Afrigather That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what is going on on on this planet of expertise.
Exosomes are touted as a stylish cure-all. We don’t know in the event that they work.
There’s a stylish new cure-all on the town—you might need seen adverts pop up on social media or learn rave opinions in magnificence magazines.
Exosomes are being touted as a miraculous therapy for hair loss, growing old pores and skin, pimples, eczema, ache situations, lengthy covid, and even neurological ailments like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. That’s, in fact, should you can afford the value tag—which may stretch to 1000’s of {dollars}.
However there’s an enormous drawback with these massive guarantees: We don’t absolutely perceive how exosomes work—or what they even actually are. Learn our story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
AI will add to the e-waste drawback. Right here’s what we will do about it.
The information: Generative AI might add as much as 5 million metric tons of e-waste in whole by 2030, in response to a brand new research. That’s a comparatively small fraction of the present world whole of over 60 million metric tons of e-waste annually. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless a major a part of a rising drawback.
Beneath the hood: The first contributor is high-performance computing {hardware} that’s utilized in knowledge facilities and server farms. That tools is filled with helpful metals and dangerous supplies, and it is being changed at a fast price as AI firms race to undertake probably the most cutting-edge {hardware} to energy their fashions.
What might be achieved: Increasing {hardware}’s lifespan is among the most vital methods to chop down on e-waste. Refurbishing and reusing parts can even play a major function, as can designing {hardware} in ways in which makes it simpler to recycle and improve. Learn the complete story.
—Casey Crownhart
Militaries are nice testing grounds for AI tech, says Palmer Luckey
Conflict is a catalyst for technological change, and the final couple of years have been marred by high-profile conflicts world wide. Geopolitical tensions are nonetheless rising now.
Silicon Valley gamers are poised to learn. Considered one of them is Palmer Luckey, the founding father of the virtual-reality headset firm Oculus, which he bought to Fb for $2 billion. After Luckey’s extremely public ousting from Meta, he based Anduril, which focuses on drones, cruise missiles, and different AI-enhanced applied sciences for the US Division of Protection. The corporate is now valued at $14 billion. We interviewed Luckey about his new undertaking: headsets for the navy.
However using AI for the navy is a controversial matter, with a protracted and bitter historical past that stretches from Mission Maven to killer robots. Learn the complete story.
—Melissa Heikkilä
This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly publication all concerning the newest in AI. Join to obtain it in your inbox each Monday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at this time’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Strava is leaking the placement of international leaders
Their bodyguards’ runs are revealing greater than they should. (Le Monde)
+ It’s shockingly straightforward to purchase delicate knowledge about US navy personnel. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)
2 A person who used AI to make baby sexual abuse photos has been jailed
His 18-year sentence is the primary of its type within the UK. (FT $)
3 Right here’s what Trump plans to do if he wins a second time period
The 900-page Mission 2025 doc gives loads of hints. (The Verge)
+ It might be exhausting for him to roll again the Inexperienced New Deal—however not unimaginable. (Axios)
+ Russia, China and Iran are interfering within the election. (NYT $)
+ However cybercriminals could pose an excellent higher risk. (Wired $)
4 Apple Intelligence is right here
However it appears it’s nonetheless kinda dumb. (WP $)
+ Meta is reportedly constructing its personal AI search engine. (The Data $)
+ The difficulty is, AI chatbots make stuff up. And it’s not a totally fixable drawback. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)
5 Medium is drowning in AI slop
Virtually half of the posts on there now are most likely AI-generated. (Wired $)
6 What steampunk can train tech at this time
We’re too eager on eradicating friction—folks nonetheless like twiddling with dials and gears. (New Yorker $)
+ Prosthetics designers are developing with new methods to reinforce our our bodies. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)
7 That is what wargaming seems like now
Militaries world wide use software program referred to as Command PE constructed by a tiny British recreation writer. (WSJ $)
8 Tiktok’s founder has turn out to be China’s richest man
Zhang Yiming’s wealth has virtually doubled within the final yr, to $49 billion. (BBC)
+ How China takes excessive measures to maintain teenagers off TikTok. (MIT Know-how Evaluation)
9 How complicated life began to flourish 🦠
You’ll be able to thank eukaryotes, a kind of cell that emerged about 3 billion years in the past. (Quanta $)
10 Oregon Path is being became an action-comedy film
With musical numbers. Sure, significantly. (Hollywood Reporter)
Quote of the day
“I believed it will conquer the world.”
—Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vp, spoke for us all (properly, for me anyway), when he waxed lyrical concerning the 1999 Sega Dreamcast online game console on a Twitch stream final weekend, the Washington Put up experiences.
The large story
Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone protection
EMRE ÇAYLAK
September 2024
Drones have come to outline the brutal battle in Ukraine that has now dragged on for greater than two and a half years. And most depend on radio communications—a expertise that Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov has obsessed over since childhood.
Whereas Flash is now a civilian, the previous officer has nonetheless taken it upon himself to tell his nation’s protection in all issues associated to radio. He research Russian transmissions and tries to study concerning the issues dealing with troops.
On this race for survival—as both sides continually tries to greatest the opposite, solely to start out yet again when the opposite inevitably catches up—Ukrainian troopers must develop inventive options, and quick. As Ukraine’s wartime radio guru, Flash may be considered one of their greatest hopes for doing that. Learn the complete story.
—Charlie Metcalfe
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Timothée Chalamet turned up at his personal look-alike contest in New York final weekend. Spoiler alert: he didn’t win.
+ Study these primary guidelines to make veg-based meals scrumptious.
+ There’s one thing very particular about historic bushes.
+ Do you are inclined to please everybody however your self? Right here’s cease. (NYT $)
