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As artificial intelligence makes its way into urban planning, it is having some positive impacts on cycling, writes Ron Johnson in Momentum. “Far from Silicon Valley showboating, AI is embedding itself in traffic signals, bike-share systems, route planners, and even helmets—making urban cycling smarter, safer, and more responsive to real-world conditions.”

Johnson lists several ways that AI is making cycling safer and more comfortable, including intelligent route guidance, enhanced safety features, and a personalized riding experience. On a more systemic level, AI can help cities harness data to better understand cycling patterns, improve bike share systems, and improve traffic management and signal timing.

AI can’t do everything, Johnson warns, especially when it comes to ensuring equity and inclusion. “In cities like Minneapolis and Portland, planners are beginning to blend AI insights with community engagement. They’re mapping not just where people ride, but why—learning that some avoid “efficient” routes due to safety concerns no algorithm could detect.”

For Johnson, “The real future of AI in urban cycling isn’t about killer apps or high-tech bikes—it’s about ensuring that planning reflects how people truly move through their cities.”

• Artificial Intelligence
• AI
• Bikes
• Cycling
• Biking
• Bike Infrastructure

The Americas’ oldest known civilization had a thing for frogs. At an archaeological site about 68 miles north of Lima, Peru, investigators recently discovered a first-of-its-kind statue attesting to the Caral people’s affinity for amphibians. The tiny, symbolic artwork and other discoveries presented at a recent Ministry of Culture press conference highlight 18 years’ worth of excavation, conservation, and research at Vichama, a site inside the Caral Archaeological Zone (ZAC) in Peru’s Huaura Valley.

Also known as Norte Chico, the Caral civilization existed almost 5,000 years ago, placing the Andean culture alongside the rise of ancient Egypt. The Caral people represent the earliest known example of a complex society in the Americas, with experts often comparing their advancements to those in the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia.

At its height, the Caral civilization included an estimated 30 urban centers linked by trade, agriculture, fishing, and religious beliefs across present-day Peru’s north-central coast. The Caral managed these expansions without ceramics or widespread warfare. Despite this, the Caral’s influence reverberated into the Chavín and Moche peoples, as well as the later Inca Empire.

Archaeologists have spent nearly two decades combing through the Vichama site, which served as an urban agricultural and fishing hub around 1,800 BCE. Vichama featured at least 28 major structures including public buildings, homes, and ceremonial plazas within an area of only about a tenth of a mile.

Experts highlighted a pair of unfired clay models of buildings that emphasize the Caral culture’s understanding of urban planning and symbolic value. But the team placed particular importance on a remarkably well-preserved, 4.72 inch long sculpture of two frogs joined at the hind legs. The discovery is the first artwork of its type found at a Caral site, and speaks to the amphibians’ cultural significance.

“In the Andean cosmos, frogs are associated with water and rainfall, essential elements for agricultural cycles and survival in ancient societies,” lead archaeologist Tatiana Abad said during the press conference.

According to ZAC director Ruth Shady Solís, the clay statuette aligns with Vichama’s previously excavated carvings and reliefs that focus on the transition between eras of scarcity and plenty. For example, a “monumental composition” known as “The Dance of Life and Death” consists of 34 mural reliefs that depict emaciated corpses, pregnant women, ritual dancers, and a pair of large fish. Another, later composition called the “Humanized Toad” showcases an amphibian with human hands next to a geometric lightning bolt.

Archeologists believe these permanent building installations were intended as vital ideological reminders for future generations about the importance of solidarity, resilience, and responsibility amid ecological hurdles.

“They narrate stories of shortages and hope in the face of climate shifts, demonstrating how ancient societies adapted to challenges that are still relevant today,” said Solís.

ZAC’s director added that Vichama’s artwork is a poignant reminder of humanity’s ongoing relationship to environmental struggles.

“This discovery reminds us that ancient societies faced environmental struggles much like our own,” she said. “Their resilience and ability to embed these concerns into their cultural expressions make them a mirror for today’s world.”

The post An ancient frog statue’s secret message appeared first on Popular Science.

“Chicago has the highest number of lead water service lines in the nation, with an estimated 412,000 of about 491,000 lines at least partly made of lead or contaminated with the dangerous metal,” according to an article in Inside Climate News, who worked with Grist and WBEZ to map where these pipes are and which neighborhoods they impact most. 

While the problem is spread throughout the city, majority Black and Latino neighborhoods have the highest concentrations. “In majority-Latino census tracts, areas that in Chicago average around 1,500 households each,  92 percent of service lines require replacement. In majority-Black tracts, the figure is 89 percent. That compares to 74 percent of service lines in majority-white census tracts and 65 percent in the city’s nine majority-Asian tracts in and around Chinatown.”

While the city offers a subsidy program for lead line replacement, not all residents who need it can access it. “Factors such as barriers to internet access, water shut-offs, poor plumbing infrastructure and a lack of disposable income to deal with those issues can all exacerbate the impact of a community’s lead service lines on its residents.”

Since the city required lead pipes until a 1986 national ban, the problem also extends to wealthier neighborhoods. “In Forest Glen, a community with the second-highest median household income in the city, 91 percent of service lines require replacement.” Now, the city is working to replace pipes, but says it needs more funding to accelerate the project.

• Chicago
• Lead
• lead pipes
• water safety
• Water
• Drinking Water
• Public Health

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s (RIPTA) approved a plan that reduces service on 46 of its 67 bus lines — cuts not as deep as predicted, but painful to riders nonetheless.

As Christopher Shea explains in an article for Rhode Island PBS, a prior plan would have also prompted driver layoffs and cuts to 58 bus lines. The new plan was drafted by the board after Governor Dan McKee intervened, offering $3 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds as a loan. 

However, the cuts are still “among the largest in RIPTA’s 59-year history,” according to John Flaherty, senior adviser for Grow Smart RI, adding, “It will inflict severe hardships on many people, businesses, and institutions while undermining the value of public transit.”

• Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
• Public Transit
• Transit Funding
• Transit Service

• A second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, for up to 3× longer item tracking range compared to the current AirTag


• A more tamper-proof built-in speaker — an anti-stalking safety improvement


• "Very low" battery life alerts, alongside existing "low" battery alerts


• Vision Pro/spatial computing integration of some kind — details unclear

A report from the New York City Council reveals that drivers using illegal out-of-state license plates, or those with no license plates at all, are more likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviors. 

Andrew Giambrone outlines the report’s findings in Gothamist, noting that those vehicles have “significantly more” speeding violations in school zones and blocking fire hydrants, and owe roughly 2.5 times more in unpaid fines.

“The report found these ‘ghost cars,’ as they’re commonly called by city officials, make it difficult for authorities to enforce the law because of their harder-to-trace nature. The vehicles also occupy limited parking space and cost the city millions of dollars in lost revenue each year.” Local officials say they are ramping up enforcement efforts, but the problem has proliferated. “The Bronx had the highest concentration of ghost cars, at 30%, followed closely by Brooklyn and Queens, at 28% each. Staten Island and Manhattan had far lower concentrations, at 15% and 1%, respectively, investigators found.”

• New York City
• Ghost Cars
• Car Registrations
• Speeding
• Traffic Enforcement
• Road Safety
• Traffic Safety

The skincare aisle is overflowing with serums, creams, lotions, gels, and oils that promise to clear your skin and leave it glowing. One very popular ingredient in these products is retinol—which is often referred to as “the gold standard in skincare.” But does science back up the hype?

Retinol is a form of vitamin A—a vitamin first discovered in the retina of the eye, which is how retinol got its name. 

Your body can make retinol on its own by converting plant pigments like beta-carotene (the stuff that makes carrots orange) into vitamin A in the intestine. You can also get retinol by eating foods such as cheese, eggs, and oily fish such as salmon.

But the retinol in your skincare cream doesn’t come from carrots or animal sources. It is usually manufactured in a laboratory to create a form of the vitamin that stays intact inside a jar and still works when applied to your skin.

“Its use in skincare, particularly for treating signs of aging and sun damage, became more prominent around 20 years ago,” says Dr. Gregory S Keller, a plastic surgeon at Keller Plastic Surgery in California. 

You may also have heard of retinoids. These are chemically similar to retinol but stronger, which is why they are typically only available on prescription (with the exception of adapalene—an over-the-counter retinoid that is FDA-approved for treating acne). 

The evidence for over-the-counter retinol-based products is mixed. A 2021 review of nine randomized, double-blind trials—the gold standard in clinical research—found that retinol-containing products showed little to no benefit compared to placebo formulations. The few studies that reported positive results had design flaws: Eight of nine were funded by retinol product manufacturers, raising concerns of bias.

But prescription-strength tretinoin, a stronger and faster-working version of retinol, has stronger evidence. A 2022 review of seven randomized controlled trials found it consistently improved wrinkles, pigmentation, yellowish-looking skin and lentigines (benign, brown, freckle-like skin spots) as early as one month, with benefits lasting up to two years.

Skin experts generally recommend retinol, but suggest managing expectations. 

“I always tell my patients that retinol is one of the most effective over-the-counter ingredients for improving skin texture, tone, and overall clarity—but it’s not a magic ‘flawless skin’ button,” says Dr. Hannah Kopelman, a dermatologist at DermOnDemand in New York. “I emphasize that it’s a long-term investment in skin health, not an overnight fix.”

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Dermatologist Dr. Ha Linh Vu at Dermatology Partners in Philadelphia agrees. “Retinols available over the counter can help with pore size, fine lines, discoloration, and photoaging,” she says. “But these effects are subtle, require consistent usage, and will not be seen until several months of regular usage.” Vu also points out that over-the-counter retinol products have limited effects on deeper lines, pronounced discoloration, significant skin texture issues, or moderate-severe acne.

Results also depend on proper use, says Kopelman. She explains that starting with a high strength retinol product “is a recipe for irritation, flaking, and redness.” This is why she recommends beginning with a lower concentration—around 0.25% or 0.3%—a few nights a week, then gradually increasing to 0.5% as your skin adjusts. 

“The most important advice I give for safe, effective retinol use is to start low and go slow,” Kopelman says. “Use a gentle cleanser, avoid harsh scrubs or overlapping strong active ingredients in the same routine, and moisturize well to minimize dryness or irritation.” 

“When we apply retinol to the skin, it undergoes a conversion to retinoic acid which binds to retinoic acid receptors in the skin,” explains cosmetic chemist Leanne King. Retinoic acid speeds up cell turnover, the natural biological process where dead skin cells are shed from the skin’s surface and replaced by new, younger, and healthier cells produced in the deeper layers. This helps to increase skin radiance, reduce pigmentation, and prevent clogged pores. 

Retinol also boosts collagen production by stimulating skin cells called fibroblasts to synthesize new collagen fibers, improving skin elasticity and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, says King.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should steer clear of retinol, says Keller. And if you are taking any medications, King recommends checking in with your doctor first to avoid any drug interactions.

While retinol is not phototoxic, meaning it doesn’t directly react with sunlight to harm your skin, it can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, especially in the first few months of use, says Kopelman. This is why dermatologists insist on sun protection. Vu advises “wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater every day, and reapplying it when you are outside for more than 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.”

For those who can’t tolerate retinol, bakuchiol—a plant-derived compound—has emerged as a gentler option, says King. In one study, twice-daily 0.5% bakuchiol cream worked as well as once-daily 0.5% retinol at reducing wrinkles and pigmentation, but caused less scaling and dryness. 

Another alternative is defensin-containing skincare. Defensins are peptides that stimulate dormant skin stem cells. According to a 2018 study, they offer many of retinol’s benefits without the irritation, dryness, or increased sun-sensitivity associated with the use of retinols.

So does retinol work? The strongest scientific evidence to date is for prescription retinoids like tretinoin, which consistently improves wrinkles and skin tone. Over-the-counter retinol products have less robust data, but that doesn’t mean they’re ineffective. Dermatologists agree that with consistent and proper use, retinol can help improve skin tone, texture, and overall clarity—though the effects are usually more subtle and gradual.

It’s also important to remember that retinol is “just one piece of the puzzle,” says Kopelman. “The biggest results come from combining it with sun protection, a consistent skincare routine, and realistic expectations.” Armed with this information, you can approach the skincare aisle more confidently the next time round.

This story is part of Popular Science’s Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something you’ve always wanted to know? Ask us.

The post Does retinol actually work? appeared first on Popular Science.

I suspect if you asked most people what they think of when they think of New York City, that many people would respond “busy city with tall buildings.” But some people — especially people who tend to be more interested in historic preservation than in new housing — have a very different vision of New York City.  

Anti-development activist Lynn Ellsworth describes our city as one of numerous “successful historic cities” that have suffered from “the destruction of historic architecture.” To me, this statement implies that what makes New York City “successful” is that it is “historic” — not that millions of people move here for jobs.

I don’t think this attitude is unusual among defenders of NIMBYism and zoning. Every so often, I read something on social media that says something like this: “What makes New York City desirable is that it is full of beautiful old buildings. Therefore we can only keep it desirable by not building new stuff, or at least not building new stuff that is taller than the old stuff.” In other words, what makes a large city desirable is its age, and thus new and different buildings are harmful. 

This claim does have a small grain of truth: the best-preserved historic neighborhoods tend to be very desirable places, especially if they are in rich parts of town such as Greenwich Village.  So what’s wrong with this point of view?

First, it overlooks the fact that plenty of equally historic cities have not been as successful as New York. Yes, 39 percent of New York’s homes were built before 1940 — far more than most American cities. But numerous cities have even older housing stock. For example, 58 percent of St. Louis homes, 52 percent of Cleveland homes, and 42 percent of Baltimore homes were built before 1940. I do not think that these population-losing cities are as successful as New York, unless by “successful” you mean “cheap because there is so little demand for their housing.” So it seems hard to believe that the historic-ness of New York is what makes people want to move there or stay there. (It certainly wasn’t a factor for me — I moved here because I wanted to live without a car and have access to a large Jewish dating pool.) 

If you want to live in a low-rise place dominated by old housing, New York has a lot of competition: there are plenty of cute, walkable, low-rise small towns and commuter suburbs in every part of the United States. If you like that sort of thing and hate tall buildings, you should live in one of them!

Second, New York City was once far less historic than it is today — and yet when the city was less historic, it grew rapidly. 

One reason New York’s housing stock is so old is that, thanks to restrictive zoning, far less housing has been built in recent decades than was built in the first half of the 20th century.  Over 700,000 housing units were built in the 1920s alone — more than three times the number built in the 2000s. It logically follows that in 1930, there were probably fewer 70-year-old buildings in the city than there are today. But these new buildings did not prevent New York from growing in the first half of the 20th century: the city’s population grew by over 30 percent between 1920 and 1950.

By contrast, the city's population increased by only by 2 percent between 1950 and 2000, and by only 10 percent between 2000 and 2020.* To put it another way, in the 1920s the city had ample land for new housing within its borders, and was an economic powerhouse — two things that, based on the historical evidence, seem to be more important for more people than historic preservation.

Third, if movers valued historic preservation more than they valued new housing, the oldest cities would be the fastest-growing. But, as noted above, the correlation between old housing and population growth is pretty wobbly: New York has grown in recent decades, but many old-housing cities have not. Of the seven large cities with older housing than New York (Cleveland, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Minneapolis), only San Francisco is as populous as it was in 1950.

By contrast, cities that have accommodated population growth with new housing have often grown rapidly. Many Sun Belt cities that were small in 1950 have grown explosively: of the ten most populous American cities, five (Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and San Jose) had under 500,000 people in 1950, and a sixth (Houston) had just under 600,000 — less than one-third its current population. 

These cities have generally allowed more post-1950 housing than New York, even though some of them have succumbed to NIMBYism in recent decades. For example, about 266,000 housing units were built in San Diego between 1970 and 2000 — about one for every five current residents. New York City has more than six times as many people as San Jose, but only about 600,000 housing units (a little over two times as many) were built in New York during this period. 

In other words, places with more and newer housing tend to grow faster. If Americans did not value new housing, these cities would not have grown. In sum, new housing isn’t the only factor relevant to a city’s desirability — but it doesn’t seem to hurt.**

*Of course, many other factors affected city population growth — I'm just saying that the city's building boom didn't hurt! 

**I realize that many Americans simply don't want their city to grow or to be particularly desirable to most Americans — but I think that subject is complicated enough to be best addressed in another post someday.

• Cities
• Urban Planning
• Preservation
• Redevelopment
• Revitalization

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Walking is one of the most accessible and beneficial forms of physical activity, and walking paths in parks play a critical role in making it possible for people to enjoy this daily practice. Beyond physical health benefits such as reducing the risk of chronic disease, walking also supports mental well-being, stress reduction, and social interaction. For many communities, especially those without safe sidewalks, walking paths at parks provide vital, safe, and welcoming places to move.

Several parks in Los Angeles County demonstrate how walking paths contribute to community health, accessibility, and connection. At Earvin “Magic” Johnson Recreation Area, wide and accessible paths connect a vibrant park, supporting wellness programs and walking clubs. Almansor Park’s rubberized loop encourages regular use, especially among older adults, while Echo Park Lake’s urban walking path doubles as a cultural corridor and social gathering space. Encanto Park’s trails blend paved and natural surfaces, link to the regional San Gabriel River Trail, and provide a restorative, nature-based walking experience.

These examples highlight that walking paths are not just add-ons but essential infrastructure. They are cost-effective investments that strengthen community bonds, promote daily park use, and enhance resilience and equity. Whether circling lakes, looping around athletic fields, or connecting to regional networks, walking paths offer opportunities for exercise, reflection, and connection. In uncertain times and with tight budgets, they stand out as simple yet transformative features that improve lives and strengthen communities.

• Walking
• Trails
• Pedestrian infrastructure
• Walking Trails
• Sidewalks

The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) has awarded $5.1 million to the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors (DBH) to advance “living shoreline” projects at Dockweiler, Zuma, and Redondo beaches. These efforts use dunes and native vegetation to protect against sea level rise and storms while ensuring continued public access. The Measure A funding will move the projects into planning, design, and environmental review phases, marking a major investment in coastal resilience.

The largest share, $3.1 million, will support widening and dune restoration at Zuma Beach, with benefits expected to extend to Point Dume. Redondo Beach will receive $1.7 million for new dune habitat and beach expansion, while Dockweiler State Beach will use $230,000 for smaller-scale interventions such as sand barriers, invasive plant removal, and native vegetation planting. County leaders emphasized that these projects advance both resilience and equity, ensuring safe, welcoming coastal spaces for families who rely on beaches for recreation and relief from extreme heat.

As reported by Maaz Alin, the living shoreline initiative builds on DBH’s broader Coastal Resilience Initiative, which works with natural systems to protect beaches rather than relying on concrete seawalls. These projects show how targeted investments can safeguard ecosystems, strengthen community access, and preserve iconic stretches of Los Angeles County’s coastline for generations to come.

• Coastal Resilience
• Living Shorelines
• Ecology
• Beaches
• Biodiversity