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For farmers, every planting decision carries risks, and many of those risks are increasing with climate change. One of the most consequential is weather, which can damage crop yields and livelihoods. A delayed monsoon, for example, can force a rice farmer in South Asia to replant or switch crops altogether, losing both time and income. Access to reliable, timely weather forecasts can help farmers prepare for the weeks ahead, find the best time to plant or determine how much fertilizer will be needed, resulting in better crop yields and lower costs. Yet, in many low- and middle-income countries, accurate weather forecasts remain out of reach, limited by the high technology costs and infrastructure demands of traditional forecasting models. A new wave of AI-powered weather forecasting models has the potential to change that. By using artificial intelligence, these models can deliver accurate, localized predictions at a fraction of the computational cost of conventional physics-based models. This makes it possible for national meteorological agencies in developing countries to provide farmers with the timely, localized information about changing rainfall patterns that the farmers need. The challenge is getting this technology where its needed. Why AI forecasting matters now The physics-based weather prediction models used by major meteorological centers around the world are powerful but costly. They simulate atmospheric physics to forecast weather conditions ahead, but they require expensive computing infrastructure. The cost puts them out of reach for most developing countries. Moreover, these models have mainly been developed by and optimized for northern countries. They tend to focus on temperate, high-income regions and pay less attention to the tropics, where many low- and middle-income countries are located. A major shift in weather models began in 2022 as industry and university researchers developed deep learning models that could generate accurate short- and medium-range forecasts for locations around the globe up to two weeks ahead. These models worked at speeds several orders of magnitude faster than physics-based models, and they could run on laptops instead of supercomputers. Newer models, such as Pangu-Weather and GraphCast, have matched or even outperformed leading physics-based systems for some predictions, such as temperature. AI-driven models require dramatically less computing power than the traditional systems. While physics-based systems may need thousands of CPU hours to run a single forecast cycle, modern AI models can do so using a single GPU in minutes once the model has been trained. This is because the intensive part of the AI model training, which learns relationships in the climate from data, can use those learned relationships to produce a forecast without further extensive computationthats a major shortcut. In contrast, the physics-based models need to calculate the physics for each variable in each place and time for every forecast produced. While training these models from physics-based model data does require significant upfront investment, once the AI is trained, the model can generate large ensemble forecastssets of multiple forecast runsat a fraction of the computational cost of physics-based models. Even the expensive step of training an AI weather model shows considerable computational savings. One study found the early model FourCastNet could be trained in about an hour on a supercomputer. That made its time to presenting a forecast thousands of times faster than state-of-the-art, physics-based models. The result of all these advances: high-resolution forecasts globally within seconds on a single laptop or desktop computer. Research is also rapidly advancing to expand the use of AI for forecasts weeks to months ahead, which helps farmers in making planting choices. AI models are already being tested for improving extreme weather prediction, such as for extratropical cyclones and abnormal rainfall. Tailoring forecasts for real-world decisions While AI weather models offer impressive technical capabilities, they are not plug-and-play solutions. Their impact depends on how well they are calibrated to local weather, benchmarked against real-world agricultural conditions, and aligned with the actual decisions farmers need to make, such as what and when to plant, or when drought is likely. To unlock its full potential, AI forecasting must be connected to the people whose decisions its meant to guide. Thats why groups such as AIM for Scale, a collaboration we work with as researchers in public policy and sustainability, are helping governments to develop AI tools that meet real-world needs, including training users and tailoring forecasts to farmers needs. International development institutions and the World Meteorological Organization are also working to expand access to AI forecasting models in low- and middle-income countries. AI forecasts can be tailored to context-specific agricultural needs, such as identifying optimal planting windows, predicting dry spells, or planning pest management. Disseminating those forecasts through text messages, radio, extension agents or mobile apps can then help reach farmers who can benefit. This is especially true when the messages themselves are constantly tested and improved to ensure they meet the farmers needs. A recent study in India found that when farmers there received more accurate monsoon forecasts, they made more informed decisions about what and how much to plantor whether to plant at allresulting in better investment outcomes and reduced risk. A new era in climate adaptation AI weather forecasting has reached a pivotal moment. Tools that were experimental just five years ago are now being integrated into government weather forecasting systems. But technology alone wont change lives. With support, low- and middle-income countries can build the capacity o generate, evaluate, and act on their own forecasts, providing valuable information to farmers that has long been missing in weather services. Paul Winters is a professor of sustainable development at the University of Notre Dame. Amir Jina is an assistant professor of public policy at the University of Chicago. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Stress on college students can be palpable, and it hits them from every direction: academic challenges, social pressures, and financial burdens, all intermingled with their first taste of independence. Its part of the reason why anxiety and depression are common among the 19 million students now enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, and why incidents of suicide and suicidal ideation are rising. In the 2024 National College Health Assessment Report, 30% of the 30,000 students surveyed said anxiety negatively affected their academic performance, with 20% at risk for symptoms that suggest severe psychological distress, such as feelings of sadness, nervousness, and hopelessness. No wonder the demand for mental health services has been increasing for about a decade. Many schools have rightfully responded to this demand by offering students more counseling. That is important, of course, but theres another approach that could help alleviate the need for counseling: creating a campus environment that promotes health. Simply put, add more green space. We are scholars who study the impact that the natural environment has on students, particularly in the place where they spend much of their timethe college campus. Decades of research show that access to green spaces can lower stress and foster a stronger sense of belongingbenefits that are particularly critical for students navigating the pressures of higher education. Making campuses green In 2020, our research team at Texas A&M University launched a Green Campus Initiative to promote a healthier campus environment. Our goal was to find ways to design, plan, and manage such an environment by developing evidence-based strategies. Our survey of more than 400 Texas A&M students showed that abundant greenery, nature views, and quality walking paths can help with mental health issues. More than 80% of the students we surveyed said they already have their favorite outdoor places on campus. One of them is Aggie Park, 20 acres of green space with exercise trails, walking and bike paths, and rocking chairs by a lake. Many students noted that such green spaces are a break from daily routines, a positive distraction from negative thoughts and a place to exercise. Our survey confirms other research that shows students who spend time outdoorsparticularly in places with mature trees, open fields, parks, gardens, and waterreport better moods and lower stress. More students are physically active when on a campus with good walkability and plenty of sidewalks, trails, and paths. Just the physical activity itself is linked to many mental health benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression. Outdoor seating, whether rocking chairs or park benches, also has numerous benefits. More time spent talking to others is one of them, but what might be surprising is that enhanced reading performance is another. More trees and plants mean more shaded areas, particularly during hot summers, and that too encourages students to spend more time outside and be active. Less anxiety, better academic performance In short, the surrounding environment matters, but not just for college students or those living or working on a campus. Across different groups and settings, research shows that being near green spaces reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Even a garden or tree-lined street helps. In Philadelphia, researchers transformed 110 vacant lot clusters into green spaces. That led to improvements in mental health for residents living nearby. Those using the green spaces reported lower levels of stress and anxiety, but just viewing nature from a window was helpful too. Our colleagues discovered similar findings when conducting a randomized trial with high school students who took a test before and after break periods in classrooms with different window views: no window, a window facing a building or parking lot, or a window overlooking green landscapes. Students with views of greenery recovered faster from mental fatigue and performed significantly better on attention tasks. Its still unclear exactly why green spaces are good places to go when experiencing stress and anxiety; nevertheless, it is clear that spending time in nature is beneficial for mental well-being. Small can be better Its critical to note that enhancing your surroundings isnt just about green space. Other factors play a role. After analyzing data from 13 U.S. universities, our research shows that school size, locale, region, and religious affiliation all make a difference and are significant predictors of mental health. Specifically, we found that students at schools with smaller populations, schools in smaller communities, schools in the southern U.S., or schools with religious affiliations generally had better mental health than students at other schools. Those students had less stress, anxiety, and depression, and a lower risk of suicide when compared with peers at larger universities with more than 5,000 students, schools in urban areas, institutions in the Midwest and West, or those without religious ties. No one can change their genes or demographics, but an environment can always be modifiedand for the better. For a relatively cheap investment, more green space at a school offers long-term benefits to generations of students. After all, a campus is more than just buildings. No doubt, the learning that takes place inside them educates the mind. But whats on the outside, research shows, nurtures the soul. Chanam Lee is a professor of landscape architecture and urban planning at Texas A&M University. Li Deng is a Ph.D candidate in landscape architecture & urban planning at Texas A&M University. Yizhen Ding is a Ph.D. candidate in landscpe architecture & urban planning at Texas A&M University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
Time and attention have become the most depleted resource in the modern workplace. Back-to-back meetings, calendar congestion, and constant context-switching crushing our ability to carry the daily cognitive load have created a time deficit that undermines performance, energy, and decision quality. Managers can spend up to 23 hours a week in meetings. Yet a recent study found 70% of meetings keep employees from valuable work, and that 71% of managers reported meetings to be costly and unproductive. Other sources report meeting overload costs an estimated $37 billion in productivity losses per year. Similar research echoes this, pointing to the psychological and cognitive toll of unproductive meetings: lost focus, delayed decisions, shallow work, and chronic burnout. The problem isnt just the number of meetingsits the lack of discipline around what meetings are for. When team meetings try to do everythingbrainstorming, decision-making, status updates, conflict resolution, and social connectionthey end up doing nothing particularly well. Worse, they sap time from crucial areas such as deep thinking, team coaching, problem-solving, decision making, and actual execution. The fix isnt expanding or tightening agendas. Its about making bold fixes: cutting what doesnt belong, investing time where it matters, and establishing group or team norms that prioritize value over volume. To help combat time wasting tendencies from your team meetings, I have found simple fixes to common meeting problems that can give your team some much needed time back each week. 1. Stick to focused agendas Overstuffed agendas cause meetings to run long, drift off course, overflow, kicking topics down the road then requiring follow-ups to resolve what wasnt finished. Research from Harvard reports that poorly planned and executed agendas are of the top drivers of time wasters. When it comes to agenda prioritization, trade-offs can be made. The FixDefine what is truly meeting worthy, then narrow the scope for the agenda. Name a meeting executor, and have them be a stickler for managing topics, time and outcomes. Examples include: Meeting worthy Issues that need collaborative input or high-stakes alignment Topics with clear urgency and strategic impact Decisions with broader impact needing stakeholder perspectives Meeting unworthy Status updates (move to asynchronous tools like Loom videos or email) Topics without a decision requirement or clear purpose Client Case Tip A global technology firm I partner with cut their 90-minute executive meeting down to 50 minutes by using a topic submission rubric. If a topic wasnt timely, decision-ready, or aligned to the top three priorities, it was deferred or redirected to another time or appropriate forum. 2. Be selective about participants Including everyone to be fair or be seen as inclusive creates bloated attendee lists and meetings where most participants arent essential. Some cultures signal that if you receive a meeting invitation, accept it as normative behavior no matter if you think you should attend. MIT researchers suggest that even simple acts of becoming more deliberate about accepting meeting invitations will make a positive impact. The FixInvite only those with a clear purposeand say a kind refusal to contextual participants, who can get briefed on the meeting through other means. Include People with decision rights, implementation roles, or critical knowledge to share or weigh in Defined roles (e.g., decider, advisor, executor) Someone or AI tracking the decisions, actions, and essential communication follow-through items with ownership to share with those who need informational outputs Exclude Stakeholders without a direct role in the outcome Passive or contextual participants coming only to follow whats happening on a project or issue Client Case Tip One global leadership team assigned a project lead to review the AI summary and output from every meeting, along with the recording in order to clarify the stakeholders who would need to be kept in the loop. Leaders cut attendance by 35% and saw meeting quality and preparation engagement rise significantly. 3. Create Meeting Norms Meetings that feel productive in the moment often generate confusion afterward when the expectations of how the meeting should unfold are unmet. My observation is that team members have unspoken and mixed expectations about meeting etiquette, norms, and outcomes. As such, unmet expectations can easily result in everything from disgruntled emotions to repeated discussions that waste time and create churn. Stephen Rogelberg, a professor at University of North Carolina and author of The Surprising Science of Meetings, recommends norms such as taking breaks, limiting individual speaking time so everyone gets a chance to weigh in, and disciplined accountability discussions at the close of meetings to reduce confusion, delays, and rework. The FixBuild in useful closure norms, such as 5 to 10 minute closure with mandatory ownership and accountability discussions closing every meeting as to be clear on expectations. Include Budget for a minimum five-minute end-of-meeting recap of what was resolvedand what wasnt. Leave no loose end unattended to by speaking about where and when what didnt get resolved would be reviewed Capture clear decisions, action items with ownership, timing for completion, and next steps. Many AI tools can summarize and clarify meeting highlights, decisions, actions steps, and other specifics that simply need reviewing for accuracy and distributing to team members Exclude Ok, it looks like we are out of time, from poor agenda and time management Unhelful or dated norms that serve as tradition but have no real purpose Open-ended conversations with no resolution, especially when the purpose is to manage through a conflict or conflicting ideas Deferred decisions without a timeline Client Case Tips I worked recently with a team that was notorious for raising issues and bringing ideas to the tablea seemingly great thinguntil they ran out of time every meeting. I noticed many off-topic issues were surfaced and time was squandered away from the meetings purpose. Eventually, they would place those topics in the parking lot of topics, never to be revisited. This was a legacy norm from the previous leader, providing no value, yet consuming precious time. I asked them to assess the relevance of these issues and either commit to discussing them if pertinent or take responsibility for moving the topics to a relevant meeting. Once they realized no one followed up on the items, the choice became easy and the parking lot practice was dropped. Another team of executives I worked with would talk over one another until the loudest person in the room dominated the conversation. This left out valuable feedback and points of view prior to important decisions being made. A norm the team agreed upon was to sound a specific ringtone chime when the dynamic occurred. The team would then break for 5 to 10 minutes and return to decide next steps so other voices could be heard in the room. Finally, one team I worked with saved roughly 32 hours per quarter by simply standardizing next-step assignments at the end of each meeting. 4. Get rid of legacy recurring meetings Recurring meetings often persist out of habiteven when their original purpose has faded. This cuts into time for strategic work and deep thinking. The FixOnce a meeting has a purpose, spend time ruthlessly on that purpose. When that purpose has been met, carefully consider the need to keep meeting or pivot toward addressing a different purpose. On Purpose Meetings with required prework and defined outcomes Pre-aligned prep expectations (e.g., review docs, submit questions) Assessing how close the team is to addressing the purpose fully When/if purpose has been fulfilled, determine next steps immediately Non on Purpose Standing meetings without an active agenda Meetings held just because its Monday Legacy meetings that have been repetitively happening out of habit, but no one knows why Case StudyA consulting firm eliminated a recurring hour-long weekly meeting and replaced it with a decision-ready model. Team members were expected to complete prework and submit questions five days in advance. If prep engagement was low, the meeting was canceled, and decision rights were delegated to the project lead. This reclaimed over 100 hours per yeartime reallocated to design work, coaching, and client strategy. Time as a Strategic Asset Meetings are not just a coordination toolthey are a budgeting choice. Every meeting is a trade-off with real work, deep thinking, and energy management. When leaders begin treating time like capitalwith scrutiny, intention, and disciplineteams get better outcomes with fewer meetings. They make decisions faster, feel less drained, and spend more time on what actually moves the needle. Even at a minimum, teams can reclaim time starting with one question: What are we willing to stop doing so we can spend time where it counts?
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