The Download: Google DeepMind DNA AI and heatwaves impact on the grid (19459000)
The Downloadis our weekly newsletter, which provides a daily dose on what’s happening in the worlds of technology.
Google’s new AI will assist researchers in understanding how our genes function
In 2003, scientists sequenced the first human genome and revealed the complete set of DNA instructions which make up a person. We still didn’t understand what those 3 billion genetic alphabets did.
Google’s DeepMind division claims to have made a breakthrough in its quest to crack the code. AlphaGenome is an AI model which predicts how small changes in DNA can affect a variety of molecular processes. For example, it can determine whether a gene will increase or decrease in activity.
This is the type of question that biologists are asked in lab experiments. It’s an attempt to simplify biologists’ work and answer basic questions about how changing letters in DNA alters gene activity, and eventually how genetic mutations impact our health. Read the full story.
-Antonio gifted.
Summer is here, and the grid has been stressed.
This week is crunch time for grid. Many parts of the US reached or exceeded records. Spain experienced a heat wave recently, as did the UK. They are bracing themselves for another one.
Electricity is essential to our comfort and safety. This is when we design the grid: when the need is greatest. It may be a matter of a little flexibility to keep things running smoothly in these times. The demand for electricity is already at its peak, and this is a good enough reason to be nervous. Read the complete story. This article is taken from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to receive it every Wednesday by clicking orhere.
MIT Technology Review Narrated – How did China dominate the world of electric vehicles?
From generous subsidies to support for batteries, here are some keys to understanding how China built a world-leading electric vehicle industry.
We’re turning this story into a MIT Technology Review narrated podcast that we publish each week on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on either platform to receive all of our new content.
Inside OpenAI’s empire with Karen Hao.
Karen Hao’s newly published book,Empire of AI : Dreams and Nightmares In Sam Altman’s OpenAI (19459036) tells the story of OpenAI’s rise to prominence and its far-reaching impacts all over the globe. Hao, a former senior editor at MIT Technology Review,will be joining our executive editor Niall Firth for a Roundtable discussion exclusive to subscribers. They will discuss the AI arms race and what it means for us all. Register here to join at 9am ET Monday 30th June.
Special Giveaway: Attendees can receive a free book by Hao. See registration form for details.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Meta has won a copyright case against writers
According to the judge, the authors had not provided enough evidence. Meta’s victory is not a decisive one. It’s the second case in favor of AI giants. The US will no longer contribute to a global vaccine alliance.
RFK Jr. made unsubstantiated statements about Gavi’s safety. (WP$)
+ Kennedy’s newly assembled vaccine panel is reviewing their guidelines for children. Experts worry that the once influential panel will cause irreparable damage. Ars Technica
and Measurement of vaccine hesitancy can help health professionals combat it. MIT Technology Review
Jeff Bezos is cozying with Donald Trump
He’s willing to provide a new space firm if the Trump administration needs one. (WSJ $)
+ A private astronaut mission to the ISS is currently on its way. (4 Taiwan is working on self-defence drones to defend against China
]The country is taking notes from Ukraine’s defence book. (FT $)
+ A giant microwave could change the future of warfare. MIT Technology Review
Five Biohackers feel empowered by the Trump Administration
they welcome lower entry barriers for their unorthodox treatment. (Wired$)
+ A US hub for experimental treatments is on its way. MIT Technology Review
Six UK cyberattacks on a health company contributed to a patient’s death.
A ransomware attack in London hospitals disrupted the blood service. (BBC)
+ The incident is blamed on a Russian hacking group. ($Bloomberg )
Take a look at Amazon’s new data center.
4 construction teams work around the clock to complete it. (NYT$)
+ Generating videos is the most energy-intensive AI task. WSJ ($)
+ Calculated the energy footprint of AI. Here’s a story you’ve never heard. MIT Technology Review
The debate about dark energy is intensifying.
A new study suggests that it changes over time. Not everyone is in agreement. (Undark )
9 Trump Mobile is no longer claiming to be ‘made in the USA’
It’s now “designed with American values in mind” instead. (Ars Technica)
10 It’s official: The Social Network is getting a sequel
Zuck goes MAGA? (Deadline$)
Quote of the day
“By training generative AI models with copyrighted works, companies are creating something that often will dramatically undermine the market for those works, and thus dramatically undermine the incentive for human beings to create things the old-fashioned way.”
—US district judge Vince Chhabria, who presided over a copyright lawsuit brought against Meta by a group of authors, warns of the implications of the company’s actions, the Guardian reports.
Another thing
There are new ways to add CRISPR, a revolutionary gene editing tool, into the bodies of already-born people. In 125 years it’s possible many people will benefit from rare but useful gene mutations that are currently only found in small segments of the population.
These gene mutations could protect us from common diseases and infections but they could also improve other traits such as height, metabolism or even cognition. But humanity will not always do things the right way. Read the whole story.
-Antonio gifted.
You can still enjoy nice things.
A place to relax, have fun and distract you. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line at me or skeet them at me.
+ Amazing things are happening at New York’s Central Park.
+ A newly-discovered species of dinosaur has been displayed in London. It’s small, but perfectly formed. Bob Dylan has released a new artbookof his drawings.
+ Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris has a second career as a footballer.
