Ben Ikenson, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Buying a Prefab ADU Was Supposed to Be Easier Than This

1 week ago | dwell.com | Ben Ikenson

A few months ago, Vanessa Gibbons contacted Meka Modular, a San Jose, California, prefab builder, only to discover that something seemed off. She and her dad were planning on having an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) built in Joshua Tree, and Meka’s designs "were simple and affordable, so I reached out," she told us via email.
Buying a Prefab ADU Was Supposed to Be Easier Than This

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Ben Ikenson

Several builders are making promises they can’t keep—or never intended to—leaving buyers in the lurch and thousands of dollars poorer. A few months ago, Vanessa Gibbons contacted Meka Modular, a San Jose, California, prefab builder, only to discover that something seemed off. She and her dad were planning on having an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) built in Joshua Tree, and Meka’s designs "were simple and affordable, so I reached out," she told us via email.
Quantum imaging method developed for enhanced image clarity

1 month ago | phys.org | Ben Ikenson

For decades, quantum imaging has promised sharper images and greater light sensitivity than classical methods by exploiting the unique properties of quantum light, such as photon entanglement. But the approaches to do so rely on delicate, specially engineered light sources that are easily overwhelmed by real-world noise, and it is difficult to generate quantum light bright enough for practical use.
America’s “First Car-Free Neighborhood” Is Going Pretty Good, Actually?

Feb 4, 2025 | dwell.com | Ben Ikenson

View 6 PhotosSince breaking ground in 2019, Culdesac Tempe has had its share of detractors and skeptics. But none of them live there. View 6 PhotosIt’s been two years since Culdesac Tempe, the self-proclaimed "first car-free neighborhood in America," opened with a goal of making walkability its centerpiece.
Looking to the future of energy meteorology

Dec 4, 2024 | pubs.aip.org | Katherine De Lange |Ben Ikenson |Mara Johnson-Groh |Indiah Cornish

Many countries are rapidly shifting their energy generation from fossil fuels to renewable sources like wind and solar. While these have many advantages, they are also dependent on weather for their output. To reduce uncertainty and improve energy production, the field of energy meteorology has been developed to analyze and forecast weather patterns and their effects on renewable energy systems. Schroedter-Homscheidt et al.
The ADU Boom Has Begun. Is It Adding the Housing We Need?

Nov 21, 2024 | dwell.com | Ben Ikenson

View 6 PhotosExperts say affordable housing must come in many forms. But early signs show backyard homes—a win for landowners and renters alike—could be a crucial one. View 6 PhotosIn 2021, city officials in Malibu, California, denied a family’s request to attach a 460-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to their home to accommodate an immunocompromised grandmother in her 80s.
Perfecting refrigerator freezers through magnetic resonance velocimetry

Nov 18, 2024 | pubs.aip.org | Katherine De |Katherine De Lange |Ben Ikenson |Hannah Daniel

Topics Magnetic resonance, Energy efficiency, Household appliances, Refrigerators, Flow visualization, Fluid flows, Turbulent flows, Velocimetry Magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV) is a flow visualization technique extending to opaque and complex internal structures. It measures both mean velocity field and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), two factors important for improving energy efficiency and reducing flow-induced noise.
This new Phoenix development could be a model for extremely affordable senior housing - Fast Company

Nov 13, 2024 | fastcompany.com | Ben Ikenson

Made of repurposed shipping containers and completely off the grid, it’s an effort to provide fast, affordable housing to formerly homeless seniors.
Doubling photon-processing power for MKID readout

Nov 8, 2024 | pubs.aip.org | Ben Ikenson |Hannah Daniel |Katherine De Lange

Topics Superconducting devices, Single-photon detector, Field programmable gate array, Energy detector, Microwave devices, Linear filters, Dilution refrigerators, Digital signal processing, Frequency combs, Optical metrology Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) are superconducting detectors capable of counting single photons while measuring their energy and arrival time down to the microsecond.
An atomic beam of titanium produced from commercially available parts

Nov 8, 2024 | pubs.aip.org | Ben Ikenson |Hannah Daniel |Katherine De Lange

Topics Ultra-high vacuum, Ultracold atoms, Atomic and molecular beams, Doppler broadening effects, Magneto-optical trap, Laser cooling, Transition metals, Laser fluorescence spectroscopy, Dark states Atomic beams are central to the study of atomic properties. While some elements, like alkalis, are easily produced in a beam by sublimation in a vacuum, others are not.