The weather’s always an easy target. A little too cold, a little too warm; it’s never quite right (which sounds like one of our favorite fairy tales). That’s truer than ever this summer – with extreme heat and rain in pockets across the country – and seemingly one or another every day in New England. So this week, we have a few reads on the topic – from the business of weather to the impact on the Olympics and olive oil production to the value of “thinking like meteorologists.”

 

Here are our picks of the week. 

 

Is This the End of Summer as We’ve Known It?

New York Times 

Wildfires, drought, sewage spills, a resurgent virus — separately, each is a familiar peril.

The weirdly sensical business of weather TV

Fortune

On most mornings, I wake up to the dulcet, mechanical tones of Amazon’s Alexa reporting the weather of the day.

 

Olympic athletes are competing on an urban heat island

The Verge 

NASA mapped the ‘urban heat island effect’ on Tokyo

 

How AI Can Make Weather Forecasting Less Cloudy

Wall Street Journal 

It won’t replace traditional techniques, but it’s already increasing the speed and accuracy of predictions

 

Why creative teams need to be ‘cultural meteorologists’

The Drum

Consumer tastes change quickly – sort of like the weather. That’s why creative teams must act like meteorologists

 

This beach-cleaning robot sifts sand for the tiny plastics that humans miss

Fast Company 

It’s hard to pick up all the plastic trash on beaches by hand. BeBot, a solar-powered robot, speeds up the process.

 

Chasing Hope: Innovation And Taking Flight In Stormy Weather

Forbes 

Sometimes, the fastest way out of a bad situation is to go right through it.

 

A 20-foot sea wall won’t save Miami, but these nature-inspired innovations just might

Fast Company 

Coral reefs, mangroves, and breakwaters are a much better solution than a wall that protects only part of the city.

Extreme weather is wreaking havoc on olive oil production 

Eater 

From freezing temperatures to fruit-fly infestations, farmers and producers are dealing with regular interruptions to the “delicate dance” of producing olive oil