Chris Baraniuk
@chrisbaraniuk.com
Freelance science and technology journalist. 11+ years experience. Irish/Polish. I write for the BBC, Wired, the BMJ, The Guardian, and others!
Newsletter: thereengineer.pro
Portfolio: chrisbaraniuk.com
HQ: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Newsletter: thereengineer.pro
Portfolio: chrisbaraniuk.com
HQ: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Pinned
Chris Baraniuk
@chrisbaraniuk.com
· Nov 14
🥳 Hey everyone! It was a year ago today that I launched my newsletter The Reengineer - and it's been such fun! 🥳
thereengineer.pro
I'm getting closer to 1,000 subscribers and some have been kind enough to go for a paid subscription. THANK YOU!
🧵 Here are some highlights from the last 12 months...
thereengineer.pro
I'm getting closer to 1,000 subscribers and some have been kind enough to go for a paid subscription. THANK YOU!
🧵 Here are some highlights from the last 12 months...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
NEW: Rare earths are often in the news, with nations vying over access to rare earth mines.
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Fungi mining and giant waste piles: How to get rare earths without mining rock
As nations posture over access to rare earth deposits, scientists say these coveted materials are hiding in plain sight – and can be harvested without any conventional mining at all.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 1:46 PM
NEW: Rare earths are often in the news, with nations vying over access to rare earth mines.
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
NEW: Rare earths are often in the news, with nations vying over access to rare earth mines.
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Fungi mining and giant waste piles: How to get rare earths without mining rock
As nations posture over access to rare earth deposits, scientists say these coveted materials are hiding in plain sight – and can be harvested without any conventional mining at all.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 1:46 PM
NEW: Rare earths are often in the news, with nations vying over access to rare earth mines.
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
But many countries, including the US, have many or all of the rare earths they need at home. In waste.
I wrote about how to harvest rare earths without traditional mining...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Powerful report about the people living on that Welsh street badly affected by flooding. The council is buying up homes, in order to demolish them, in the face of climate change-exacerbated flooding. The residents are being re-located.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
‘To live a normal life again, it’s a dream come true’: UK’s first climate evacuees can cast off their homes and trauma
Forty-odd residents of Clydach Terrace in Ynysybwl, south Wales, relieved by council buyout after years in fear of fast flooding
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Powerful report about the people living on that Welsh street badly affected by flooding. The council is buying up homes, in order to demolish them, in the face of climate change-exacerbated flooding. The residents are being re-located.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
"There is another way. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest lives a monkey species that has been dubbed the most peaceful primate on Earth. Tree-dwelling northern muriquis live in egalitarian groups famous for their civility. There are no despots here."
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
What animals can teach us about overcoming tyranny
Some animal societies are ruled by despots with an iron fist, while others seem naturally egalitarian – and they all have lessons for us.
www.bbc.com
February 8, 2026 at 11:31 AM
"There is another way. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest lives a monkey species that has been dubbed the most peaceful primate on Earth. Tree-dwelling northern muriquis live in egalitarian groups famous for their civility. There are no despots here."
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
"There is another way. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest lives a monkey species that has been dubbed the most peaceful primate on Earth. Tree-dwelling northern muriquis live in egalitarian groups famous for their civility. There are no despots here."
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
What animals can teach us about overcoming tyranny
Some animal societies are ruled by despots with an iron fist, while others seem naturally egalitarian – and they all have lessons for us.
www.bbc.com
February 8, 2026 at 11:31 AM
"There is another way. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest lives a monkey species that has been dubbed the most peaceful primate on Earth. Tree-dwelling northern muriquis live in egalitarian groups famous for their civility. There are no despots here."
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
My Instagram ads are getting weirder
February 8, 2026 at 10:17 AM
My Instagram ads are getting weirder
"one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform"
LOL
have you even seen my Bluesky account
LOL
have you even seen my Bluesky account
The sneeze secret: how much should you worry about this explosive reflex?
The sneeze secret: how much should you worry about this explosive reflex?
It is one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform. But is a big sneeze a sign of illness, pollution or something else entirely?
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:19 AM
"one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform"
LOL
have you even seen my Bluesky account
LOL
have you even seen my Bluesky account
Oh my gosh the sky has gone a really weird colour.
February 8, 2026 at 9:17 AM
Oh my gosh the sky has gone a really weird colour.
👀
No, North Carolina’s wild horses were not wrapped in insulation www.popsci.com/technology/w...
No, North Carolina's wild horses were not wrapped in insulation
AI-generated images spread fast ahead of a record-breaking winter storm, fooling plenty of people along the way.
www.popsci.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:20 PM
👀
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
i think we all need to step back and realize that peak art was made when neolithic pot in the shape of a pig was fired
February 6, 2026 at 7:46 PM
i think we all need to step back and realize that peak art was made when neolithic pot in the shape of a pig was fired
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
The GB grid saw 4 GWh of battery storage added in 2025, 30% more than in 2024.
(For context an average of about 80 GWh is drawn from the grid every day)
The average capacity was 95 MWh (about 10,000 times bigger than a domestic battery), and 75% had a max power output of over 50 MW
(For context an average of about 80 GWh is drawn from the grid every day)
The average capacity was 95 MWh (about 10,000 times bigger than a domestic battery), and 75% had a max power output of over 50 MW
Another record-breaking year for UK battery storage as 4GWh comes online
Operational UK grid-scale battery storage capacity grew 45% in 2025, with 4GWh coming online to reach 12.9GWh cumulative capacity.
www.energy-storage.news
February 6, 2026 at 1:04 PM
The GB grid saw 4 GWh of battery storage added in 2025, 30% more than in 2024.
(For context an average of about 80 GWh is drawn from the grid every day)
The average capacity was 95 MWh (about 10,000 times bigger than a domestic battery), and 75% had a max power output of over 50 MW
(For context an average of about 80 GWh is drawn from the grid every day)
The average capacity was 95 MWh (about 10,000 times bigger than a domestic battery), and 75% had a max power output of over 50 MW
it wet
It's rained every day of the year so far in parts of the UK and it's another wet day for many of us today 🌧️
Here's a look at the radar over the last couple of days 👇
Here's a look at the radar over the last couple of days 👇
February 6, 2026 at 12:44 PM
it wet
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
I was interviewed by @chrisbaraniuk.com about my mini wind turbine "physical twin" as well as my live Ceefax for Wind Farms display.
It's all part of his blog The Reengineer, packed full of other interviews and articles about the energy transition; well worth checking out if you haven't seen it.
It's all part of his blog The Reengineer, packed full of other interviews and articles about the energy transition; well worth checking out if you haven't seen it.
‘I built a mini wind turbine that spins in time with real British wind farms’
How do you visualise what the energy system is up to? Make some models!
www.thereengineer.pro
February 6, 2026 at 9:20 AM
I was interviewed by @chrisbaraniuk.com about my mini wind turbine "physical twin" as well as my live Ceefax for Wind Farms display.
It's all part of his blog The Reengineer, packed full of other interviews and articles about the energy transition; well worth checking out if you haven't seen it.
It's all part of his blog The Reengineer, packed full of other interviews and articles about the energy transition; well worth checking out if you haven't seen it.
NEW: Here's a story about the gizmos that allow robots to move (actuators). They are somewhat limited at the moment but that is changing fast...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Making robots useful and affordable will need better motors
Firms are working to make the motors that drive robots more efficient and cheaper.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 6, 2026 at 9:06 AM
NEW: Here's a story about the gizmos that allow robots to move (actuators). They are somewhat limited at the moment but that is changing fast...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"a sail-like effect"
Times article has an incredible illustration
February 5, 2026 at 11:43 PM
"a sail-like effect"
Isn't this what Boris (played by Alan Cumming!) did in GoldenEye to stop Natalya tracing his location
Bitcoin Is Crashing So Hard That Miners Are Unplugging Their Equipment
->Futurism | More on "Bitcoin mining becomes economically unviable" at BigEarthData.ai | #bitcoin
->Futurism | More on "Bitcoin mining becomes economically unviable" at BigEarthData.ai | #bitcoin
Bitcoin Is Crashing So Hard That Miners Are Unplugging Their Equipment
Bitcoin is crashing hard, reaching historic lows of well below the $70,000 mark. At the time of writing, the token is hovering just above $63,000, levels we haven’t seen since October 2024. The ongoing plunge has made it far less economical to mine the digital token, a notoriously compute- and energy-intensive process — to the point that large-scale computing companies are starting to unplug their equipment, as Bloomberg reports. As prices continue to plummet and electricity costs climb, it’s become tough out there for a crypto miner. The hash price index, which is used to determine how much revenue miners can make by mining crypto, reached its lowest point on record this week, according to mining services company Luxor Technology. According to Coindesk, the average cost to mine one Bitcoin is currently around $87,000 — far higher than its current going rate, making it an extremely unprofitable proposition. It’s a massive wipeout as investors continue to sell off their reserves, with some comparing it to the time China banned crypto mining in 2021. Crypto enthusiasts are expecting the worst, with some predicting the token will nosedive to just $30,000. “The decrease is historic, the largest since the China ban,” mining...
futurism.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Isn't this what Boris (played by Alan Cumming!) did in GoldenEye to stop Natalya tracing his location
Love this sort of science
Can apes play pretend? Scientists use an imaginary tea party to find out trib.al/lS1Op6c
Do apes have imagination? A tea party experiment offers clues
Scientists wondered whether Kanzi, the bonobo, had the capacity to play pretend
trib.al
February 5, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Love this sort of science
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
The aurora last night on a frozen lake near Fairbanks, Alaska
February 5, 2026 at 10:13 PM
The aurora last night on a frozen lake near Fairbanks, Alaska
Is this what it's like to be Welsh... #sixnations
February 5, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Is this what it's like to be Welsh... #sixnations
Intriguing!
Ooh my latest article for @spectrum.ieee.org has been published! It's on a refrigerant-free freezer, developed by researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) 👩🔬🧪⚛️
spectrum.ieee.org/subzero-elas...
spectrum.ieee.org/subzero-elas...
Researchers Achieve Sub-Zero Cooling Without Harmful Refrigerants
A new elastocaloric device can freeze water using solid-state tech, offering a greener cooling solution.
spectrum.ieee.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Intriguing!
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
NEW: I spoke to @robhawkes.bsky.social about the miniature wind turbine he made. The blades spin to match the activity of a real British wind farm of his choice!
What other interesting ways of visualising or representing energy system activity have you seen??
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-built-a-...
What other interesting ways of visualising or representing energy system activity have you seen??
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-built-a-...
‘I built a mini wind turbine that spins in time with real British wind farms’
How do you visualise what the energy system is up to? Make some models!
www.thereengineer.pro
February 5, 2026 at 12:25 PM
NEW: I spoke to @robhawkes.bsky.social about the miniature wind turbine he made. The blades spin to match the activity of a real British wind farm of his choice!
What other interesting ways of visualising or representing energy system activity have you seen??
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-built-a-...
What other interesting ways of visualising or representing energy system activity have you seen??
www.thereengineer.pro/p/i-built-a-...
Even as someone who runs a monetised newsletter I completely agree. From an economic perspective, it just doesn't make sense.
(I still like writing mine though and am happy that some people enjoy it!)
(I still like writing mine though and am happy that some people enjoy it!)
i know that this is an unpopular take, but everyone starting their own newsletter as a revenue stream is not a sustainable model for writing and reporting or for people who love and want to pay for media.
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
February 5, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Even as someone who runs a monetised newsletter I completely agree. From an economic perspective, it just doesn't make sense.
(I still like writing mine though and am happy that some people enjoy it!)
(I still like writing mine though and am happy that some people enjoy it!)
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
February 5, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Chris Baraniuk
I love this article with its glimpses into the science that goes into creating the fastest, highest, strongest athletes... or at least creating the conditions for them to perform at their best.
I'm just back from a ski holiday in time for Prachi's excellent look at some of the new chemistry behind this month's #olympics, including ski wax drama and some sexy carbon fibre skimo boots 🧪⚗️⛷️
cen.acs.org/physical-che...
cen.acs.org/physical-che...
Chemistry gives Winter Olympic athletes an edge on the snow and ice
From high-tech gear to PFAS-free waxes and precision ice making, materials and chemistry advances define the Milan Cortina games
cen.acs.org
February 5, 2026 at 2:17 PM
I love this article with its glimpses into the science that goes into creating the fastest, highest, strongest athletes... or at least creating the conditions for them to perform at their best.