guillem

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21314742

At Panchsheel Inter College in Uttar Pradesh, students now study inside a new school wing built not from concrete or traditional brick, but from sugarcane. The innovation was born at the University of East London (UEL) and its creators argue it could reshape how buildings are made and how the planet pays for it.

Sugarcrete combines the fibrous residues of sugarcane, called bagasse, with sand and mineral binders to produce lightweight, interlocking blocks. Lab tests show that Sugarcrete has strong fire resistance, acoustic dampening, and thermal insulation properties. It’s been tested to industrial standards and passed with flying colors. In terms of climate impact, the material is a standout. It’s six times less carbon-intensive than standard bricks, and twenty times less than concrete, by some estimates.

Yet the real excitement doesn’t only come from what Sugarcrete is, but how it’s made and used. It is purposely ‘open access’ in order to establish partnerships to produce new bio-waste-based construction materials where sugarcane is grown. Unlike conventional building materials locked behind patents, Sugarcrete can be made by anyone with the right ingredients and basic manufacturing tools. That choice decentralizes construction innovation, allowing small-scale producers — especially in the Global South — to lead.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/20289457

World losing half a trillion to tax abuse, largely due to 8 countries blocking UN tax reform, annual report finds

Multinational corporations cheated more after getting tax cuts, largest inadvertent real-world testing of corporate tax policies reveals

I just told it to

Make a cheatsheet with two columns: on the left, Markdown syntax; on the right, the ReStructured Text equivalent.

and it started well but after a minute it seemed to enter a loop outputting the same thing over and over again.

Is this something one should report, or is it something that sometimes happens with ai chats?

It was a huge thing for me when it was released, due to my discovering queer activism around the time; and I think it was a huge thing, culturally speaking, for many queer people in many countries.

I rewatched it yesterday but of course through the lenses of nostalgia, so I wondered if it has aged well, if it resonates with the younger people...

Or plant? Sorry if only tangentially related! Second time I don't notice any bites, just itching and after a day or two the monstrosity pictured appears and stays for like a week :( Tropical North Queensland.