Plus: Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s conversation on X was late and glitchy
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
How the auto industry could steer the world toward green steel
Steel scaffolds our world, undergirding buildings and machines. It also presents a major challenge for climate change, as steel production is currently responsible for about 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
There’s a growing array of technologies that can produce steel with dramatically lower emissions—though some are still in development, and they often come with a higher price tag.
Finding economical ways to produce the materials we rely on while also cutting emissions is a major challenge for the industrial sector. But since automakers use a lot of steel, they have an opportunity to lead the charge to decarbonize the industry. Here’s how they could do it.
—Casey Crownhart
EmTech 2024 is coming
Want to learn more about the technologies that are shaping our lives? Join us for our flagship conference EmTech, held on the MIT Campus from September 30th to October 1st this fall. Take a sneak peek at our jam-packed agenda, which includes:
+ Ray Kurzweil, principal researcher at Google and AI visionary, discussing his latest predictions on artificial general intelligence, singularity, and the infinite possibilities of an AI-integrated world.
+ Riki Banerjee, CTO of brain-computer interface company Synchron, will give us an inside look at the future of minimally invasive brain-computer interfaces that enable humans to use their thoughts to control digital devices.
+ Pete Shadbolt, the cofounder and chief scientific officer of PsiQuantum, which is working to build the biggest US-based quantum computing facility, will explain the rewards and challenges facing quantum tech.
+ Yasmin Green, CEO of Jigsaw, a global security unit within Google, will dive into the secret digital behaviors of Gen Z.
The best part is, Download readers get 30% off with the following code: DOWNLOADM24. So what are you waiting for? Get your ticket today.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s chat on X was marred by glitches
Their conversation started more than 40 minutes late as a result. (WP $)
+ X staffers have contradicted Musk’s claims a DDoS attack was to blame. (The Verge)
+ The discussion was rambling, to say the least. (FT $)
2 A scientific journal has retracted three MDMA papers
Psychopharmacology cited concerns over missing data and unethical conduct. (Ars Technica)
+ The retraction comes just days after the FDA rejected MDMA as a PTSD treatment. (NYT $)
+ What’s next for MDMA. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Huawei is working on an Nvidia-rivaling chip
And unlike Nvidia’s, Huawei’s can go on sale in China. (WSJ $)
+ Smuggling Nvidia’s chips into forbidden territories is big business. (The Information $)
+ This unassuming Czech town is on its way to becoming a chip hub. (Bloomberg $)
+ What’s next in chips. (MIT Technology Review)
4 How a plan to revitalize Puerto Rico’s economy with crypto soured
The ‘Puertopia’ tech hub dream is dead. (NYT $)
+ Crypto millionaires are pouring money into Central America to build their own cities. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Wastewater could prove a sustainable source of fuel
The process to break it down is more environmentally-friendly and less energy-intensive than other ammonia production methods. (New Scientist $)
+ How ammonia could help clean up global shipping. (MIT Technology Review)
6 The long, lonely journey to the moon’s south pole
Companies are locked in competition to make NASA’s lunar vehicle. (Wired $)
7 Recruiters are being inundated with AI-generated CVs
Jobseekers are failing to conceal generative tools’ tell-tale signs. (FT $)
8 What TikTok is teaching tweens about beauty
Modern girlhood is peppered with $80 serums for skin issues they’re yet to develop. (New Yorker $)
9 AI could help us to track animals from their footprints 🐾
It’s an unobtrusive way of keeping track of elusive species. (Hakai Magazine)
+ How tracking animal movement may save the planet. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Would you stare into a stranger’s eyes online? 👀
If the notion doesn’t fill you with horror, Eyechat is the site for you. (404 Media)
+ A dating app for people with good credit scores has sadly closed down. (TechCrunch)
Quote of the day
“The vehicle for sowing fear and doubt about the system itself has changed — it’s just this perpetual moving target.”
—Justin F. Roebuck, the county clerk for Ottawa County in Michigan, describes the immense challenges election officials face in countering false political narratives to the New York Times.
The big story
Quantum computing is taking on its biggest challenge: noise
January 2024
In the past 20 years, hundreds of companies have staked a claim in the rush to establish quantum computing. Investors have put in well over $5 billion so far. All this effort has just one purpose: creating the world’s next big thing.
But ultimately, assessing our progress in building useful quantum computers comes down to one central factor: whether we can handle the noise. The delicate nature of their systems makes them extremely vulnerable to the slightest disturbance, which can generate errors or even stop a quantum computation in its tracks.
In the last couple of years, a series of breakthroughs have led researchers to declare that the problem of noise might finally be on the ropes. Read the full story.
—Michael Brooks
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ The story behind Moby’s seminal single Go—featuring Laura Palmer’s Theme from Twin Peaks.
+ These photos of the Perseid meteor shower over the UK this week are really beautiful.
+ This TikTok account recreating House of the Dragon in The Sims is too good.
+ Stumped by the financial jargon they use in Industry? You’re not alone.
