The Download: demonstrate you’re human, and replacing the grid’s gasoline
As AI fashions change into better at mimicking human behavior, it’s becoming extra and additional primary to uncover aside between right human cyber internet users and complex programs imitating them.
That’s a right discipline when these programs are deployed for unfriendly ends worship spreading misinformation or conducting fraud, and it makes it quite a bit tougher to belief what you stumble upon on-line.
A team of researchers enjoy developed a doable resolution— a verification theory known as ‘personhood credentials’ that proves its holder is a right particular person, without revealing any additional details about their identity. Learn the total tale to learn the draw it in truth works.
—Rhiannon Williams
The flee to interchange the primary greenhouse gasoline that underpins the energy grid
The energy grid is underpinned by a single gasoline that is outdated to insulate a unfold of high-voltage tools. The discipline is, it’s moreover a gigantic primary greenhouse gasoline: a nightmare for climate commerce.
Sulfur hexafluoride (or SF6) is a lot from essentially the most popular gasoline that warms the planet, contributing around 1% of warming to this point—carbon dioxide and methane are noteworthy extra properly-identified and grand. But emissions of the gasoline are continuously ticking up yearly.
Now, companies enjoy to raise out away with tools that depends on the gasoline and browsing for replacements that can match its efficiency. Learn the total tale.
—Casey Crownhart
Unveiling the 2024 Innovator of the twelve months
Yearly, MIT Technology Analysis recognizes 35 Innovators Beneath 35. These young entrepreneurs, researchers, and humanitarians are inventing offers and constructing programs to encourage sort out the enviornment’s most pressing issues in biotechnology, computing, and climate science.
On Monday, September 9, we’ll introduce our 2024 Innovator of the twelve months dwell to verbalize the tale LinkedIn. Be half of us at 12.30pm ET to earn out who it’s, and evaluate their work and the impact they’re having in this special broadcast sooner than the checklist’s e-newsletter. Register here to be amongst the key to know!
The must-reads
I’ve combed the cyber internet to earn you on the present time’s most relaxing/crucial/provoking/full of life tales about know-how.
1 X is form of a bit quieter without its Brazilian users
The extraordinarily on-line nation ran a quantity of X’s most neatly-preferred fan accounts. (NYT $)
+ Brazil’s Supreme Court docket is below fireplace from some quarters for banning get entry to to the platform. (FT $)+ The investors who helped Elon Musk enjoy X are severely out of pocket. (WP $)
2 China’s on-line surveillance earn is widening
Influencers’ followers are extra and additional becoming targets for police interrogation. (The Guardian)
+ How 2023 marked the death of anonymity on-line in China. (MIT Technology Analysis)
3 Intel has a blueprint to revive its fortunes
The once-mighty chipmaker plans to shed as many pointless sources as conceivable. (Reuters)
+ Its sales are horrified, and rival Nvidia is prospering. (Bloomberg $)
4 We’d like noteworthy extra grid storage
EVs haven’t absolutely taken off, so battery makers enjoy to the grid as a change. (Economist $)
+ Unique iron batteries could per chance encourage. (MIT Technology Analysis)
5 Relationship apps are increasing AI wingmen to permit you flirt
Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr’s original bots will indicate at ease chat-up lines. (FT $)
6 US sanctions are pushing China and Russia to manufacture original price programs
To encourage them skirt the US-buck-dominated world monetary affirm. (Insider $)
+ Is the digital buck ineffective? (MIT Technology Analysis)
7 These scientists are looking out out for to store natural samples on the moon
Seeds, plant, animal and microbial samples will more than seemingly be safer there than on Earth. (Wired $)
+ Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is making weird and wonderful noises. (Ars Technica)
+ Future dwelling food will more than seemingly be made out of astronaut breath. (MIT Technology Analysis)
8 Making video calls from penal complex is severely expensive
But US regulators are within the slay capping how noteworthy internal most companies can price. (WSJ $)
9 Curiosity apps are exploding in repute
Social media fatigue is good, and Strava and Letterboxd are reaping the advantages. (Bloomberg $)
+ Desire to notion what your company are as a lot as? Study your Venmo. (The Atlantic $)
+ Learn the technique to fix the cyber internet. (MIT Technology Analysis)
10 Why AI is such a compelling film villain
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Terminator to the Matrix. (WP $)
Forsaking fossil fuels and adopting lower-carbon applied sciences are our excellent alternatives for warding off the accelerating threat of climate commerce. And get entry to to rare earth points, key substances in a quantity of these applied sciences, will partly decide which countries will meet their needs for lowering emissions.
Some countries, including the US, are extra and additional worried about whether or no longer the provision of these points will dwell stable. In consequence, scientists and firms alike are intent on increasing get entry to and adorning sustainability by exploring secondary or unconventional sources. Learn the total tale.
—Mureji Fatunde
We can aloof enjoy nice issues
A discipline for comfort, relaxing and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any solutions? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Now plunge is officially on its manner, it’s time to update your autumnal studying checklist ($)
+ I worship this checklist of a neuroscientist and her infant captured by an MRI machine.
+ My well-liked Olympic sport? Snail racing! You are going to read extra about how the snails energy their cramped vehicles here (thanks Claire!)
+ Marginal beneficial properties in truth raise out work.