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Google has 44 data centers in operation or in development around the world, but as demand for AI and the need for compute capacity grows, the company is getting started on three more. This latest batch is destined for Texas, where Google already has a pair of data centers in operation just south of Dallas. One of the new centers will be located outside of Amarillo in Armstrong County, with the other two headed to Haskell County, about three and a half hours west of Dallas. The $40 billion investment in the Lone Star State will help the company build additional infrastructure for its cloud and AI units. The company expects the centers to be operational by the end of 2027. This will be Google’s largest single investment in any individual state, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. It follows data center announcements in Texas by Anthropic and Microsoft earlier this month. “This is a Texas-sized investment in the future of our great state,” Abbott said in a statement. Despite Abbott’s claim about AI development, Texas isn’t quite the epicenter of data centers. With these three new ones, however, the state solidifies its bragging rights as having the second most in the country with approximately 415. Texas is still far behind Virginia, however, which has more than 660, mostly in a concentrated area in the Northern part of the state known as “Data Center Alley.” Data centers are essential to the AI efforts of Google and other leaders in that field, but environmentalists have sounded a warning bell about the climate ramifications of the facilities. The power requirements of data centers in North America increased from 2,688 megawatts at the end of 2022 to 5,341 megawatts at the end of 2023, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. And demand is only growing. (In February, Energy Secretary Chris Wright called for more nuclear power plants to meet the growing demands of AI companies.) “The pace at which companies are building new data centers means the bulk of the electricity to power them must come from fossil-fuel-based power plants,” said Noman Bashir, a computing and climate impact fellow at MIT’s Climate and Sustainability Consortium. Cornell forecasts that by 2030 the public health burden of AI data centers will be double that of the U.S. steelmaking industry. And it could be on par with all the cars, buses, and trucks in California. Google says its new data centers in Texas will be built responsibly, bringing new energy resources onto the grid and supporting community energy-efficiency initiatives. That will include a $30 million Energy Impact Fund to scale and accelerate energy initiatives. One of the Haskell County data centers, the company says, will be built alongside a new solar and battery storage plant. Beyond the short-term job bump that comes with the creation of these centers, Texas will also see a rise in the number of electrical workers. Google says it will train existing electrical workers and more than 1,700 apprentices in Texas by 2030, which will double the pipeline of new electricians in the statethat, in turn, could encourage other companies to build there. They say that everything is bigger in Texasand that certainly applies to the golden opportunity with AI, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said.
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E-Commerce
Google has 44 data centers in operation or in development around the world, but as demand for AI and the need for compute capacity grows, the company is already getting started on three more. This latest batch is destined for Texas, where Google already has a pair of data centers in operation just south of Dallas. One of the new centers will be located outside of Amarillo in Armstrong County, with the other two headed to Haskell County, about three and a half hours west of Dallas. The $40 billion investment in the Lone Star State will help the company build additional infrastructure for its cloud and AI units. The company expects the centers to be operational by the end of 2027. This will be Google’s largest single investment in any individual state, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. It follows data center announcements in Texas by Anthropic and Microsoft last week. “This is a Texas-sized investment in the future of our great state,” he said in a statement. Google’s $40-billion investment makes Texas Google’s largest investment in any state in the country and supports energy efficiency and workforce development in our state.” Despite Abbott’s claim about AI development, Texas isn’t quite the epicenter of data centers. With these three new ones, however, the state solidifies its bragging rights as having the second most in the country with approximately 415. Texas is still far behind Virginia, however, which has more than 660, mostly in a concentrated area in the Northern part of the state known as “Data Center Alley”. Data centers are essential to the AI efforts of Google and other leaders in that field, but environmentalists have sounded a warning bell about the climate ramifications of the facilities. The power requirements of data centers in North America increased from 2,688 megawatts at the end of 2022 to 5,341 megawatts at the end of 2023, according to MIT. And demand is only growing. (Energy Secretary Chris Wright, in February, called for more nuclear power plants to meet the growing demands of AI companies.) The demand for new data centers cannot be met in a sustainable way, said Noman Bashir, a Computing and Climate Impact Fellow at MIT’s Climate and Sustainability Consortium. “The pace at which companies are building new data centers means the bulk of the electricity to power them must come from fossil fuel-based power plants.” By 2030, Cornell forecasts, the public health burden of AI data centers will be double that of the U.S. steelmaking industry. And it could be on par with all the cars, buses, and trucks in California. Google says its new data centers in Texas will be built responsibly, bringing new energy resources onto the grid and supporting community energy efficiency initiatives. That will include a $30 million Energy Impact Fund to scale and accelerate energy initiatives. One of the Haskell County data centers, the company says, will be built alongside a new solar and battery storage plant. Beyond the short-term job bump that comes with the creation of these centers, Texas will also see a rise in the number of electrical workers. Google says it will train existing electrical workers and more than 1,700 apprentices in Texas by 2030, which will double the pipeline of new electricians in the state, which could encourage other companies to build there. They say that everything is bigger in Texas and that certainly applies to the golden opportunity with AI, said Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
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E-Commerce
The modern workplace runs on a dangerous myth: that constant motion equals maximum productivity. We’ve built entire corporate cultures around this fallacy, glorifying the “always on” mentality while our teams quietly unravel. The result? A burnout crisis that’s costing companies billions in turnover, absenteeism, and lost innovation. But here’s what the dataand our own exhausted bodiesare trying to tell us: emotional recovery isn’t a luxury. It’s the most strategic investment a leader can make. The Real Cost of Running on Empty Burnout isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s a systematic depletion that manifests as cynicism, detachment, and plummeting professional efficacy. When leaders and teams operate without adequate recovery, they’re not just less productivethey’re fundamentally less capable of the creative thinking and empathetic connection that drives innovation. The science is clear: failing to detach from work triggers rumination, which prevents the replenishment of our cognitive and emotional resources. It’s like trying to run a marathon on an empty tankeventually, the system fails. And when it does, the costs are staggering: disengaged teams, toxic cultures, and the loss of top talent who refuse to sacrifice their well-being for outdated notions of “commitment.” Enter Move. Think. Rest: Your Operating System for Human Sustainability The move, think, rest, or MTR framework I developedpronounced “motor”offers a refreshingly simple yet scientifically grounded approach to emotional recovery. The MTR framework recognizes that our bodies and minds operate as an integrated system, where physical movement, cognitive engagement, and intentional rest work together to create resilience. Here’s how each element powers recovery: Movement recalibrates your system. Physical activity doesn’t just burn off stressit fundamentally changes your biochemistry. Exercise reduces cortisol while flooding your system with mood-enhancing endorphins. But this isn’t about mandatory gym memberships or corporate fitness challenges. It’s about recognizing that even simple movementa walk around the block, stretching between meetings, taking the stairs instead of the elevatorhelps reset our nervous system and prepares us for deeper rest. Thought creates internal space. Reflection and mindfulness aren’t just wellness buzzwordsthey’re tools for strengthening attention and emotional regulation. When we create space for intentional thinking, we develop the self-awareness needed to recognize depletion before it becomes a crisis. This cognitive recovery is where insights emerge and where we reconnect with the purpose that initially drew us to our work. Rest is where integration happens. Here’s the counterintuitive truth: some of our most productive work happens when we’re doing nothing. Rest provides the liminal space where our minds process, integrate, and make connections that conscious effort can’t force. It’s not lazinessit’s essential maintenance. Sometimes doing less really is doing better. From Surviving to Flourishing The goal of MTR isn’t just to prevent burnoutit’s to enable flourishing. This is the state where productivity becomes a natural byproduct of being fully engaged and authentically yourself. It’s where innovation thrives, where teams genuinely collaborate, and where the “unlimited potential of the Imagination Era” actually becomes accessible. This shift from survival to flourishing isn’t just good for employees, it’s also a competitive advantage. In an AI-driven economy where routine tasks are increasingly automated, the uniquely human capacities for creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking become paramount. But these capacities only emerge when people have the emotional bandwidth to access them. Making Recovery Real: Your Action Plan If you are ready to transform your organization’s approach to emotional recovery, here’s where to start. Keep in mind that it’s not a linear processit is situational and integrated throughout the work day, week, and year.: 1. Institute Strategic Microbreaks Build recovery into the rhythm of the workday, not just the weekend. Implement 15-minute “reset breaks” between back-to-back meetings. Create “No Meeting Thursday Mornings” to give teams uninterrupted time for deep workand genuine rest. Research shows these small reprieves sustain performance far better than pushing through exhaustion. 2. Lead with Visible Vulnerability Recovery will only become culturally acceptable when leaders model it. Take your vacation daysall of them! Talk openly about your own emotional recovery practices in team meetings. Share when you’re taking a walk to clear your head or blocking time for reflection. When senior leaders demonstrate that recovery is valued, not penalized, it gives everyone permission to prioritize their well-being. 3. Measure What Matters Beyond Output Expand your performance metrics to include recovery indicators. Track when teams are taking breaks, using PTO, and maintaining sustainable work rhythms. Celebrate leaders who help their teams achieve results while maintaining healthy boundaries. What gets measured gets managedso start measuring recovery as rigorously as you measure revenue. The Bottom Line The organizations that will thrive in the coming decades won’t be those that extract the most from their peoplethey’ll be those that invest most wisely in their people’s capacity to think, create, and connect. MTR isn’t just a framework for emotional recovery; it’s a blueprint for building companies where human potential can actually flourish. The hustle culture isn’t just outdated, it’s actively undermining your most valuable asset: the full humanity of your workforce. It’s time to build a new model, one that recognizes that our best work emerges not from relentless grinding, but from the dynamic interplay of movement, thought, and rest. The recovery revolution starts now. Are you ready to power down so you can truly power up?
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E-Commerce
AI has made us faster and more productive at work. It drafts our emails, summarizes our meetings, and even reminds us to take breaks. But heres the problem: in our rush to embrace AI, its quietly eroding our relationships and how we build human connections at work and in our everyday lives. People are increasingly using tools like ChatGPT to help them write, coach, and communicate. And many are also turning to it for therapy and relationship advice. The problem is, AI doesnt truly understand people as unique individuals. It can mimic empathy, but it cant understand it. It can predict tone, but it cant sense intent. The way we communicate with one person shouldnt be the same as the way we communicate with the next, yet thats exactly what happens when we hand over the nuances of being human to a machine. And its showing up at work: 82% of employees now report burnout, and 85% have experienced conflict at work. The majority trace it back to miscommunication, misunderstandings, or feeling unseen. AI is teaching us to write better, but not necessarily to understand better. Written communication has never been more polished. Yet the more we optimize our words, the more disconnected we seem to feel from one another. The importance of respecting human nuance AI can help us communicate, but it shouldnt act as a crutch. The real opportunity lies in using it as a mirror, which helps us better understand ourselves and the people we work with. Rather than replacing emotional intelligence (EQ), many teams are turning to personality science, such as the Five-Factor Model, to help leaders recognize how different teammates prefer feedback, how they handle stress, or why two colleagues interpret the same message in completely different ways. For teams, and for counselors and coaches, the goal is similar: not to have AI communicate for us, but to help us communicate better with each individual that we engage with. Because no two people hear, feel, communicate, or respond to information in the same way. And while the best communicators already know this instinctively, in todays era of chatbots and synthetic personas, we often abandon that awareness. We need to go back to giving each message, each meeting, and each moment the same level of consideration. Whos on the other side? What do they value? How do they process information or emotion? Leaders who take the time to personalize their communication build trust faster and resolve conflict sooner. When we adapt our style to meet people where they are, we only get better outcomes and make sure that people feel seen. Why we need to leverage EQ to optimize communications and outcomes Emotional intelligence isnt disappearing because people lack empathy. Its slipping because were letting machines do more of the communicating unilaterally. A new study by the Wharton School and GBK Collective found that 43% of leaders warn of skill atrophy as automation takes over routine work. This includes how we communicate. Leadership happens in the spaces algorithms cannot see: a pause in a meeting, the tension after a missed deadline, or the silence that signals someone doesnt feel safe speaking up. When we lose sensitivity to those cues, collaboration breaks down. Teams still communicate, but they stop connecting, and thats when misunderstandings quietly multiply into conflict and burnout. Heres how to keep the balance of efficiency and connection at work: Pause before you send. Before you hit “approve” on an AI-generated message, ask yourself: Does this sound like me? Does this reflect what the other person needs to hear? Sometimes, a call or short message will land better than a polished paragraph. Use AI for preparation, not delivery. Let technology help you structure the what, but you bring in the who with the persons history, style, and emotional context in mind. Listen and follow up. After sending feedback or direction, prioritize follow-up and check-ins to make sure you keep building the relationship, while listening and applying feedback. Prioritize taking a relationship-first approach. Remember that every person interprets messages differently. Landing the right tone and approach, depending on the relationship, shows respect and builds your connection. The leaders who thrive wont be those who use AI to talk more. Theyll be the ones who use it to listen more intentionally, understand people, and communicate with individuals uniquely. Because in the end, our progress, happiness, and success depend on the quality of relationships that we have with one another.
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E-Commerce
With little more than a coat of paint, buildings could soon make the air around them cooler and harvest gallons of water directly from the atmosphere. Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia have created a nanoengineered polymer coating that passively cools building surfaces while enabling them to collect water like dew-coated leaves. It’s a material solution that could help combat rising heat and water insecurity in places all over the world. The white coating, a porous paint-like material, reflects up to 97% of sunlight and radiates heat, making surfaces up to 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding air, even under direct sun. This cooler condition allows water vapor in the air to condense like dew on the smooth coating surface, where it can be collected. In a recent test, a roughly 10-square-foot area treated with the coating was able to harvest 1.6 cups of water over the course of single day. Prof. Chiara Neto and Dr. Ming Chiu [Photo: University of Sydney] This research was led by Chiara Neto, a professor at the University of Sydney’s Nano Institute and School of Chemistry. Neto is also cofounder of a startup that’s commercializing this coating, called Dewpoint Innovations. “Our main goal in designing this new material is to address water scarcity, providing a sustainable and delocalized source of water that is entirely passive,” she says. [Photo: University of Sydney] Reflective paint 2.0 Solar-reflective paint is hardly new to the world of sustainability, and it’s been used widely to reduce heat gain on everything from buildings to UPS trucks to playgrounds. This new coating builds on those applications by taking more advantage of the cooler air produced by bouncing heat off a building, creating a surface onto which water vapor can condense in the cooler ambient temperatures. The coating’s porous nature makes it more durable than typical reflective paints, which enables it to better collect dew than other surface coverings that quickly degrade. The cooling and water harvesting potential of the coating could be substantial, according to a study recently published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. The researchers measured the coating’s performance in six months of outdoor tests on the roof of a building on the campus of the University of Sydney. Specially designed surfaces and measurement tools tracked surface temperature and dew water collected on a minute-by-minute basis alongside weather and climate data to better understand when the coating would perform best. [Photo: University of Sydney] A theoretical model extended that data to create a water capture prediction for the rest of Australia, suggesting the highest water capture rates in the tropical northeast of the country. Neto says this model could be used by extension in the rest of the world, and has identified places where the coating could be especially useful. “The areas most suited to the passive cooling effect are areas in which the sky is often clear of clouds, and the amount of water in the air is not too high and not too low (ideally around 80% relative humidity), to obtain the highest cooling of the surface and the highest water condensation,” Neto explains. She notes that the coatings need to be clearly exposed to the sky to be most effective. “If used on the walls of buildings, they would still bring some cooling, but not as much as on the roof,” she adds. The ideal configuration is at a small tilt, a roof angled at about 30 degrees, to enable the roll-off of water droplets. [Photo: University of Sydney] But even in places where the humidity is too low to harvest much dew, the reflectivity of the coating will still provide the benefit of lower ambient temperatures and reduced energy requirements for buildings. The coating is not designed to be used as a ground cover, but Neto says it could be used in tilted and flat areas around sport courts, fields, on tents, on animals sheds, and other spaces. If it were to be implemented widely, the coating could provide a steady source of water, albeit a small one. The study found that a one-square-meter section of roof treated with the coating could harvest up to 390 milliliters of water per day, a little more than a cup and a half of water from about 10 square feet of surface. Scaling up to the size of a building, that could add up to several gallons worth of water a day. That may not seem like a lot when the average person in the U.S. uses more than 150 gallons per day, but the volume could easily add up as more buildings are retrofitted, or even designed specifically, to use this coating. This passive approach to water collection “opens the door to sustainable, low-cost, and decentralized sources of fresh watera critical need in the face of climate change and growing water scarcity,” Neto says.
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E-Commerce