That is at this time’s version of The Download, our weekday publication that gives a every day dose of what’s happening on the earth of know-how.
These unique satellite tv for pc photos present Saudi Arabia’s sci-fi megacity is properly underway
In early 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia introduced The Line: a “civilizational revolution” that may home as much as 9 million folks in a zero-carbon megacity, 170 kilometers lengthy and half a kilometer excessive however simply 200 meters extensive. Inside its mirrored, car-free partitions, residents could be whisked round in underground trains and electrical air taxis.
Satellite tv for pc photos of the $500 billion venture obtained exclusively by MIT Technology Review present that the Line’s huge linear constructing website is already taking form. Go to The Line’s location on Google Maps and Google Earth, nonetheless, and you will notice little greater than naked rock and sand.
The unusual hole in imagery raises questions on who will get to entry high-res satellite tv for pc know-how. And if the biggest city building website on the planet doesn’t seem on Google Maps, what else can’t we see? Read the full story.
—Mark Harris
Why infants sleep a lot
Infants spend way more time asleep than they do awake. Scientists nonetheless aren’t precisely positive why, however new applied sciences are beginning to shed a bit extra mild on this thriller—and will assist reveal what’s going on contained in the quickly creating mind of a new child.
In the course of the first few months, infants’ brains are creating connections at a price of roughly one million synapses a second. These connections are thought to play a key position in serving to infants be taught to make sense of the world round them, setting essential foundations for the remainder of their life. Read the full story.
This story is from The Checkup, a weekly publication by our senior reporter Jessica Hamzelou which provides you the low-down on all issues biomedicine and biotechnology. Sign up to obtain it in your inbox each Thursday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at this time’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Covid knowledge is beginning to disappear in China
It’s about to enter its deadliest section of the pandemic. How lethal? We received’t know. (FT $)
+ A letter from Foxconn’s founder could have helped to influence China’s leaders to desert zero-covid. (WSJ $)
+ The coverage pivot has been met with aid—but additionally fear and confusion. (NYT $)
+ Right here’s what scientists should say about it. (Nature)
2 AI selfies are all over the place
You’ll be able to thank the app Lensa, and the very fact folks can’t resist sharing how attractive it makes them look. (WP $)
+ Nonetheless, it generates troublingly NSFW photos. Even when the photograph is of a kid. (Wired $)
+ AI is getting higher and higher at producing convincing textual content too. (Vox)
+ Are you able to inform an actual tweet from one written by an AI? (WSJ $)
3 Individuals are flocking to local weather hazard zones
Migration patterns are largely away from safer areas, in the direction of hotter, drier areas with extra wildfires. (Wired $)
+ These three charts present who’s most guilty for local weather change. (MIT Technology Review)
4 A lawsuit claims girls had been focused for Twitter layoffs
In engineering roles, 63% of ladies misplaced their jobs in comparison with 48% of males. (NBC)
+ Musk’s plan to encrypt Twitter messages appears to be on maintain. (Forbes)
+ Twitter is planning to alter the price of ‘Twitter Blue’ after a spat with Apple. (The Information $)
+ Elon Musk is brazenly courting a far-right, conspiracy obsessed fan base. (Wired $)
5 CoinDesk’s FTX scoop shot its personal dad or mum firm within the foot
Possession constructions in crypto are advanced—and on this case, a bit too cozy for consolation. (The Verge)
+ Crypto execs exchanged frantic texts as FTX collapsed. (NYT $)
6 Exhausted by the web? You’re not alone.
It’s starting to really feel like a dying mall stuffed with shops you don’t need to go to. (New Yorker $)
+ Amazon is launching a TikTok clone. Sure, Amazon. (WP $)
7 The hype round esports is fading
A wider financial downturn is inflicting sponsors and traders to flee. (Bloomberg $)
+ The FTC is making an attempt to dam Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of online game large Activision Blizzard. (Vox)
8 What causes Alzheimer’s?
A stream of current findings recommend that it’s extra advanced than the build-up of amyloid plaques. (Quanta)
+ The miracle molecule that would deal with mind accidents and increase your fading reminiscence. (MIT Technology Review)
9 The worldwide spyware and adware trade has spiraled uncontrolled
And the US is taking part in each arsonist and firefighter, adopting the exact same instruments it condemns. (NYT $)
+ It’s laborious to manage spyware and adware know-how when it’s in such excessive demand from governments all over the world. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Xiaomi taught a robotic to play the drums
Skilled musicians can relaxation straightforward for now although, if the demo clip is something to go by. (IEEE Spectrum)
Quote of the day
“Globalization is nearly useless. Free commerce is nearly useless. And lots of people nonetheless want they might come again, however I actually don’t assume that it is going to be again for some time.”
—Morris Chang, founding father of Taiwanese chip large TSMC, made some blunt remarks about geopolitics on the launch of a brand new plant in Arizona this week, Nikkei Asia stories.
The large story
The way forward for city housing is energy-efficient fridges
June 2022
The getting old flats beneath the purview of the New York Metropolis Housing Authority don’t scream innovation. The most important landlord within the metropolis, housing practically 1 in 16 New Yorkers, NYCHA has seen its buildings actually crumble after many years of deferred upkeep and poor stewardship. It might require an estimated $40 billion or extra, a minimum of $180,000 per unit, to return the buildings to a state of fine restore.
Regardless of the size of the problem, NYCHA is hoping to repair them. It has launched a Clear Warmth for All Problem which asks producers to develop low-cost, easy-to-install heat-pump applied sciences for constructing retrofits. The stakes for the company, the successful firm, and for society itself might be enormous—and good for the planet.
In spite of everything, it’s way more sustainable to retrofit current buildings than to tear them down and construct new ones. Read the full story.
—Patrick Sisson
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre occasions. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ This Photoshop comic about changing the sky is basically pretty.
+ Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas: no matter you name him, he’s bought a long and illustrious history.
+ The best way to nail dressing smartly, yet casually.
+ Cowboy butter, anybody?
