James Temple
@jtemple.bsky.social
Climate and energy editor, Reno bureau chief, MIT Technology Review. Ski bum. Dog dad.
Please send tips (not PR pitches) through Signal: jtemple.99
Please send tips (not PR pitches) through Signal: jtemple.99
Pinned
James Temple
@jtemple.bsky.social
· Jul 9
As any Bluesky discussion grows longer, the probability it will degenerate into humorless sanctimony approaches one.
Reposted by James Temple
New investigation from @jamesmodonnell.bsky.social & me into the border #SurveillanceTech by #Anduril, General Dynamics, and Israeli co. Elbit Systems that failed to catch 1 in 4 deaths within range.
In other words: 1,050+ people dying on camera.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
1/x
In other words: 1,050+ people dying on camera.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
1/x
The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?
Surveillance towers, increasingly powered by AI, promised faster responses to crossings. Our investigation of deaths near the towers found they are failing to deliver.
www.technologyreview.com
September 21, 2026 at 10:57 PM
New investigation from @jamesmodonnell.bsky.social & me into the border #SurveillanceTech by #Anduril, General Dynamics, and Israeli co. Elbit Systems that failed to catch 1 in 4 deaths within range.
In other words: 1,050+ people dying on camera.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
1/x
In other words: 1,050+ people dying on camera.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
1/x
Reposted by James Temple
A brilliantly-reported and vitally important investigation from us today. Jaw-dropping, heart-breaking findings.
So proud of the team, but especially @jamesodonnell.bsky.social and @eileenguo.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
So proud of the team, but especially @jamesodonnell.bsky.social and @eileenguo.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?
Surveillance towers, increasingly powered by AI, promised faster responses to crossings. Our investigation of deaths near the towers found they are failing to deliver.
www.technologyreview.com
September 21, 2026 at 1:48 PM
A brilliantly-reported and vitally important investigation from us today. Jaw-dropping, heart-breaking findings.
So proud of the team, but especially @jamesodonnell.bsky.social and @eileenguo.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
So proud of the team, but especially @jamesodonnell.bsky.social and @eileenguo.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
Reposted by James Temple
BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said.
It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
September 21, 2026 at 1:11 PM
BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said.
It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Just one model, but I'll accept these results:
September 18, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Just one model, but I'll accept these results:
Please stop repeating the argument that asserting AI is a danger to humanity is a distraction from AI being an energy/climate risk: It's both.
www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/p...
Exclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say | CNN Politics
The episode shows the risks of using this new, relatively poorly understood technology in the middle of the Iran war
www.cnn.com
September 18, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Please stop repeating the argument that asserting AI is a danger to humanity is a distraction from AI being an energy/climate risk: It's both.
www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/p...
Reposted by James Temple
I'm hoping to interview someone who has been a federal or state firefighter in Alaska to get their insight on a research program I'm writing about. If anyone has suggestions, please reach out or put them in touch with me.
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
September 17, 2026 at 8:45 PM
I'm hoping to interview someone who has been a federal or state firefighter in Alaska to get their insight on a research program I'm writing about. If anyone has suggestions, please reach out or put them in touch with me.
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
Happy New Beck Album Day!
Ride Lonesome - Album by Beck | Spotify
Beck · album · 2026 · 12 songs
open.spotify.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Happy New Beck Album Day!
Reposted by James Temple
I wound up with two extra tickets to the SF Phoebe Bridgers show on Oct. 27th.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
September 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I wound up with two extra tickets to the SF Phoebe Bridgers show on Oct. 27th.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
I'm hoping to interview someone who has been a federal or state firefighter in Alaska to get their insight on a research program I'm writing about. If anyone has suggestions, please reach out or put them in touch with me.
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
September 17, 2026 at 8:45 PM
I'm hoping to interview someone who has been a federal or state firefighter in Alaska to get their insight on a research program I'm writing about. If anyone has suggestions, please reach out or put them in touch with me.
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
Appreciate any guidance on this! 🙏
Rare reporter opening at @technologyreview.com , which I hear is a pretty good pub. Also, you can make the case for the beat of your choosing:
www.technologyreview.com/job/reporter-3
www.technologyreview.com/job/reporter-3
Reporter
Position Overview: MIT Technology Review is looking for an ambitious beat reporter to join our award-winning team. We’re particularly interested in bolstering our AI and security coverage right now, ...
www.technologyreview.com
September 17, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Rare reporter opening at @technologyreview.com , which I hear is a pretty good pub. Also, you can make the case for the beat of your choosing:
www.technologyreview.com/job/reporter-3
www.technologyreview.com/job/reporter-3
Reposted by James Temple
EXCLUSIVE: A book out next week from the Smithsonian claims to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. But at the eleventh hour, a Hemings relative who gave DNA to the study has dropped out. Her worry: the science in the book hasn't been vetted. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Sally Hemings’s Oldest Descendant Gave the Smithsonian Her DNA. She Says It Lost Her Trust.
On the eve of a new book that promises to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson, a Sally Hemings relative is raising alarms that its science hasn’t been vetted.
www.chronicle.com
September 17, 2026 at 7:11 PM
EXCLUSIVE: A book out next week from the Smithsonian claims to settle the debate about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. But at the eleventh hour, a Hemings relative who gave DNA to the study has dropped out. Her worry: the science in the book hasn't been vetted. www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Reposted by James Temple
These young minds are advancing research and industry across energy, agriculture, and critical materials.
Meet the innovators under 35 shaping climate tech
These young minds are advancing research and industry across energy, agriculture, and critical materials.
trib.al
September 17, 2026 at 5:12 PM
These young minds are advancing research and industry across energy, agriculture, and critical materials.
I wound up with two extra tickets to the SF Phoebe Bridgers show on Oct. 27th.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
September 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I wound up with two extra tickets to the SF Phoebe Bridgers show on Oct. 27th.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
If any of my Greater Bay Area Bsky friends or followers have any interest, please shoot me a DM.
Reposted by James Temple
"Newsom must decide by the end of this month whether to sign a host of bills that could help cut utility rates while also advancing the state’s clean energy transition." Details in the first issue of @jeffstjohn.bsky.social's California Wire newsletter: californiawire.substack.com/p/newsoms-la... 🔌💡
Newsom’s last chance on electricity costs
The governor has blocked efforts to harness distributed energy to rein in rising utility rates. Bills on his desk could reverse that trend — if he signs them.
californiawire.substack.com
September 16, 2026 at 10:36 PM
"Newsom must decide by the end of this month whether to sign a host of bills that could help cut utility rates while also advancing the state’s clean energy transition." Details in the first issue of @jeffstjohn.bsky.social's California Wire newsletter: californiawire.substack.com/p/newsoms-la... 🔌💡
Reposted by James Temple
The inimitable @mikegrunwald.bsky.social has an exceptionally well written oped on the disastrous proposal from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to give companies carbon credit for cutting down trees.
Opinion | The Latest Corporate Climate Ruse (Gift Article)
Making deforestation look climate-friendly will encourage a lot more deforestation.
www.nytimes.com
September 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM
The inimitable @mikegrunwald.bsky.social has an exceptionally well written oped on the disastrous proposal from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to give companies carbon credit for cutting down trees.
Reposted by James Temple
All the September dynamical ENSO models (including SINTEX) are now in, and they give a 100% chance of a record event this year using the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) metric:
September 16, 2026 at 3:41 AM
All the September dynamical ENSO models (including SINTEX) are now in, and they give a 100% chance of a record event this year using the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) metric:
Reposted by James Temple
Good news everyone: AI is *not* going to kill us all!
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
Forget the AI Apocalypse—the Real Threats Are Already Here
Airplanes, elevators and restaurants all have regulations to ensure their safe operation. Many experts argue for similar conventional measures for AI.
www.wsj.com
September 16, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Good news everyone: AI is *not* going to kill us all!
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
Congrats to my pal @caseynewton.bsky.social & Moxie's savior @kevinroose.com on the launch of their new podcast, Machine Gods, on frickin NPR.
podnews.net/press-releas...
podnews.net/press-releas...
Casey Newton and Kevin Roose partner with NPR to launch ‘Machine Gods’
The video-first, twice weekly show from the creators of ‘Hard Fork’ will unpack the most consequential technology stories of our time for broadcast and digital audiences.
podnews.net
September 16, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Congrats to my pal @caseynewton.bsky.social & Moxie's savior @kevinroose.com on the launch of their new podcast, Machine Gods, on frickin NPR.
podnews.net/press-releas...
podnews.net/press-releas...
Reposted by James Temple
🗞️Weekly Solar Geoengineering Bulletin (07-13 September 2026)🗞️
🔗Read the full newsletter here: solargeoengineeringupdates.substack.com/p/weekly-sol...
🔗Read the full newsletter here: solargeoengineeringupdates.substack.com/p/weekly-sol...
Weekly Solar Geoengineering Updates (07 September - 13 September 2026)
Weekly SRM roundup of research papers, web posts, events, jobs, projects, podcasts, videos and much more.
solargeoengineeringupdates.substack.com
September 15, 2026 at 4:54 PM
🗞️Weekly Solar Geoengineering Bulletin (07-13 September 2026)🗞️
🔗Read the full newsletter here: solargeoengineeringupdates.substack.com/p/weekly-sol...
🔗Read the full newsletter here: solargeoengineeringupdates.substack.com/p/weekly-sol...
Hmm, seems bad.
"A facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States."
"A facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States."
New Amazon Data Center Stokes Worry It Would Be the Most Polluting Power Plant in the U.S. (Gift Article)
The tech giant is investing in the natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas, even as it pledges to honor climate commitments.
www.nytimes.com
September 10, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Hmm, seems bad.
"A facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States."
"A facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States."
Reposted by James Temple
Scoop: This afternoon NSF will formally announce its four 'Frontier Initiatives', and a suite of other changes in a public letter.
These Frontier Initiatives (left) are identical to OSTP's 'Grand Research Challenges' that we have been reporting on (right).
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
These Frontier Initiatives (left) are identical to OSTP's 'Grand Research Challenges' that we have been reporting on (right).
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
September 10, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Scoop: This afternoon NSF will formally announce its four 'Frontier Initiatives', and a suite of other changes in a public letter.
These Frontier Initiatives (left) are identical to OSTP's 'Grand Research Challenges' that we have been reporting on (right).
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
These Frontier Initiatives (left) are identical to OSTP's 'Grand Research Challenges' that we have been reporting on (right).
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reminder: I immediately remove comments & block accounts that attach mis/disinformation to my posts, or are simply unfair, mean-spirited or intellectually dishonest.
I have zero patience for it after spending too many years on Twitter (and, you know, generally living in this world).
I have zero patience for it after spending too many years on Twitter (and, you know, generally living in this world).
There are still big unknowns about solar geoengineering: Reflective has just released a road map of the studies & experiments needed to reduce that uncertainty — and make an "informed decision" about its use:
This road map could help us decide whether to deploy solar geoengineering
A new report from the nonprofit Reflective lays out the experiments needed to better understand our ability to dim the sun.
www.technologyreview.com
September 10, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Reminder: I immediately remove comments & block accounts that attach mis/disinformation to my posts, or are simply unfair, mean-spirited or intellectually dishonest.
I have zero patience for it after spending too many years on Twitter (and, you know, generally living in this world).
I have zero patience for it after spending too many years on Twitter (and, you know, generally living in this world).
Reposted by James Temple
The example quoted in the article is someone using Claude to help write a grant application.
Breaking News: Anthropic said it halted potential plots by scientists who used its A.I. models to do research that could have helped develop biological weapons.
Anthropic Says It Blocked Possible Efforts to Build Biological Weapons
In a new report, the A.I. start-up added that it could not determine if the research was legitimate or nefarious, leading the company to shut down the work.
nyti.ms
September 10, 2026 at 5:37 PM
The example quoted in the article is someone using Claude to help write a grant application.
I really don't want to see Elizabeth Holmes' close-up face as much as the algorithms seem to think this week.
September 10, 2026 at 4:59 PM
I really don't want to see Elizabeth Holmes' close-up face as much as the algorithms seem to think this week.
My British colleagues would call this one a cracker.
God told them to sell crypto. Their investors lost everything.
A pastor and his wife created a cryptocurrency and hawked it in Christian communities. When it came crashing down, investors lost millions―and they were accused of fraud.
www.technologyreview.com
September 10, 2026 at 3:08 PM
My British colleagues would call this one a cracker.