24 replies
1w4d2h
I have been both to this site and to Coober Pedy, South Australia. Pretty neat bit of architectural convergent evolution for extremely high temperature environments.
15 replies
2d
Totally off topic, but what is happening with YouTube ads? I'm getting 30 to 90 second unskippable videos before every video. This time it gave me two in a row. If I go to another tab it starts over, often with a longer ad.
4 replies
1d23h
My adblocker still works fine. Occasionally have to reload the page for video to play.
2 replies
1d23h
What are you using for an adblocker? I'm using uBlock (I thought it was uBlock Origin but apparently not now that I'm looking), and it also stopped blocking YouTube ads. (When it did block ads I'd have a 15-30 second black screen that I had to wait through.)
0 replies
1d23h
ublock origin is what you want to be using. ublock was the original project and the maintainer gave up maintenance to someone else. It didn't work out, so he came back and forked it as ublock origin. If you are having problems with ublock origin, read the troubleshooting section of the docs (or whatever they call it)
0 replies
1d23h
Only use ublock origin
0 replies
1d12h
Same here, using Brave. I don't even remember what an ad looks like.
4 replies
2d
I had started to think YT ads were getting worse recently but had convinced myself it was a frequency illusion. Interesting that others seem to be thinking that same thing though...
0 replies
1d13h
Do you also notice Google results getting even worse very recently? I noticed now besides retailers, I get news sites. Maybe it’s because of the election. It’s either product or news sites exclusively. Election or not, those two sites have the highest amount of ads.
0 replies
1d23h
They came out and said they are making them worse, its not an illusion.
0 replies
1d10h
No, they are getting worse. But it has changed progressively so there is not really a point in time when it went significantly worse rapidly (except if you’re collateral damage in the cat-and-mouse game with ad blockers).
But comparing across several years it is hard to ignore.
0 replies
1d23h
addressed somewhat to HN commenters in general and not just to you: it's okay to trust your first hand observations and real life experience from time to time instead of constantly reaching for increasingly complicated explanations for why you must be wrong when your experience doesn't match the data you've been fed
1 replies
1d23h
I feel like they started to get really bad when YouTube started offering the monthly subscription.
0 replies
1d14h
That was October 2015.
0 replies
2d
Search for the video in DuckDuckGo, flip to video, and watch it in there. No commercials.
0 replies
1d3h
Use an Albanian VPN and you’ll get no YT ads on your phone. Toggle VPN only when you’re watching YouTube. Apparently Albania has banned ads on YT so you don’t get any.
0 replies
1d8h
Progressive enshittification.
I’ve noticed similar and assumed that they are taking a Starbucks-esque approach of adding more and more ad time until they start to see an overall drop in earning.
11 replies
1d16h
The Boring Co. could have a new consumer market on its hands helping people excavate underground as they seek cooler temperatures.
3 replies
1d14h
Exactly. I think the Boring company has unlimited opportunity.
In the future, everything will be underground
1 replies
1d13h
You've been watching "the 12 monkeys" ? Or just read PKD's "The Penultimate Truth" ? Or even just "Terminator" because that seems to be about humanity's life underground. Or even the polish film "sexmission" from 1984. Or maybe Stanslaw Lem's "memoir found in a bathtub" about the pentagon 5 layers deep underground...
0 replies
1d11h
One of those is not like the others
0 replies
10h17m
Not sure about the American southwest, but here in Europe we not only have heat waves, but also periods of heavy rain causing (more and more) severe flooding. I rather see everything on stilts in the future ;-/
3 replies
1d10h
Going underground is not a solution to rising temperatures. The reason why it’s good at keeping its temperature somewhat constant is because it is a poor heat conductor.
It’s fine for a cellar or something like that but larger structures still require air conditioning. See for example the London Underground where they have issues with the deep underground lines heating up over the years.
2 replies
1d10h
A major problem with the London Underground is the thermal energy introduced by trains and support equipment itself.
Spaces inhabited just by people and incidental devices (e.g., LED lighting, fans, personal electronics) should see far less heating effect, particularly if they're well-ventilated such that any accumulated heat could transfer out quickly.
Houses have had cellars and basements for centuries if not longer, and those aren't known for getting uncomfortably warm.
1 replies
1d6h
Also cold air always keeps down. Its not as dramatic as in water, but it does happen.
0 replies
20h45m
For large enough subterranean structures, air exchange becomes a challenge.
One place this is evident is with naturally-formed caves, where changes in atmospheric air pressure translate to air movements in and out of the caverns themselves, one consequence of which is the many "moaning caverns" --- the airflow and resonances are sufficient to create audible sounds associated with the movement. It can take hours for pressure to equalise if the volumes and apatures are sufficiently divergent.
Warm air will rise, and cold sink, yes, but if there are any trap-type structures (e.g., a tunnel which rises then descends again) the rising/falling air will be trapped at a local maximum or minimum. This is directly comparable to a thermal inversion associated with smog and urban pollution, often occurring during winter time. The only way around this is forced or active ventilation.
You've also got the "stale air" problem. If there's only a single entrance, or entrances are only on one part of the cave complex, air as a whole moves in and out of the caverns, but the deepest and furthest recesses see relatively little interchange. This leads to one of the hazards of spelunking in the event noxious gasses accumulate or oxygen is displaced.
For the London Underground (and other subway systems), much of the air exchange is provided by the trains themselves, through the "piston effect" of a trainset moving through a low-clearance tunnel. You'll experience this as the gust of wind which preceeds a train's arrival, or the suction as it leaves a platform. This effects some thermal transfer, but mechanical ventilation is still required.
Non-transport-oriented underground or partially-subgrade structures typically have far more relative air transfer, and would generally have less-signficant airflow / air exchange challenges, though I suspect there's still quite a bit of HVAC engineering involved, for thermal and other reasons (stale room-space air, radon emissions, mould & moisture, etc.).
2 replies
1d12h
How could there be a world where mechanized tunnel boring is feasible but air conditioners aren't?
0 replies
1d3h
Holes stay dug (for the most part), AC needs energy to keep working.
0 replies
1d1h
We're talking CapEx vs OpEx, not "go back to the pre-industrial era".
8 replies
2d2h
Nice being there in the event of a flood.
You can accomplish better insulation and thermal mass above the ground, while having better ventilation and less humidity.
3 replies
2d1h
well this particular site has survived 98 years. I wonder if it ever got flooded and then restored or if it went the whole time without flood damage
1 replies
2d
My whole childhood I dreamed of digging secret tunnels and chambers all throughout my future house and yard etc. Imagine my dismay when I found out about water table and ventilation :-(
0 replies
1d17h
Similar vibe: Finding out how little time astronauts actually got to spend in space.
0 replies
1d23h
Sewers can last millennia.
1 replies
2d1h
You can accomplish better thermal mass?
0 replies
1d17h
Yes. Because it can be semi-insulating (straw bales) or it can be externally insulated. Mass isn't just mass ... it needs controls and energy input. A hole in the ground is attached to the ground and that's the end of the story. No control. No thermal inputs.
0 replies
1d23h
Presumably this wouldn't work in areas that flood, but Fresno isn't one of them. I also wondered about earthquakes, which are a risk in some parts of CA.
0 replies
1d22h
YT Comment from the video creator:
> Since so many people have asked about what happens when it rains, here is Shera's response: "Baldassare actually put drainage systems in place! Many of the rooms are built on a grade and sump pits are placed in strategic areas throughout the Underground Gardens where the water is directed to collect and reuse. While it does get muddy underground, we do not deal with any serious flooding."7 replies
2d1h
This is a great, very fascinating YouTube channel.
Dirksen travels North America and Europe with her husband and 3 or 4 kids documenting home designs of all types. Lots of tiny homes in Los Angeles and California ( I believe one or two in Toronto ) as well as Western Europe. Her husband is from Catalunya so they've a bunch of clips from there. There's also one of a man who build a home sort of next to or inside a cave.
The coolest clips by far are ones of ancient abandoned villages and compounds (I think one castle-like structure) in Spain, Portugal and Italy that individuals took over and converted into homes.
1 replies
2d1h
I used to watch her videos back when she had very little followers. I'm glad to see she picked up so many subscribers, it's well deserved. I enjoy the way she interacts with the people because it seems more natural than the other heavily edited/pro formats.
0 replies
1d23h
Agreed on all points. Her family is a big part of that casual interaction since they're young enough to be super active and curious. They seem to get on especially well with older subjects
I only just discovered her during the pandemic and since then a lot of copy cat projects've popped up and moved on to bigger streaming platforms. I'd buy a DVD/Blu-Ray collection of her YouTubes
1 replies
1d22h
I love Dirksen, and a very similar channel on YT is called Exploring Alternatives
0 replies
1d19h
I've seen a few videos from that channel.
downtoearth is another good one.
1 replies
1d23h
I really like her content, especially the earthship videos. The 'home engineering' that goes into these buildings is awesome. Though I'll probably never get to build one, would happily play a game based on this (like some sort of physics based survival game? Is this a thing?)
0 replies
1d22h
The earthship design includes a lot of ideas from permaculture design. Dirksen has also toured Brad Landcaster's site, in which the permaculture design is very obvious, and it is not an earthship. Those design principles and method applies to any region, biome, or climate, so even if you may never get to build an earthship, you can still use permaculture design wherever you land.
0 replies
1d23h
Kirsten has a way of bringing out the enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and happy in people she interviews.
A rare gift that she combines with superb editing.
5 replies
1d23h
This is wonderful – however I feel a bit sad that is a museum rather than an active place people live. So many examples of wonderful architecture in California, but they are museums, and around them are built sub par structures.
1 replies
1d21h
Not just California - The Alamo in San Antonio is surrounded by cheap tourist stores.
It was run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas for years and they did a great job but didn't have any influence over the zoning around the Mission. It is now run by the Alamo Trust and they have a plan and the ability to restore the plaza area around it.
0 replies
1d6h
I visited in 2002 and my lasting memory: giant tourist trap.
0 replies
1d11h
Fwiw, there is an established community of people experimenting with underground homes in the western United states. These are places where folks actually live and the curious can rent for a short term. https://earthship.com/
0 replies
1d21h
I think you can rent it out as an event space if you wanted to have your wedding there!
0 replies
1d18h
There might be lots of cool actively inhabited houses. If they are actively inhabited, we wouldn't know they exist.
2 replies
1d22h
I was passing through Fresno last week, on the way back from a family trip. I'll have to check it out.
The California High Speed Rail is being constructed, so hopefully, by the next trip, I can just pop into Fresno via HSR.
1 replies
1d22h
According to Wikipedia the first section, which includes Fresno, is currently expected to commence service in 2030-2033. Hope you have another trip before then!
Don’t feel too bad though. I’m simply waiting for them to continue the Bay Bridge bicycle path from Yerba Buena Island to San Francisco (completing the Oakland to SF bicycle path) and that’s also not slated for completion till 2030.
0 replies
1d21h
I hope so too!
We drove through Merced and saw the new line in and around town. I guess I wasn't paying attention in Fresno.
0 replies
1d12h
Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forestiere_Underground_Gardens
0 replies
1d19h
Also covered by Huell Howser, if you are a fan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b645RQuD6lI
0 replies
1d6h
The closest thing to minecraft in real life I have ever seen.
0 replies
1d22h
Hotel, not home. It may have started as "man was not meant to live in these temperatures" but it turned into a phenomenally ahead-of-its-time idea.
We went there a few years ago and it's insane that what you see is only half of what he did: the family was stupid enough to buy half and then destroy it "to use the land". In the category "not understanding what you have", this one's up there.
0 replies
2d
Very Uncle Owen on Tattoine vibe, I love it. Moisture farmers.
It astounds me that these things do not catch on.
Basements are very common throughout the country. Once you've built a basement, you might as well put a house on the next floor up.
Modern insulation technology is very effective. It's much cheaper to put a lot of insulation in the above-ground portion of a house than to try to build the equivalent area entirely below the grade.
Building entirely below the surface without putting anything on top would be massively expensive compared to the same square footage in a traditional home, even if you accounted for equivalent insulation and cooling costs. It's not even close.
I lived in Fresno for 15 years. I spent north of $400 bucks a month on AC in the summertime (starts in June and goes till early November). I lived in a new home with modern insulation.
I now live in NY and I have a basement. It's generally about 10 degrees cooler. I would have loved that in Fresno.
Is power just very expensive in Fresno?
$400pm just for aircon seems crazy high to me.
Living in Perth, Western Australia id use that over a 2-3mth period over the summer running aircon 24/7
Electricity in California is the most expensive in the country. When I lived there I spent between 20-35c/kWh. I moved to Utah and now pay approx 9c/kWh, cheaper by a factor of about 3. I live in the Southwest part of the state where the temperatures regularly hit 46c and my electric bill comes out to about $100.
9c per hour is insanely cheap :o
For comparison I'm paying 31.6c/kwh and 113c/per day supply charge. (prices in AUD cents)
Think that's about 21c USD
9¢ per kilowatt hour is insanely expensive
typical wholesale prices are 2½¢ per kilowatt hour
solar panels are 8¢/peak watt https://www.solarserver.de/photovoltaik-preis-pv-modul-preis... which works out to 40¢ per average watt assuming a 20% capacity factor. at 7% yearly interest, that's 2.8 cents per watt, and since a year has 8.766 kilohours, it's 0.3¢ per kilowatt hour. for ac inverter systems, balance of system costs typically triple this, and in the us, import tariffs double it again to 1.8¢ per kilowatt hour
the future is already here; it just isn't widely distributed. and that's why you're getting scammed
I mean I can get solar on my roof for about $4000Aud and then I pay nothing unless it's particularly cloudy.
But for grid electricity even if the generation is dirt cheap the power company in WA is responsible for covering an area the size of a chunk of Europe with a total population of under 3million.
There are significant distribution costs involved and I suspect even at the prices we pay its subsidised by the government.
3x bigger than Texas for the North Americans, with the majority of that population about one extended urban area.
Correct! And about 120km end to end (depending on what you choose to define as "urban")
Driving from the southern tip of WA to the northern most point takes over 36hrs of continuous driving (~3600km)
All this is to say its pretty fucking big
$4000 is also pretty expensive; at my 7% yearly interest that's $23 a month. at my number of 0.9¢ per kilowatt hour that's 2600 kilowatt hours per month, an average of 3600 watts. i will be very surprised if you are using 3600 watts round-the-clock average unless you have a machine shop in your garage
so i think you are dramatically overestimating the cost of rooftop solar
It's 3-4 times more expensive to use electricity in california than it is in Texas. sometimes 5 times more for peak usage hours during the summer.
Fresno is in earthquake country, so they don't really build them here. However, it looks like this place has held up just fine over the years.
It's neat as an art project, but we aren't hobbits. People like windows.
Speak for yourself
While true, high ceilings with light scoops could be the rage.
I wonder if there aren’t zoning laws that create incentives for or against some of these approaches. In dry places the living space can be connected to rain-collecting cisterns that further help to reduce evaporation losses. When you free the surface to other uses, you can also generate power from wind or solar (and solar also helps to protect the top soil from evaporative losses).
Also, Radon. [https://www.epa.gov/radon/epa-map-radon-zones-0]
Good point.
I think that underground or earth bermed homes are often failures. There are different water and ventilation concerns for these. An above ground home is pretty accessible for repairs, but these can be nearly impossible if the home is underground.
This is what kills most "non-standard" homes and buildings - anywhere in the world.
If you build an American-style house in Bavaria it may end up a disaster because nobody around knows the building materials or how to fix it.
It gets even worse when it's entirely custom like this Skywalker style house, where it's a one-off using techniques nobody knows. You need a dedicated maintenance crew for that so they can learn all about it over time.
So something like this could work for a largish company, or a college campus, but as a one-off house it's going to be expensive and eventually abandoned.
It does not astound me. Building things underground is expensive and in a lot of cases not cost effective compared to the cost of electricity at human scale.
It has a long heritage. In fact, Cappadocia in Turkey is thought to have housed 20,000 people in one big underground network!
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220810-derinkuyu-turkey...