The Download: eternal youth, and the hunt for new metals

—Antonio Regalado

This portion is from our forthcoming mortality-themed issue, launching tomorrow. If you privation to work it erstwhile it comes out, you tin subscribe to MIT Technology Review for arsenic small arsenic $80 a year.

The news: Machine learning could assistance make caller types of metals with utile properties, specified arsenic absorption to utmost temperatures and rust, according to caller research. A squad of researchers from the Max Planck Institute managed to place 17 promising caller metals utilizing AI, which predicts which combinations of metals volition amusement committedness acold much precisely than existent methods of laboratory experimentation.

Why it matters: The find could beryllium utile for a scope of sectors—for example, metals that execute good astatine little temperatures could amended spacecraft, portion metals that defy corrosion could beryllium utilized for boats and submarines. It could besides pave the mode for greater usage of instrumentality learning successful materials science. Read the afloat story.

—Melissa Heikkilä

Melissa’s communicative is from The Algorithm, our play newsletter giving you the wrong way connected each things AI. Sign up to person it successful your inbox each Monday.

I’ve combed the net to find you today’s astir fun/important/scary/fascinating stories astir technology.

1 The likelihood of atomic warfare is inactive precise low
Despite what Vladimir Putin would person america believe. (Wired $)
+ Russia has falsely accused Ukraine of making a “dirty bomb.” (The Atlantic $)
+ Ukraine is desperately trying to support its powerfulness grid. (The Economist $)
+ What is the hazard of a atomic mishap successful Ukraine? (MIT Technology Review)

2 The US has charged Chinese quality officers with spying
Two men person been accused of trying to interfere with the country’s transgression prosecution of Huawei. (FT $)
+ Apple’s narration with China is dilatory souring. (Economist $)

3 Handwashing won’t bash overmuch to forestall you getting covid
But it’s cardinal to preventing the dispersed of different illnesses. (The Atlantic $)

4 Cocaine from cause transportation services is sometimes laced with fentanyl
The deadly opioid is sidesplitting users who are unaccustomed to it. (WSJ $)

5 Japan is pushing integer IDs with renewed vigor
But its privacy-conscious citizens are reluctant to get connected board. (AP News)

6 TikTok is afloat of predetermination misinformation
It’s a newer platform, yet has each of the aforesaid problems that plagued its predecessors. (The Guardian)

7 Ring information camera alerts are triggering violence
An guiltless pistillate was changeable astatine aft a homeowner suspected her of trying to rob him. (Motherboard) 
+ How Amazon Ring uses home unit to marketplace doorbell cameras. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Your car’s information tech isn’t needfully making you safer 
By over-relying connected it, we hazard exacerbating the problem. (The Verge)

9 Fake nutrient is becoming much convincing 🥩
But plant-based nutrient has a cognition occupation that’s hard to shake. (Vox)
+ Could “hybrid meat” alteration our minds? (Vox)
+ Impossible Foods has a large caller offering successful the works: filet mignon. (MIT Technology Review)

A pioneer successful the hunt for exoplanets, oregon planets orbiting different stars, the MIT astrophysicist came up with the now-standard signifier of studying the atmospheres of planets by analyzing the airy that filters done them. 

She besides developed ASTERIA, a outer the size of a tiny suitcase, designed to show the exertion needed for a tiny scope to hunt for exoplanets by detecting the minuscule dip successful a star’s airy erstwhile an orbiting satellite passes successful beforehand of it. Read the afloat story.