3D-printing entire homes

+ why China wants to pick the next Dalai Lama US Edition - Today's top story: 3D printing promises to transform architecture forever – and create forms that blow today's buildings out of the water [View in browser]( US Edition | 30 March 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Over-the-counter Narcan to combat the opioid crisis]( - [Assault weapons bans decrease mass shooting deaths]( - [Ancient DNA challenges colonialist story of Swahili origins]( Lead story Sometimes I’ll walk around Providence and groan at the new cookie-cutter houses and “luxury” apartment complexes that have the charm of a cardboard box. What happened to ornate detailing? Unique facades? Bold risks? Sure, they’re superfluous. But the everyday residences and office buildings of yesteryear weren’t the stuff of wealthy patrons. And yet somehow builders back then figured out ways to chisel little gargoyles and install elaborate window cornices. So I was excited when James Rose, director of the Institute for Smart Structures at the University of Tennessee, pitched me an article about an exciting new development in architecture: large-scale additive manufacturing. It’s a mouthful, but it basically boils down to this: Advances in 3D printing have allowed architects to design particular building components – even entire structures – with exacting detail. And because additive manufacturing only uses enough material needed to make a particular part, it’s far more efficient. The technology is still a ways off – there’s a steep learning curve, and ingrained construction processes, supply chains and building codes are difficult to dislodge. Yet [advances in 3D printing have already created “windows of opportunity]([,”]( Rose writes, “allowing designers to implement geometries that are difficult to produce using other construction methods, but are common in nature.” [[Sign up here to our topic-specific weekly emails.](] Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( House Zero in Austin, Texas, is a 2,000-square-foot home that was built with 3D-printed concrete. Lake Flato Architects [3D printing promises to transform architecture forever – and create forms that blow today’s buildings out of the water]( James Rose, University of Tennessee Not since the adoption of the steel frame has there been a development with as much potential to transform the way buildings are conceived and constructed. Economy + Business - [Can this former CEO fix the World Bank and solve the world’s climate finance and debt crises?]( Rachel Kyte, Tufts University Ajay Banga is now expected to be the next World Bank president. It’s a crucial moment, with calls for reform and sky-high expectations of what one leader needs to do. A former World Bank vice president explains. Ethics + Religion - [Dalai Lama identifies the reincarnation of Mongolia’s spiritual leader – a preview of tensions around finding his own replacement]( Brooke Schedneck, Rhodes College Beijing is eager for more control over the selection of Tibetan Buddhist leaders like the Dalai Lama. Politics + Society - [As the global musical phenomenon turns 50, a hip-hop professor explains what the word ‘dope’ means to him]( A.D. Carson, University of Virginia As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, a scholar of the culture and its musical genres explores the meaning of the word ‘dope.’ - [Nashville attack renews calls for assault weapons ban – data shows there were fewer mass shooting deaths during an earlier 10-year prohibition]( Michael J. Klein, New York University Analysis of the 10 years in which the US banned sales of assault weapons shows that it correlates with a drop in mass shooting deaths – a trend that reversed as soon as the ban expired. Education - [This course uses science fiction to understand politics]( Nicole Pankiewicz, College of Coastal Georgia Science fiction does more than entertain – it can also be used to better understand the political forces that shape the societies in which we live. Health + Medicine - [FDA approval of over-the-counter Narcan is an important step in the effort to combat the US opioid crisis]( Lucas Berenbrok, University of Pittsburgh; Janice L. Pringle, University of Pittsburgh; Joni Carroll, University of Pittsburgh The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Narcan will make the lifesaving drug more widely available, especially to those who might be likely to witness or respond to opioid overdoses. Science + Technology - [Ancient DNA is restoring the origin story of the Swahili people of the East African coast]( Chapurukha Kusimba, University of South Florida; David Reich, Harvard University The first ancient DNA sequences from peoples of the medieval Swahili civilization push aside colonialist stories and reveal genetic connections from the past. Trending on site - [Behind the Latter-day Saint church’s vast wealth are two centuries of financial hits and misses]( - [Why does time change when traveling close to the speed of light? A physicist explains]( - [Did the assault weapons ban of 1994 bring down mass shootings? Here’s what the data tells us]( Today's graphic [A map of Pennsylvania with each county color-coded according to the change in overall opioid overdose death from 2019 to 2020.]( From the story, [Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](