That is as we speak’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on this planet of expertise.
What’s subsequent for carbon removing?
After years of development that spawned lots of of startups, the nascent carbon removing sector seems to be dealing with a reckoning.
Working Tide, a promising aquaculture firm, shut down its operations final summer time, and a handful of different corporations have shuttered, downsized, or pivoted in latest months as nicely. Enterprise investments have flagged. And the collective business hasn’t made a complete lot extra progress towards Working Tide’s formidable plans to sequester a billion tons of carbon dioxide by this yr.
The hype section is over and the sector is sliding into the turbulent enterprise trough that follows, consultants warn.
And the open query is: If the carbon removing sector is heading right into a painful if inevitable clearing-out cycle, the place will it go from there? Learn the total story.
—James Temple
This story is a part of MIT Expertise Evaluate’s What’s Subsequent collection, which seems to be throughout industries, developments, and applied sciences to present you a primary have a look at the long run. You’ll be able to learn the remainder of them right here.
An AI app to measure ache is right here
This week I’ve additionally been questioning how science and expertise will help reply that query—particularly in terms of ache.
Within the newest concern of MIT Expertise Evaluate’s print journal, Deena Mousa describes how an AI-powered smartphone app is getting used to evaluate how a lot ache an individual is in.
The app, and different instruments prefer it, may assist medical doctors and caregivers. They might be particularly helpful within the care of people that aren’t in a position to inform others how they’re feeling.
However they’re removed from excellent. They usually open up every kind of thorny questions on how we expertise, talk, and even deal with ache. Learn the total story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
This text first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Expertise Evaluate’s weekly biotech e-newsletter. To obtain it in your inbox each Thursday, and browse articles like this primary, enroll right here.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you as we speak’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Meta’s legal professionals suggested staff to take away elements of its teen psychological well being analysis
Its counsel informed researchers to dam or replace their work to cut back authorized legal responsibility. (Bloomberg $)
+ Meta just lately laid off greater than 100 employees tasked with monitoring dangers to person privateness. (NYT $)
2 Donald Trump has pardoned the convicted Binance founder
Changpeng Zhao pleaded responsible to violating US cash laundering legal guidelines in 2023. (WSJ $)
+ The transfer is more likely to allow Binance to renew working within the US. (CNN)
+ Trump has vowed to be extra crypto-friendly than the Biden administration. (Axios)
3 Anthropic and Google Cloud have signed a serious chips deal
The settlement is price tens of billions of {dollars}. (FT $)
4 Microsoft doesn’t need you to speak soiled to its AI
It’ll depart that form of factor to OpenAI, thanks very a lot. (CNBC)
+ Copilot now has its personal model of Clippy—simply don’t attempt to get erotic with it. (The Verge)
+ It’s fairly straightforward to get DeepSeek to speak soiled, nevertheless. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
5 Large Tech is footing the invoice for Trump’s White Home ballroom
Rise up Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. (TechCrunch)
+ Crypto twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss are additionally among the many donors. (CNN)
6 US investigators have busted a collection of high-tech playing schemes
Involving specially-designed contact lenses and x-ray tables. (NYT $)
+ The case follows insider bets on basketball and poker video games rigged by the mafia. (BBC)
+ Automated card shufflers might be compromised, too. (Wired $)
7 Deepfake harassment instruments are simply accessible on social media
And easy net searches. (404 Media)
+ Bans on deepfakes take us solely to this point—right here’s what we actually want. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
8 How algorithms can drive up costs on-line
Even benign algorithms can typically yield dangerous outcomes for patrons. (Quanta Journal)
+ When AIs cut price, a much less superior agent may value you. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
9 How one can give an LLM mind rot
Prepare it on quick “superficial” posts from X, for a begin. (Ars Technica)
+ AI skilled on AI rubbish spits out AI rubbish. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
10 Meet the tech staff utilizing AI as little as potential
In a bid to maintain their abilities sharp. (WP $)
+ This professor thinks there are different methods to show individuals how you can study. (The Atlantic $)
Quote of the day
“He was convicted. He’s not harmless.”
—Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticises Donald Trump’s choice to pardon convicted cryptocurrency mogul Changpeng Zhao, Politico studies.
Yet one more factor
We’ve by no means understood how starvation works. That could be about to vary.
While you’re ravenous, starvation is sort of a demon. It awakens probably the most historical and primitive elements of the mind, then commandeers different neural equipment to do its bidding till it will get what it needs.
Though scientists have had some success in stimulating starvation in mice, we nonetheless don’t actually perceive how the impulse to eat works. Now, some consultants are following identified elements of the neural starvation circuits into uncharted elements of the mind to try to discover out.
Their work may shed new mild on the components which have brought on the variety of chubby adults worldwide to skyrocket lately. And it may additionally assist remedy the mysteries round how and why a brand new class of weight-loss medication appears to work so nicely. Learn the total story.
—Adam Piore
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ Center aged males are entering into cliff-jumping. Do you have to?
+ Pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies feels like a terrific concept to me.
+ Christmas Island’s crabs are on the transfer! 
+ Be careful if you happen to’re taking the NY subway as we speak: you may stumble upon these terrifying witches.
