Afrigather Plus: Donald Trump has been elected US president for the second time
That is immediately’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what is going on on on the planet of know-how.
Life-seeking, ice-melting robots might punch by way of Europa’s icy shell
In the end, NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is on its method. It launched on October 14 and is now en path to its goal: Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa, whose frozen shell nearly definitely conceals a heat saltwater ocean. When the spacecraft will get there, it’s going to conduct dozens of shut flybys to be able to decide what that ocean is like and, crucially, the place it could be hospitable to life.
Europa Clipper continues to be years away from its vacation spot—it’s not slated to succeed in the Jupiter system till 2030. However that hasn’t stopped engineers and scientists from engaged on what would come subsequent if the outcomes are promising: a mission able to find proof of life itself. Learn the complete story.
— Robin George Andrews
GMOs might reboot chestnut bushes
Residing so long as a thousand years, the American chestnut tree as soon as dominated components of the Jap forest cover, with many Native American nations counting on them for meals. However by 1950, the tree had largely succumbed to a fungal blight in all probability launched by Japanese chestnuts.
As just lately as final yr, it appeared the 35-year effort to revive the American chestnut may grind to a halt. Now, American Castanea, a brand new biotech startup, has created greater than 2,500 transgenic chestnut seedlings— possible the primary genetically modified bushes to be thought-about for federal regulatory approval as a device for ecological restoration. Learn the complete story.
—Anya Kamenetz
This piece is from the newest print challenge of MIT Expertise Overview, which is all concerning the extraordinary world of meals. In case you don’t already, subscribe to obtain future copies as soon as they land.
MIT Expertise Overview Narrated: Why Congo’s most well-known nationwide park is betting large on crypto
In an try to guard its forests and well-known wildlife, Virunga has turn into the primary nationwide park to run a Bitcoin mine. However some are questioning what crypto has to do with conservation.
That is our newest story to be become a MIT Expertise Overview Narrated podcast. In partnership with Information Over Audio, we’ll be making a choice of our tales accessible, every one learn by an expert voice actor. You’ll be capable to take heed to them on the go or obtain them to take heed to offline.
We’re publishing a brand new story every week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, together with some taken from our most up-to-date print journal. Simply navigate to MIT Expertise Overview Narrated on both platform, and observe us to get all our new content material because it’s launched.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you immediately’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Donald Trump has gained the US Presidential election
He’s the primary president with a prison conviction and two impeachments beneath his belt. (WP $)
+ The crypto business is rejoicing on the information as bitcoin leapt to a report excessive. (NYT $)
+ In reality, a blockchain entrepreneur gained the Ohio Senate race. (CNBC)
+ What comes subsequent is anybody’s guess. (The Atlantic $)
2 Trump’s victory is music to Elon Musk’s ears
He’s been promised a brand new function as head of a brand new Division of Authorities Effectivity. (FT $)
+ Musk is being sued over his $1 million giveaways in the course of the election marketing campaign. (Reuters)
+ The billionaire used X as his personal private megaphone to fire up dissent. (The Atlantic $)
3 Abortion rights are actually beneath additional risk
Significantly tablets despatched by mail. (Vox)
+ Trump’s method to discussing abortion has been decidedly combined. (Bloomberg $)
4 Trump might be TikTok’s final hope for survival within the US
Now he’s stopped threatening to ban it, that’s. (The Data $)
5 Perplexity is approaching a $9 billion valuation
Due to the corporate’s fourth spherical of funding this yr. (WSJ $)+ Microsoft has reportedly expressed curiosity in buying the AI search startup. (The Data $)
6 The iPhone might be Apple’s final main money cow
It’s acknowledged that its different units could by no means attain the identical heady heights. (FT $)
+ Nvidia has overtaken Apple because the world’s largest firm. (Bloomberg $)
7 The Mozilla Basis is eliminating its advocacy division
The workforce prioritized preventing for a free and open net. (TechCrunch)
8 China plans to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid
Following within the footsteps of America’s profitable 2022 mission. (Economist $)
+ Watch the second NASA’s DART spacecraft crashed into an asteroid. (MIT Expertise Overview)
9 The Vatican’s anime mascot has been co opted into AI porn
That didn’t take lengthy. (404 Media)
10 Gigantic XXL TVs are the reward of the season
It’s cheaper than ever to suit your dwelling out with a jumbotron display screen. (CNN)
Quote of the day
“That is what occurs while you mess with the crypto military.”
—Crypto twin Cameron Winklevoss celebrates the victory of blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, new Senator-elect for Ohio, in a put up on X.
The massive story
How covid conspiracies led to an alarming resurgence in AIDS denialism
August 2024
A number of million individuals had been listening in February when Joe Rogan falsely declared that “celebration medicine” had been an “vital think about AIDS.” His visitor on The Joe Rogan Expertise, the previous evolutionary biology professor turned contrarian podcaster Bret Weinstein, agreed with him.
Talking to the largest podcast viewers on the planet, the 2 males had been selling harmful and false concepts—concepts that had been actually debunked and totally disproved a long time in the past.
These feedback and others like them add as much as a small however unmistakable resurgence in AIDS denialism—a false assortment of theories arguing both that HIV doesn’t trigger AIDS or that there’s no such factor as HIV in any respect.
These claims had largely fallen out of favor till the coronavirus arrived. However, following the pandemic, a renewed suspicion of public well being figures and businesses is giving new life to concepts that had way back been pushed to the margins. Learn the complete story.
—Anna Merlan
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Full Moon Matinee is a tremendous crime drama useful resource on YouTube: full with some wonderful appearing courtesy of its host.
+ That is your signal to select a reputation and cheer on random strangers throughout a marathon. I assure you’ll make their day!
+ There’s no flawed approach to bake a candy potato, however some methods are higher than others.
+ Are you a display screen creeper? I do know I’m.
