront the threat to the reliability and security of the bulk power system.”
The report went on to add, “Nearly 400 million North Americans are dependent on a reliable power supply of electricity to support their way of life and the people, systems, and processes in place to support them during this unprecedented time.”
The report advised the industry during this pandemic to prepare for operations with a smaller workforce and other difficulties. The industry must also be aware of cybersecurity threats due to remote working that could lead to attacks on these new vectors.
The report outlined three timeframes for increased reliability risk profiles.
For spring 2020:
- No specific reliability issue identified
- Potential workforce disruptions
- Supply chain interruption
- Increased cybersecurity threat and monitoring
- Different system conditions, including lower demands and higher voltages
- System operators under sequester
- Noncritical staff are remote
For summer 2020:
- Continued potential for workforce disruptions and support service disruption
- Potential equipment and fuel supply chain disruptions
- Deferred generation maintenance and other factors impacting unit availability
- Generation in-service data
For the long-term:
- Potential changes to generation and transmission in-service dates
- Increased remote operation of non-critical staff
- Changes to pandemic preparedness and operating plans based on lessons learned.
Energy Storage Still Expects Year-Over-Year Growth
Energy Storage Still Expects Year-Over-Year Growth aconstanza Wed, 04/29/2020 - 18:47
Energy Storage Still Expects Year-Over-Year Growth
While electric utilities and renewable energy associations have noted the negative impact of the pandemic on employment, performance and supply chains in their industries, energy storage seems to be doing relatively well.
A new report released by the Energy Storage Association (ESA), “U.S. Energy Storage Association Survey Reveals COVID-19 Impacts on Storage Industry Revenue and Employment,” noted that, while 63% of respondents anticipated a decrease in revenue, only 33% of those expected a 20% or greater reduction; 75% did not expect to have to reduce employment at all. Of the 25% who did expect to have to reduce employment, most expected reductions of 20% or less.
The news is even better for those who implement and install storage projects, such as electrical contractors. Specifically, the report noted, “The manufacturing segment of the industry expected more widespread and deeper revenue reductions than the industry segment that includes developers and installers who implement storage projects.”
While other industries are currently experiencing or expecting downturns in the near future and beyond, this is not the case for the storage industry.
The report continued, “[It] is clear the energy storage industry expects a deep, albeit brief, revenue downturn this quarter. Most companies are focused on retaining their employees during this time in order to better prepare and respond once business returns.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the energy storage industry tremendously,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the ESA. “While we still anticipate year-over-year growth, it is clear our industry is suffering with immediate and significant risks of workforce reduction and economic damage.”
While the ESA is of course concerned with these short-term downturns for its own members directly, its real concern is how the pandemic will affect customers.
“These delays upend grid reliability and resilience efforts, just as we enter fire and hurricane season, and as states, towns, and utilities are beginning to incorporate energy storage systems as backup power to prevent power system disruptions for critical healthcare facilities,” Speakes-Backman said.
Scientists Harness Electricity From Ambient Magnetic Field
Scientists Harness Electricity From Ambient Magnetic Field aconstanza Fri, 04/24/2020 - 15:31
Scientists Harness Electricity From Ambient Magnetic Field
Contemporary innovation in the field of energy seems to be all about finding power in sources that are all around us, such as the sun and wind. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have taken that idea one step further having found a way to harness electricity from thin air.
More specifically, the scientists have developed a method to harness electricity from ambient magnetic fields generated by everyday household appliances.
Reporting in the journal “Energy and Environmental Science,” they note home devices, and especially the cords that supply electricity to them, generate small magnetic fields that otherwise dissipate into the air around them.
The scientists have developed a new mechanism capable of harvesting this wasted magnetic field energy and converting it into enough electricity to power next-generation sensor networks for smart buildings and factories.
One of the study’s co-authors, Shashank Priya, professor of materials science and engineering and associate vice president for research at Penn State, says the device he and his colleagues developed “allows for achieving high power density under low amplitude magnetic fields.”
He and his team designed paper-thin devices, about 11/2 inches long, that can be placed on or near appliances, lights or power cords. They used a composite structure by layering two different materials together. One of these materials is magnetostrictive, which converts a magnetic field into stress, and the other is piezoelectric, which converts stress, or vibrations, into an electric field. The combination allows the device to turn a magnetic field into an electric current.
The devices have a beam-like structure with one end clamped and the other free to vibrate in response to an applied magnetic field. A magnet mounted at the free end of the beam amplifies the movement and contributes toward a higher production of electricity.
In testing, when placed 4 inches from a space heater, the device produced enough electricity to power 180 LED arrays, and at 8 inches, enough to power a digital alarm clock.
According to the scientists, the technology has implications for the design of smart buildings, which will require self-powered wireless sensor networks to do things such as monitor energy and operational patterns and remotely control systems.
Can I Transfer My Social Security Benefits to Children or Heirs?
When planning for social security distributions, a common question we hear from retirees is, can I provide a portion of my social security benefits to my child or grandchild? The answer is yes, but there are stipulations. Below are a… Read More
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How Portability Can be a Valuable Estate Planning Tax Strategy
Good news came for taxpayers with large estates when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was passed. The TCJA doubled the estate and gift tax lifetime exemption, from $5.49 million per taxpayer to $11.18 million per taxpayer. For 2019,… Read More
The post How Portability Can be a Valuable Estate Planning Tax Strategy appeared first on Anders CPAs.
2019 Year-End Tax Planning Strategies
The end of the year is fast approaching whether we are ready or not! There are several tax savings strategies that you can utilize to reduce the taxes you will be paying for the 2019 tax year.
Bunch Itemized Deductions… Read More
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IRS Confirms No Clawback for Gift and Estate Tax Exclusion – Act Now for the Biggest Benefit
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued final regulations around the increased gift and estate tax exclusion amounts in effect from 2018-2025. The final regs confirm that individuals who take advantage of the increased gift and… Read More
The post IRS Confirms No Clawback for Gift and Estate Tax Exclusion – Act Now for the Biggest Benefit appeared first on Anders CPAs.
Can You Use the QBI Deduction for a Trust?
The Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction has been a popular incentive for businesses and their owners following the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. One question that many people ask is, can the QBI deduction be used for trusts? We’ve been… Read More
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Making Technology Work for You: 5 Tips for Proactive Digital Estate Planning
While the current estate tax exemption is higher than most people will qualify for at $11.4 million, estate planning is an important process for everyone. Critical decisions such as who will be the legal guardian of your children, how your… Read More
The post Making Technology Work for You: 5 Tips for Proactive Digital Estate Planning appeared first on Anders CPAs.
Understanding Revocable, Irrevocable and Charitable Trusts
Estate planning is often an overlooked aspect of financial wellness, but it is one of the most important components. Due to the complexity of the topic, many people do not have a current estate plan to fit their financial planning… Read More
The post Understanding Revocable, Irrevocable and Charitable Trusts appeared first on Anders CPAs.
Tax-Advantaged Investing with Asset Location
The allocation of assets between taxable and tax-advantaged accounts, known as asset location, is a tax minimization strategy that takes advantage of the fact that different types of investments receive different tax treatments. When reviewing asset statements, it’s not uncommon… Read More
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Forensic and Litigation Services Group Speaking at MOCPA Fraud & Forensic Accounting Conference
Clay M. Kniepmann, JD, CPA, CFE, Kevin P. Summers, JD, CPA/ABV/CFF, CVA, CDFA, CEPA and Thomas E. Hilton, MSF, CPA/ABV/CFF, CVA, CGMA are speaking at the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants (MOCPA) Fraud & Forensic Accounting Conference on November… Read More
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Blockchain…What is It?
If you have attended a financial or business seminar in the past six months, I’ll bet you heard about the concept of Blockchain, as it is a hot topic nowadays. If you’re like me, you left the venue scratching your… Read More
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How Blockchain Could Impact the Market
Contracts, transactions, and the records of them are among the defining structures of our economic, legal, and political systems. They establish and verify identities and chronicle events. Yet the bureaucracies formed to manage these have not kept up with the… Read More
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Blockchain: A Quiet Revolution? A Disruptor? Both?
Think about many of the technologies we now take for granted, like the smartphone. Think about how significantly the smartphone has changed the way we live and work. Think about how your business life was a mere 10-12 years ago.… Read More
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Ten Ways a Startup Can Enhance Its Value
Business owners, whether they are owners of startup businesses or mature businesses, are always thinking about how to enhance their company’s value. Startups are particularly focused on the value of their company for capital raising purposes. One advantage a startup… Read More
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Top 10 Post-Divorce Actions to Consider
You’ve taken all the right steps to finalize your divorce, so now you can breathe a sigh of relief – right? Not so fast. There is still plenty of work to do. Listed below are the “Top 10 Post-Divorce Actions”… Read More
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Four Simple Steps to Better Manage the Risk of Fraud in 2015
A new year often means new resolutions, such as eat healthier, save money, exercise more, read a new book every month, and the list could go on and on. I suggest a resolution to improve your business by better managing… Read More
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A Framework To Analyze Industry Competition
In 1979, Professor Michael E. Porter published “How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy” in the Harvard Business Review. Thirty-five years later, the framework developed by Professor Porter is still being used by business valuators to assess the competitive position of an… Read More
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Occupational Fraud Continues to Plague Businesses
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) recently released the 2014 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, and I noticed one overarching theme as I read through it: fraud has been and continues to be a costly… Read More
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The Fraud Triangle: Three Conditions That Increase the Risk of Fraud
The key to deterring fraud is to understand how and why people commit fraud. Knowing the “how” helps managers and business owners create policies and design internal controls to reduce the occurrence of fraud. The “why” is much more complicated,… Read More
The post The Fraud Triangle: Three Conditions That Increase the Risk of Fraud appeared first on Anders CPAs.
401- The Natural Experiment
In general, the coronavirus shutdowns have been terrible for academic research. Trips have been canceled, labs have shut down, and long-running experiments have been interrupted. But there are some researchers for whom the shutdowns have provided a unique opportunity—a whole new data set, a chance to gather new information, or to look at information in a new way. And so, this week, we’re bringing you stories very different academic fields, about researchers who are using this bizarre, tragic moment to learn something new about the world.
400- The Smell of Concrete After Rain
There have been over 200,000 deaths as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. All have been tragic, but there are two people in particular we’ve lost due to COVID that were part of the world of architecture and design that we want to honor with a couple of stories today. First, we are mourning the loss of architect Michael McKinnell. Along with Gerhard Kallman, McKinnell designed the unforgettable Boston City Hall, completed in 1968. They won the commission for Boston City Hall after submitting their brutalist, heroic monument in a contest when Michael McKinnell was just 26 years old. It was always a controversial structure, much of the public found it ugly and too unconventional, but architects and critics tend to love it. This is the often the case with Brutalism in general and that is the subject of our first story starring Boston City Hall.
Another voice who is gone too early was Michael Sorkin. Sorkin was a designer and the Village Voice architecture critic in the 80s. He brought a totally new kind of approach to writing about buildings, one that focused on people and politics. We spoke with design critic at Curbed, Alexandra Lange, about Sorkin's work, and Roman Mars reads excerpts from one of his pieces called Two Hundred and Fifty Things an Architect Should Know.
The Smell of Concrete After Rain
399- Masking for a Friend
Here in the US, we're not used to needing to cover half of our faces in public, but if you look at the other side of the world, it's a different story. In parts of Asia, wearing a mask in response to the coronavirus pandemic was a totally easy and normal adjustment. Rebecca Kanthor is a reporter based in Shanghai who has lived in China for the past 17 years, and she tells us why the culture behind masks developed so differently there, and the doctor who started it all.
Plus, we look at the manufacturers who pivoted to make products that are in short supply because of the pandemic.
We have a book coming out!!! Check out The 99% Invisible City here.
398- Unsheltered in Place
99% Invisible producer Katie Mingle had already been working on a series about unhoused people in the Bay Area for over a year when the current pandemic began to unfold. Suddenly, this vulnerable demographic was cast into the spotlight due to the virulent spread of COVID-19. It is clear from the data that this virus is hitting black and poor communities the hardest. COVID-19 has made American society’s racial and wealth inequities even more obvious. The disease is most dangerous to older and immunocompromised people, two groups to which those experiencing homelessness disproportionately belong.
Plus, hotels have long been used as crucial infrastructure during disasters. Now they’re being used to help fight the pandemic.
397- Wipe Out
If you have tried to buy toilet paper in the last few weeks, you might have found yourself staring at an empty aisle in the grocery store, wondering where all the toilet paper has gone. Although it may seem like a product that we've always been reliant upon, toilet paper has not actually been around very long, and may not be as essential as we think it is. Instead, it's the product of very good marketing.
Plus, we talk about the bane of wastewater utilities everywhere: flushable wipes.
396- This Day in Esoteric Political History
In times like these, we could all use a little historical perspective. In this new podcast from Radiotopia, Jody Avirgan, political historian Nicole Hemmer, and special guests rescue moments from U.S. history to map our journey through a tumultuous year.
On this episode of 99% Invisible, Jody talks with Roman about his new show and we play two short episodes of This Day in Esoteric Political History.
Subscribe to This Day in Esoteric Political History on Apple Podcasts
395- This is Chance! Redux
It was the middle of the night on March 27, 1964. Earlier that evening, the second-biggest earthquake ever measured at the time had hit Anchorage, Alaska. Some houses had been turned completely upside down while others had skidded into the sea. But that brief and catastrophic quake was just the beginning of the story. This is the story of one woman who held a community together.
Buy Jon Mooallem’s This is Chance!
394- Roman Mars Describes Things As They Are
On this shelter-in-place edition of 99pi, Roman walks around his house and tells stories about the history and design of various objects
Buy Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are and all Beauty Pill records on Bandcamp or wherever you can find it.
Roman Mars Describes Things As They Are
393- Map Quests: Political, Physical and Digital
The only truly accurate map of the world would be a map the size of the world. So if you want a map to be useful, something you can hold in your hands, you have to start making choices. We have to choose what information we're interested in, and what we're throwing out. Those choices influence how the person reading the map views the world. But a map’s influence doesn’t end there, maps can actually *shape *the place they’re trying to represent and that’s where things get weird.
392- The Weather Machine
The weather can be a simple word or loaded with meaning depending on the context -- a humdrum subject of everyday small talk or a stark climactic reality full of existential associations with serious disasters. In his book The Weather Machine, author Andrew Blum discusses these extremes and much in between, taking readers back in time to early weather-predicting aspirations and forward with speculation about the future of forecasting, including potentially dark clouds on the horizon.
391- Over the Road
At the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, drivers from all over the country converge each year to show off their chrome and exchange stories, tips and gripes. One thing unites most in attendance this year: concerns about the steady march of technology, especially the recently imposed, mandatory electronic logging device, or ELD, which records every detail of a driver’s working hours.
Over the Road is an eight-part series that gives voice to the trials and triumphs of America’s long haul truckers. Host “Long Haul Paul” Marhoefer, a musician, storyteller and trucker for nearly 40 years, takes you behind the wheel to explore a devoted community and a world that’s changing amidst new technologies and regulations.
Listen to more episodes at OvertheRoad.fm.
390- Fraktur
If you have ever caught even one minute of the history channel, you have seen fraktur. You’ve seen the font on Nazi posters, on Nazi office buildings, on Nazi roadwork signs. Today in Germany, blackletter typefaces are frequently used by Neo-Nazi groups and for many Germans, they bring to mind the dark times of the country’s fascist past. This is ironic because fraktur has a long and strange history that includes the font actually being banned by the Nazis.
Plus, we get an opinion from Kate Wagner (McMansion Hell) about “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.”
389- Whomst Among Us Has Let The Dogs Out
The story of how “Who Let The Dogs Out” ended up stuck in all of our brains goes back decades and spans continents. It tells us something about inspiration, and how creativity spreads, and about whether an idea can ever really belong to just one person. About ten years ago, Ben Sisto was reading the Wikipedia entry for the song when he noticed something strange. A hairdresser in England named “Keith” was credited with giving the song to the Baha Men, but Keith had no last name and the fact had no citation. This mystery sent Ben down a rabbit hole to uncover the true story.
Whomst Among Us Has Let The Dogs Out
388- Missing the Bus
If you heard that there was a piece of technology that could do away with traffic jams, make cities more equitable, and help us solve climate change, you might think about driverless cars, or hyperloops or any of the other new transportation technologies that get lots of hype these days. But there is a much older, much less sexy piece of machinery that could be the key to making our cities more sustainable, more liveable, and more fair: the humble bus. Steve Higashide is a transit expert, bus champion, and author of a new book called Better Busses Better Cities. And the central thesis of the book is that buses have the power to remake our cities for the better.
387- The Worst Video Game Ever
Deep within the National Museum of American History’s vaults is a battered Atari case containing what’s known as “the worst video game of all time.” The game is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it was so bad that not even the might of Steven Spielberg could save it. It was so loathsome that all remaining copies were buried deep in the desert. And it was so horrible that it’s blamed for the collapse of the American home video game industry in the early 1980s.
Subscribe to Sidedoor on Apple Podcasts or RadioPublic
386- Their Dark Materials
Vantablack is a pigment that reaches a level of darkness that’s so intense, it’s kind of upsetting. It’s so black it’s like looking at a hole cut out of the universe. If it looks unreal because Vantablack isn’t actually a color, it’s a form of nanotechnology. It was created by the tech industry for the tech industry, but this strange dark material would also go on to turn the art world on its head.
385- Shade
Journalist Sam Bloch used to live in Los Angeles. And while lots of people move to LA for the sun and the hot temperatures, Bloch noticed a real dark side to this idyllic weather: in many neighborhoods of the city, there's almost no shade. Shade can literally be a matter of life and death. Los Angeles, like most cities around the world, is heating up. And in dry, arid environments like LA, shade is perhaps the most important factor influencing human comfort. Without shade, the chance of mortality, illness, and heatstroke can go way up.
384- Mini-Stories: Volume 8
This is part 2 of the 2019- 2020 mini-stories episodes where I interview the staff about their favorite little stories from the built world that don’t quite fill out an entire episode for whatever reason but they are cool 99pi stories nonetheless…
We have centuries old bonds, standard tunings mandated by international treaty, abandoned mansions, and secret babies. If you ever need a conversation starter, the mini-stories are our gift to you.
383- Mini-Stories: Volume 7
It’s the end of the year and time for our annual mini-stories episodes. Mini-stories are fun, quick hit stories that came up in our research for another episode...or maybe it was some cool thing someone told us about that we found really interesting. They didn’t quite warrant a full episode and two months of hard reporting, but they’re great 99pi stories nonetheless. And my favorite part is we do them as unscripted interviews where I’m in the studio with the people who work on this show, who I like a lot. Sometimes I know a little about what they’re going to talk about, but sometimes I know nothing. It’s very fun. This week we have stories of mistaken identity, unreachable iconic tour destinations, haunted architecture, and of course, raccoons.
Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.
Smart Stuff with Justin and Roman- Founder Effect
The long-awaited return of Smart Stuff with Justin and Roman, featuring Justin McElroy and Roman Mars.
Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.
Everyone should listen to My Brother, My Brother, and Me on the Max Fun Network.
382- The ELIZA Effect
Throughout Joseph Weizenbaum's life, he liked to tell this story about a computer program he’d created back in the 1960s as a professor at MIT. It was a simple chatbot named ELIZA that could interact with users in a typed conversation. As he enlisted people to try it out, Weizenbaum saw similar reactions again and again -- people were entranced by the program. They would reveal very intimate details about their lives. It was as if they’d just been waiting for someone (or something) to ask. ELIZA was one of the first computer programs that could convincingly simulate human conversation, which Weizenbaum found frankly a bit disturbing.
Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.
381- The Infantorium
“Incubators for premature babies were, oddly enough, a phenomenon at the turn of the 20th century that was available at state and county fairs and amusement parks rather than hospitals,” explains Lauren Rabinowitz, an amusement park historian. If you wanted your at-risk premature baby to survive, you pretty much had to bring them to an amusement park. These incubator shows cropped up all over America. And they were a main source of healthcare for premature babies for over forty years.
Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.
380- Mannequin Pixie Dream Girl
In the 1930s, Lester Gaba was designing department store windows and found the old wax mannequins uninspiring. So he designed a new kind of mannequin that was sleek, simple, but conveyed style and personality. As a marketing stunt, he took one of these mannequins everywhere with him and she became a national obsession. “Cynthia” captivated millions and was the subject of a 14-page spread in Life Magazine. Cynthia and the other Gaba Girls changed the look and feel of retail stores.
Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.
379- Cautionary Tales
Galileo tried to teach us that adding more and more layers to a system intended to avert disaster often makes catastrophe all the more likely. His basic lesson has been ignored in nuclear power plants, financial markets and at the Oscars... all resulting in chaos. At the 2017 Academy Awards, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway famously handed the Best Picture Oscar to the wrong movie. In this episode of Cautionary Tales, Tim Harford takes us through all of the poor design choices leading into the infamous La La Land/Moonlight debacle, and how it could have been prevented.
Subscribe to Cautionary Tales on Apple Podcasts
378- Ubiquitous Icons: Peace, Power, and Happiness
There are symbols all around us that we take for granted, like the lightning strike icon, which indicates that something is high voltage. Or a little campfire to indicate that something is flammable. Those icons are pretty obvious, but there are others that aren't so straightforward. Like, why do a triangle and a stick in a circle indicate "peace"? Where does the smiley face actually come from? Or the power symbol? We sent out the 99PI team to dig into the backstory behind some of those images you see every day.
Ubiquitous Icons: Peace, Power, and Happiness
377- How To Pick A Pepper
The chili pepper is the pride of New Mexico, but they have a problem with their beloved crop. There just aren’t enough workers to pick the peppers. Picking chili peppers can be especially grueling work even compared to other crops. So most workers are skipping chili harvests in favor of other sources of income. As a result, small family farms have been planting less and less chili every year in favor of other less-labor intensive crops. So, scientists are trying to find ways to automate the harvest, but picking chilis turned out to be a tough job for a robot.
Rose Eveleth’s podcast is called Flash Forward. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or RadioPublic.
376- Great Bitter Lake Association
A little-known bit of world history about a rag tag group of sailors stranded for years in the Suez Canal at the center of a war.