DARK SECRETS: 12 | Vintage Vibes

A tech entrepreneur paid £555k for a derelict fort; it's now £3M after a revamp

A derelict 19th-century fortress sitting on a tiny island off the Pembrokeshire coast had no electricity, no running water and had been empty for 17 years when technology entrepreneur Mike Conner bought it in 2017. He paid £555,000 for Thorne Island and then spent almost five years bringing the abandoned…

The Times of India · Sep 17

What Ageing Indian Parents Learn Not to Say to the Child Who Lives Eleven Hours Away

The call has a shape they have learned to keepYour mother asks about your weather first. Not because she is curious about the weather, she has never once cared about the weather, but because it is neutral ground, and neutral ground is safe. Your father waits on the other end…

Times Life · Sep 17

Leaving Your Porch Light on All Night? Here’s What Security Research Actually Says

Flipping on the porch light before bed feels like one of the simplest home-security habits imaginable. A brightly lit entrance should make a burglar think...

Saving Advice · Sep 16

Fact check: UK household energy bills and Dover protesters

Round-up of fact checks from the last few days compiled by Full Fact.

Evening Standard · Sep 16

Americans are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of AI, new poll finds

A new AP-NORC poll shows Americans are growing more concerned about the environmental impacts of AI

The Independent UK · Sep 16

How to install an EV charger at home: Costs, grants and what to expect

From choosing the right location to getting your electrics checked and making the most of cheaper overnight electricity, here’s what you need to know before having an EV home charger fitted – and we did it

The Independent UK · Sep 16

Sheep Prefer Solar Shade: Brazilian experiment finds panels beat cloth; reduced radiant heat load

In Brazil, Corriedale sheep displayed a pronounced affinity for the shade provided by photovoltaic panels, choosing it over traditional cloth shelters. The research found that the solar panels significantly decreased radiant heat load, leading the sheep to gravitate toward this refuge as sunlight surged. This study sheds light on agrivoltaics,…

The Times of India · Sep 16

In hydropowered Bhutan, solar starts to rise

Bhutan is expanding solar power capacity to meet rising electricity demand. Hydropower faces challenges from low winter river flows and climate change impacts. The nation aims for significant solar energy generation by 2040. Finding space for ground-mounted solar farms presents a considerable challenge. Rooftop solar adoption is limited by high…

The Economic Times · Sep 16

How to Cut Your Electricity Bill This Indian Summer Without Giving Up Your AC

The 24°C Rule That the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Has Been Saying for YearsEvery degree below 24°C on your AC thermostat adds roughly 6% to your electricity consumption, according to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which operates under India's Ministry of Power. Most people set their AC to 18°C…

Times Life · Sep 16

Why Krishna Refused to Repeat the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna and What the Anu Gita Teaches Instead

The question nobody talks aboutThe Mahabharata war is over. The Pandavas have won. The pyres at Kurukshetra have gone cold. And then Arjuna does something that most retellings skip entirely: he goes to Krishna and admits that he has forgotten the Gita. Not metaphorically forgotten. Not drifted from its teaching.…

Times Life · Sep 16