Palantir signs lucrative deal with US Army
The Downloadis our weekly newsletterthat gives you a daily dose on what’s happening in the worlds of technology.
How frozen embryos from decades ago are changing the face of families
We welcomed a record-breaking child this week. Thaddeus Pierce, the baby who arrived at the weekend, was developed from an embryo which had been frozen for thirty-five years. You could call him “the oldest baby in the world”. His parents, Lindsey Pierce and Tim Pierce were only children themselves when the embryo was created in 1994. Linda Archerd who donated the embryo described the experience as “surreal.” While baby Thaddeus may be a record-breaker in the world of embryos, many other babies have been conceived from embryos which were frozen for long periods of time. Read more. This article was first published in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive the Checkup in your inbox each Thursday and read articles such as this one first orIf you want to learn more about fertility technology, check out
+ Earlier this month researchers announced that babies were born after a trial of IVF with three people. The long-awaited findings suggest that this approach can reduce the risks of mitochondrial diseases, but not everyone is convinced.
+ Frozen embryos fill storage banks all over the world. It’s hard to know what to use them for.
Read about a mobile laboratory that brings IVF to rural South African communities.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Donald Trump announced new tariffs around the world
These will affect almost every nation, some more than others. (CNN)
+ New rates range from 10% to 41%. ($ Now )
+ Lesotho, an African country, declared a tariff-induced emergency. WSJ ($)
Palantir signed a $10 Billion deal with the US Army.
This is the latest in a series of lucrative deals with federal agencies. (WP $)
3 Tech giants are making a killing
but we don’t yet know how useful the AI they build will be. (FT $)
+ It is a boon to investors, but it’s not necessarily a boon to employees. WSJ ($)
+ There is no way to tell which approach will lead to sustainable profits. Traffic lights
Neuralink plans its first trial in the UK.
In order to join the five patients who are currently using its brain implants. (Reuters)
+ The Neuralink implant in this patient’s brain gets a boost by generative AI. MIT Technology Review
Five US states are working to maintain access to lifesaving vaccinations
despite the shifting federal recommendations. (Wired $)
+ FDA plans to restrict access to covid vaccinations. Here’s why it’s not all that bad. MIT Technology Review
Six large online groups in China share explicit photos of women.
These images are passed around by hundreds of thousands men. The Guardian (19459035)
Seven Reddit wants a search engine.
As a response to the AIification of other platforms. The Verge (19459035)
+ AI is the end of internet searches as we know them. (MIT Technology Review
) 8 Reasons airships might be a viable alternative to internet satellites
(IEEE Spectrum)
+ Welcome the big blimp explosion. MIT Technology Review
9 The trust in AI coding is falling
Most developers use them but they are not always reliable. (Ars Technica,)
+ Exactly what is vibe coding? MIT Technology Review
Weight-loss medications could slow down aging.
A new trial suggests that recipients can become biologically young. (New Scientist$)
+ We start to age in our 40s and 50s. But the state of your well-being does not have to plummet. MIT Technology Review
Today’s Quote
We look forward to joining Matt Deitke on his private island in the next year.”
-Kiana Ehsani is the CEO of AI agent startup Vercept. She jokes about Matt Deitke leaving to join Meta superintelligence team, for a cool $25 million, according to the New York Times.
Another thing
There is a gold rush to make money with generative AI models such as ChatGPT. You can almost hear the shrieks of corner offices around the globe: “What’s our ChatGPT game?” How can we make money from this?
While companies and executives are eager to cash in on generative AI, the impact on workers and the overall economy is less clear.
Could ChatGPT worsen the already troubling inequality of income and wealth in the US and other countries, or could it actually boost productivity? Read the complete story.
– David Rotman
You can still enjoy nice things
A space for comfort, entertainment and distraction that will brighten your day. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line orSkeet ’em me – Yikes! A gigantic stick insectwas discovered in (where else?) Australia. This X account shares random objects every day
+ If you love a skyscraper, this is the city where you are most likely to see them.
+ Yum, ancient Pompeii Honey
