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Eelco van Bommel

Inside 'The Line': Saudi Arabia's Linear City, from a 170-km Plan to a 2.4-km First Phase

Illustration: the mirrored facade of a linear city in the desert, with a long colonnade visible in the reflection The Line is the centrepiece of Neom, the development region Saudi Arabia is building in its north-western desert: a mirrored structure presented in 2022 as 170 kilometres long, 200 metres wide and 500 metres high, designed to house nine million people without cars or roads, powered by renewables, with an official cost estimate of around $500 billion. This post summarises an architectural analysis of that design by Daniel Titchener (August 2025) and sets it against the reporting on what has actually been built and paid for since.

We're reclaiming Iceland's Deserts - here's how

A gravel plain with young shrubs and lupines in front of a glacier in Iceland

Embark on a fascinating journey to Iceland, where Mossy Earth is tackling the monumental task of reclaiming the island's vast deserts. This video delves into a crucial rewilding project focused on restoring Iceland's native birchwoods, a vital part of its ecological heritage. Once covering a significant portion of the landscape, these resilient woodlands, offering shelter, food for biodiversity, and crucial soil stabilization, have dwindled to a mere 1% of their former glory. Join us as we explore the challenges and innovative approaches to bringing these essential ecosystems back to life.

Deep Dive Into Cleaning With Dry Ice

Illustration: a pressure washer cleaning a grimy engine block, one half clean and one half still covered in dirt

Ever wondered how to achieve an exceptionally deep clean, making surfaces look brand new without harsh chemicals or abrasive scrubbing? This video takes a fascinating "Deep Dive Into Cleaning With Dry Ice," exploring the powerful and efficient world of dry ice blasting using Kärcher and Dry Ice Energy machines. Whether you're a seasoned professional in automotive detailing or industrial cleaning, or simply curious about advanced cleaning techniques, this guide provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know.

Academic AI Research Tool, Boost Your Research Productivity In One Click

Illustration: a researcher at a desk looking at a floating holographic panel of documents and citation graphs

In a webinar published on the AnswerThis channel, co-founder and CMO Ryan McCarroll demonstrates an AI research assistant that searches the literature, drafts citation-backed text and summarises papers. The pitch is speed: literature work that took weeks, in minutes. That claim comes from the vendor, so this post sets it next to what universities and publishers currently say about AI-generated references — because the documentation on that side is unusually concrete.

What if sailing had no rules?

Illustration: a racing sailboat at speed with debris flying behind it

Ever wondered what happens when you push the boundaries of sailing, throwing conventional rules out the window? This fascinating journey delves deep into the exhilarating world of marine engineering, exploring how sailors and engineers have continuously strived to conquer the waves, often against the very laws of physics. From the basic concept of "hull speed" to the cutting-edge designs of modern racing yachts, this video reveals the relentless pursuit of speed on water.

Why Tech Platforms Intentionally Work Worse, The Enshittification Phenomenon

Illustration: a monitor with floating social-media app icons and notification cards, while a hand reaches towards the screen Ever wondered why your favorite tech platforms, once sleek and user-friendly, now feel bogged down with an endless stream of ads and questionable content? You're not alone! This VPRO Tegenlicht documentary dives deep into a phenomenon aptly termed "Enshittification" by American activist and writer Cory Doctorow. It explains how platforms like Google, Instagram, and YouTube are deliberately degrading their services, filling search results with ads and scams, and prioritizing revenue over user experience.

Dutch housing market locked, 'someone has to pay the price' | Jona van Loenen

Illustration: two young people on a rooftop holding a banknote, with a much larger suited figure rising above the buildings behind them In episode #2010 of De Nieuwe Wereld, economist and columnist Jona van Loenen talks with Jelle van Baardewijk about the Dutch housing market. His position is that the shortage of houses is not what makes them expensive; the amount of money a buyer can borrow or bring along is. That claim sits next to the policy motto of the past decade — build, build, build — and it comes with proposals that would shift costs towards homeowners.

C4 models as code, Simon Brown, NDC Oslo 2023

UML class diagram example

The Agony of Outdated Architecture Diagrams

We've all been there. You're trying to understand a complex system, and you finally hunt down the architecture diagrams, only to be hit with a soul-crushing realization: they haven't been updated since the project's kickoff. The diagrams show a pristine monolith, but you know for a fact that the reality is a sprawling jungle of microservices, serverless functions, and cryptic third-party integrations. The documentation lies, and the "source of truth" is now just a source of confusion.

Minimum Viable Architecture, Randy Shoup, YOW! 2022

Diagram: a monolith on the left evolving into a small Minimum Viable Architecture core with many services connected to it

In the world of software engineering, there's a tempting desire to build the perfect, infinitely scalable architecture from day one. However, as veteran architect Randy Shoup explains in his talk at YOW! 2022, this is often a path to failure. The key takeaway is that architecture is not a static blueprint; it's an evolutionary journey that must align with the changing needs of the business. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Military spending and the future of Europe, #2006 Lex Hoogduin, Paul Buitink, Kees de Kort

Two soldiers on top of a camouflaged armoured vehicle during a military exercise, with forest and a blue sky behind them

In a recent discussion on De Nieuwe Wereld TV, hosted by Ad Verbrugge, economists Lex Hoogduin, Paul Buitink and Kees de Kort addressed some of the most pressing questions of the moment. The focus was on increased military spending, the state of Europe's economy, the future of the euro and the contours of a new financial and economic world order.