What civil engineers are reading this week

• Mississippi River endangered by becoming over-engineered, author concludes

  “The river we’ve built is coming apart,” warns Boyce Upholt in The Great River, his expansive exploration of the most important river in the United States.

• The sun’s south pole captured in photos for the first time ever

  Scientists have captured images of the elusive south pole of the sun. The images captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft reveal our star's magnetic field is a powder keg ready to blow.

• Quality of life drives ASCE’s 2025 list of top 10 best places to be a civil engineer

  A change in methodology means a shakeup in the rankings of ASCE’s annual best places for civil engineers to live and enjoy successful careers, with a greater focus on salaries and cost of living. 

• Carbon capture more expensive than switching to renewables, Stanford study reveals

  Large-scale adoption of carbon dioxide-capturing industrial emissions and the atmosphere would be significantly more costly and environmentally harmful than shifting to renewable energy, researchers say.

• What is AI’s place in the civil engineering profession? How about the future?

  Civil engineers say artificial intelligence – when implemented properly – is a positive for the profession, though it comes with red flags. Learn more in the latest from our Trending in the Industry series.

• UK’s National Grid tests 3D-printed foundations

  The project will first explore the feasibility of this technology for noncritical structures, such as lighting column foundations.