Author: Isaac Gendler

Why Being Proactive in Checking the Weather Can Help Reduce Your Chance of Developing Skin Cancer

Why Being Proactive in Checking the Weather Can Help Reduce Your Chance of Developing Skin Cancer

Why Being Proactive in Checking the Weather Can Help Reduce Your Chance of Developing Skin Cancer

03/03/23

“Why can being proactive in checking the weather reduce your chance of developing skin cancer?”

Having too much sun exposure puts you at risk of developing skin cancer. However, if you are proactive about checking the weather, you’ll be able to see when the sun’s rays are strongest and avoid them. This is Why Being Proactive in Checking the Weather Can Help Reduce Your Chance of Developing Skin Cancer.

Why 3D Printing Musical Instruments Can Save on Transport Emissions

Why 3D Printing Musical Instruments Can Save on Transport Emissions

Why 3D Printing Musical Instruments Can Save on Transport Emissions

03/02/23

“Why can 3D printing musical instruments save on transport emissions?”

Musical instruments come in all shapes and sizes. However, some of the more hard-to-find ones may have to be transported from other parts of the world. Take for example the kanun. The kanun is a middle-eastern horizontal harp that is seldom made out of the region. A kanun enthusiast with an environmental conscious will be put in a catch-22 whether to buy a model or not contribute to emissions. 

But how could we use our engineering mindsets to solve this? Well, what if we were to just use 3D printing and create the instrument on the spot? This would cut out all of the carbon associated with moving the instrument around. This is Why 3D Printing Musical Instruments Can Save on Transport Emissions.

Why Metro Orgs Should Hire Engineers In-House

Why Metro Orgs Should Hire Engineers In-House

Why Metro Orgs Should Hire Engineers In-House

03/01/23

“Why should metro orgs hire engineers in-house?”

Metro orgs often don’t have the engineering personnel to build their long-term projects. However, when they outsource to a consulting firm, they run the risk of being overcharged and getting much less than they asked for. If metro orgs hire in-house instead, they can more diligently check the validity of the work being performed and have a much better performance. This is Why Metro Orgs Should Hire Engineers in House.

Why the War in Syria Has Made the Country Much More Vulnerable to Earthquakes

Why the War in Syria Has Made the Country Much More Vulnerable to Earthquakes

Why the War in Syria Has Made the Country Much More Vulnerable to Earthquakes

02/28/23

“Why has the war in Syria made the country much more vulnerable to earthquakes?”

On February 6th, 2023 Northwestern Syria was shaken to its core by a colossal earthquake. While anywhere would be affected by such force, Syria’s Civil War has made it particularly vulnerable. The relentless bombings by Russia and the Assad Regime have destroyed scores of buildings and weakened many. Millions of Syrians have been displaced and forced to live in the Northwest so they won’t face Assad’s oppression. The regime and its backers have done everything in their power to make it difficult to bring aid to the area. This is Why the War in Syria Has Made the Country Much More Vulnerable to Earthquakes.

As of writing, victims of the 2023 Türkiye – Syria earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Wildfire Buffer Zones

Wildfire Buffer Zones

Wildfire Buffer Zones

02/27/23

“How can we create plant-based defensible zones for wildfires?”

Wildfires spread quickly over dead plant materials. However, by creating zones of around human spaces of fire-resistant plants, we can create defenses to prevent such spread. These Wildfire Buffer Zones are an optimal way to increase resilience to wildfires and enhance community security.

Soft Story Building Retrofits

Soft Story Building Retrofits

Soft Story Building Retrofits

02/26/23

“How can we retrofit soft-story buildings?”

Soft story buildings are incredibly vulnerable to earthquakes. Their weak ground floors make structural collapse easy during ground shaking. But by performing Soft Story Building Retrofits, we can strengthen the ground floor and decrease the damage potential. Governments should look into these techniques to create disaster resilience.

As of writing, victims of the 2023 Türkiye – Syria earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Image credit optimumseismic.com

Why Soft Story Building Caused So Much Damage During the Earthquake in Türkiye

Why Soft Story Building Caused So Much Damage During the Earthquake in Türkiye

Why Soft Story Building Caused So Much Damage During the Earthquake in Türkiye

02/25/23

“Why did soft story buildings cause so much damage during the earthquake in Türkiye?”

Soft story buildings are prone to collapse and “pancake” during earthquakes. Despite Türkiye being prone to earthquake disasters, a very large percentage of its structures are soft stories. During the 1999 Izmit earthquake, it was recorded that nearly 85 – 90 percent of all damaged/collapsed buildings were soft story. Despite lessons learned from previous earthquakes, the Erdogan regime continued to build these structures in its infrastructure boom. When the 2023 earthquake came, these buildings caused tens of thousands of people to be trapped under heavy concrete. This is Why Soft Story Building Caused So Much Damage During the Earthquake in Türkiye.

Image credit bbc.co.uk

Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival

Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival

Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival

02/24/23

“Why is continuing military aid to Ukraine necessary for planetary survival?”

One year has now passed since the Russian State launched its genocidal invasion of Ukraine. Since then, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost and over 12 million people have been displaced from their homes. However, the resilience of the Ukrainian people has not stopped. The country has taken back over half of its land stolen by Russia and has become a beacon to democracy ever.

Authoritarian leaders see Ukraine as a threat. If Russia is stopped, then invasions for territory will stay unpopular and absolute rule will be seen as inferior to fair and equal treatment of citizens. While many are beginning to have second thoughts about sending weapons, it’s important to step back and consider Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival.

As a proud descendant of Jews from Odesa, I urge you to please do what you can to help Ukrainians under invasion right now here.

Soft Story Buildings

Soft Story Buildings

Soft Story Buildings

02/23/23

“What are soft story buildings?”

Multistory buildings come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. However, sometimes they’re built with a first floor with significantly less stiffness than the stories above it. These usually come in structures with parking spaces or open commercial spaces on the ground level. This lack of support often causes the building to “pancake” (falling on top of itself) during earthquakes. Engineers and Earthquake Planners have termed these buildings Soft Story Buildings and are some of the most dangerous urban earthquake hazards.

As of writing, victims of the 2023 Türkiye – Syria earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Image credit Wikimedia.org