The Download: ice-melting robots, and genetically modified trees

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Life-seeking, ice-melting robots could punch through Europa’s icy shell

At long last, NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is on its way. It launched on October 14 and is now en route to its target: Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa, whose frozen shell almost certainly conceals a warm saltwater ocean. When the spacecraft gets there, it will conduct dozens of close flybys in order to determine what that ocean is like and, crucially, where it might be hospitable to life.

Europa Clipper is still years away from its destination—it is not slated to reach the Jupiter system until 2030. But that hasn’t stopped engineers and scientists from working on what would come next if the results are promising: a mission capable of finding evidence of life itself. Read the full story.

— Robin George Andrews

GMOs could reboot chestnut trees

Living as long as a thousand years, the American chestnut tree once dominated parts of the Eastern forest canopy, with many Native American nations relying on them for food. But by 1950, the tree had largely succumbed to a fungal blight probably introduced by Japanese chestnuts.

As recently as last year, it seemed the 35-year effort to revive the American chestnut might grind to a halt. Now, American Castanea, a new biotech startup, has created more than 2,500 transgenic chestnut seedlings— likely the first genetically modified trees to be considered for federal regulatory approval as a tool for ecological restoration. Read the full story.

—Anya Kamenetz

This piece is from the latest print issue of MIT Technology Review, which is all about the weird and wonderful world of food. If you don’t already, subscribe to receive future copies once they land.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: Why Congo’s most famous national park is betting big on crypto

In an attempt to protect its forests and famous wildlife, Virunga has become the first national park to run a Bitcoin mine. But some are wondering what crypto has to do with conservation.

This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast. In partnership with News Over Audio, we’ll be making a selection of our stories available, each one read by a professional voice actor. You’ll be able to listen to them on the go or download them to listen to offline.

We’re publishing a new story each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, including some taken from our most recent print magazine. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Donald Trump has won the US Presidential election 
He’s the first president with a criminal conviction and two impeachments under his belt. (WP $)
+ The crypto industry is rejoicing at the news as bitcoin leapt to a record high. (NYT $)
+ In fact, a blockchain entrepreneur won the Ohio Senate race. (CNBC)
+ What comes next is anyone’s guess. (The Atlantic $)

2 Trump’s victory is music to Elon Musk’s ears
He’s been promised a new role as head of a new Department of Government Efficiency. (FT $)
+ Musk is being sued over his $1 million giveaways during the election campaign. (Reuters)
+ The billionaire used X as his own personal megaphone to stir up dissent. (The Atlantic $)

3 Abortion rights are now under further threat 
Particularly pills sent by mail. (Vox)
+ Trump’s approach to discussing abortion has been decidedly mixed. (Bloomberg $)

4 Trump could be TikTok’s last hope for survival in the US
Now he’s stopped threatening to ban it, that is. (The Information $)

5 Perplexity is approaching a $9 billion valuation
Thanks to the company’s fourth round of funding this year. (WSJ $)+ Microsoft has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the AI search startup. (The Information $)

6 The iPhone could be Apple’s last major cash cow
It’s acknowledged that its other devices may never reach the same heady heights. (FT $)
+ Nvidia has overtaken Apple as the world’s largest company. (Bloomberg $)

7 The Mozilla Foundation is getting rid of its advocacy division
The team prioritized fighting for a free and open web. (TechCrunch)

8 China plans to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid
Following in the footsteps of America’s successful 2022 mission. (Economist $)
+ Watch the moment NASA’s DART spacecraft crashed into an asteroid. (MIT Technology Review)

9 The Vatican’s anime mascot has been co opted into AI porn
That didn’t take long. (404 Media)

10 Gigantic XXL TVs are the gift of the season
It’s cheaper than ever to fit your home out with a jumbotron screen. (CNN)

Quote of the day

“This is what happens when you mess with the crypto army.”

—Crypto twin Cameron Winklevoss celebrates the victory of blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, new Senator-elect for Ohio, in a post on X.

The big story

How covid conspiracies led to an alarming resurgence in AIDS denialism

August 2024

Several million people were listening in February when Joe Rogan falsely declared that “party drugs” were an “important factor in AIDS.” His guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, the former evolutionary biology professor turned contrarian podcaster Bret Weinstein, agreed with him.

Speaking to the biggest podcast audience in the world, the two men were promoting dangerous and false ideas—ideas that were in fact debunked and thoroughly disproved decades ago.

These comments and others like them add up to a small but unmistakable resurgence in AIDS denialism—a false collection of theories arguing either that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS or that there’s no such thing as HIV at all.

These claims had largely fallen out of favor until the coronavirus arrived. But, following the pandemic, a renewed suspicion of public health figures and agencies is giving new life to ideas that had long ago been pushed to the margins. Read the full story.

—Anna Merlan

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)

+ Full Moon Matinee is an amazing crime drama resource on YouTube: complete with some excellent acting courtesy of its host.
+ This is your sign to pick a name and cheer on random strangers during a marathon. I guarantee you’ll make their day!
+ There’s no wrong way to bake a sweet potato, but some ways are better than others.
+ Are you a screen creeper? I know I am.