Chris Baraniuk

Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 08:10 UTC

To some, the ongoing use of floppy disks has become burdensome, even absurd. But others still cling to floppy disks in adoration. I spoke to aficionados of the format earlier this year, for BBC Future: www.bbc.com/future/artic...

These people LOVE floppy disks.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 08:09 UTC

The Japanese government has finally stopped asking some people to submit information via floppy disk. Three years ago, Digital Minister Taro Kono declared "war" on the format and now he says that the war is over!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 15:57 UTC

In truth, this is a somewhat meaningless figure. "How long were the articles? What was their value? How many "dry" periods of work have I had?" ^ These are all more pertinent questions. (Not going to answer here!) But the Order #1,000 milestone still feels like a thing to me.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 15:56 UTC

It's taken more than 10 years but I just assigned order number 1,000... 🥳 (Generally, one order = one commissioned article tho there have been some orders encompassing multiple articles. Anyway, it means that I have very definitely been paid to write more than 1,000 articles to date.)

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 15:35 UTC

NEW: It's really hard to decarbonise shipping - but if ships just slow down a bit, their emissions fall. Perhaps by as much as 20% or so, case-by-case. 🚢

I wrote about a consortium trying to change an industry largely stuck in its ways: www.bbc.com/future/artic...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 09:23 UTC

Quite possibly! Also, the format seems resilient to argumentative bot activity for some reason. That stuff does happen on Reddit but it doesn't take over anywhere near as much as X etc.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 09:10 UTC

Freelancing is mad. Ten years on it still blows my mind. I just went through nearly a month of having hardly any ideas, v few stories commissioned, and a general malaise. In the last few days I've sold five stories, had one of my pieces go slightly viral - and have been retweeted by Evan Davis (!).

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 09:04 UTC

I feel like this is definitely a thing. The days of large numbers of well-meaning people chattering away on Twitter are gone. Reddit still seems very active - but it's different. The format available on X / BlueSky / Threads now feels dominated by over-posters and bots these days.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 02, 2024 at 11:31 UTC

NEW: I've been working on this for weeks...

WHERE IS THE MOST EFFICIENT HEAT PUMP IN THE WORLD?? 🥵

It is a surprisingly hard question to answer! But I tried!

www.wired.com/story/heat-p...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 02, 2024 at 11:30 UTC

Oh thanks!

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 02, 2024 at 08:52 UTC

My favourite fact about Attlee is that he made it his personal mission to start a - top secret - British programme for developing a nuclear bomb. When Churchill returned to power and discovered what had been going on he was reportedly thrilled with the progress!

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jul 02, 2024 at 07:39 UTC

NEW: The fastest data in the world! 🏎️

I wrote about efforts to move data across great distances more rapidly than ever before - including at CERN.

Plus, fibre optic cable experiments in labs are reaching speeds so fast that no-one knows what we'll use them for yet.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 25, 2024 at 10:15 UTC

NEW: Display tech just keeps getting better. And perovskite LED screens are the future, say some.

Read my latest for BBC News to find out why these ultra efficient screens might one day come with an astounding range of functionality...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 24, 2024 at 16:45 UTC

Don't miss this follow-up I wrote as well: www.bbc.com/future/artic...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 24, 2024 at 16:45 UTC

A subject that I delved into (with gloves on) back in 2022 for the BBC: www.bbc.com/future/artic...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 24, 2024 at 16:44 UTC

A weird but prime example of garbology here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 24, 2024 at 09:37 UTC

Editors! Now is a good time to commission me 😃 I have some space in the calendar after a very busy stretch. Let me know what I can do for you!

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 23, 2024 at 15:33 UTC

All I'll say is that art, music and writing are among the things that make life worth living. And it is the connection between and among human beings that makes those things possible. And special.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 06:56 UTC

Yh and I have tried to find measurements like this for US heat pump installs and it is HARD so if anyone can point me in the direction, I would be grateful!!

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 19, 2024 at 07:23 UTC

I love all the 90s game ads that were basically like IT'S SO EXTREME YOU COULD DIE!!!

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 18, 2024 at 07:50 UTC

It would have been interesting tho!

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 18, 2024 at 07:46 UTC

As I mentioned here, though, the BASF / MAN Energy 120MW project has been cancelled.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/busines...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 17, 2024 at 14:40 UTC

All the journalists I know spend their time thinking about how to help people navigate an incredibly complex world - we genuinely care about this. We do not sit around planning how to mislead or obfuscate. The fact that so many people believe the latter is highly depressing for us. But we fight on.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 17, 2024 at 11:50 UTC

NEW: Climate change presents a gigantic threat to housing around the world. Mortgage providers are finally starting to notice. 🔥🏠🔥

By me, for Wired. www.wired.com/story/banks-...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 13:52 UTC

BBC News - We have no Plan B if Ukraine falls, says Estonia
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Not exactly a fun read for Saturday but really important reporting here.

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 14:57 UTC

Not really - the Conservatives have fielded candidates here for years. Labour famously never does. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norther...

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Chris Baraniuk @chrisbaraniuk.com [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 08:35 UTC

NEW: I reveal the surprising story of how Heat Geek went from a fun side project to a start-up that recently bagged £3.7 million in a seed funding round. Thanks to Aadil and Adam for speaking to me!

thenextweb.com/news/heat-ge...

#EnergySky 💡🔌

(reposting due to broken link!)

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