This is the latest edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that offers a daily snapshot of what’s happening in the tech world.
What’s my health status? My immunome has the answer.
Consisting of 1.8 trillion cells and even more proteins, metabolites, mRNA, and other biomolecules, each person’s immunome is unique and continuously evolving.
It is influenced by every physical and emotional encounter we’ve had and significantly impacts our susceptibility to viruses and cancer, our aging process, and our ability to tolerate different foods.
Despite the immunity’s critical importance to each individual, it has mostly remained elusive for modern medicine. However, a wave of new technologies is now enabling us to comprehend this essential and enigmatic system, leading to innovative tools and tests that can help us evaluate, diagnose, and treat various conditions. Explore the complete article.
—David Ewing Duncan
This piece is a joint effort between MIT Technology Review and Aventine, a non-profit research organization that generates and supports content about the transformative effects of technology and science on our lives.
3 insights about climate tech currently
On Monday, we released our 2025 edition of Climate Tech Companies to Watch. Compiling this list allows our team to reflect and consider the wider context. Which sectors are advancing or falling behind? Which nations or regions are experiencing rapid transformations? Who stands the best chance of thriving?
This year has proven to be a particularly intriguing time in the climate tech sector, which we contemplated while selecting companies. Here are three of the key insights from the curation process.
—Casey Crownhart
This article is featured in The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To get it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.
2025 climate tech firms to keep an eye on: Cemvision and its eco-friendly cement
Cement is among the most utilized materials globally, and this industry contributes billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions yearly. Swedish startup Cemvision aims to employ waste materials and alternative fuels to mitigate climate pollution resulting from cement manufacturing. Read the complete article.
—Casey Crownhart
Cemvision is among our 10 climate tech companies to watch—our annual selection of some of the most promising climate tech startups around the globe. Discover the complete list here.
The essential reads
I’ve scoured the web to bring you today’s most entertaining/important/daunting/captivating technology stories.
1 OpenAI was caught off guard by its Sora copyright controversy
CEO Sam Altman states the company will change its approach and “allow rightsholders to decide how to proceed.” (The Verge)
+ It seems to be struggling to determine which requests to accept at this time. (404 Media)
+ Sam Altman mentioned that managing video IP is much more complex than for images. (Insider $)+ What lies ahead for AI copyright litigations? (MIT Technology Review)
2 Apple has pulled another ICE app from its platform
This app archives video evidence of abuses, rather than tracking officer locations. (404 Media)
+ Additionally, another initiative to monitor ICE raids has recently been dismantled. (MIT Technology Review)
3 How private companies are assisting economists in understanding current events
Due to the lack of economic data from the US government, experts are adopting innovative approaches. (WP $)
+ Strategies for optimizing AI for prosperity. (MIT Technology Review)
4 China is tightening regulations on its rare earth exports
It’s keen to maintain its influence over essential minerals. (FT $)
+ This rare earth element highlights the future of our planet’s resources. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Microsoft seeks to establish itself as a leading chatbot entity
Which entails reducing its reliance on OpenAI. (WSJ $)
6 High school students are engaging in romantic relationships with AI models
It presents a new challenge for educational institutions and parents. (NPR)
+ It’s surprisingly straightforward to develop a relationship with an AI chatbot. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Those Prime Day discounts are frequently too good to be true
Buyers should be cautious. (WP $)
8 The future of the AI industry relies on a small Dutch town
Chipmaker ASML plans to undertake a substantial expansion—but is the surrounding area equipped to support it? (Bloomberg $)
+ Welcome to robot city. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Ferrari’s inaugural electric vehicle is on the horizon
It’s projected to launch next year. (Reuters)
+ It boasts four motors and over 1,000 horsepower. (Ars Technica)
10 Delving into the lasting allure of The Sims
Keeping a household of irritable little materialists alive remains a great source of enjoyment. (NYT $)
Quote of the day
“The ICE raid is merely the icing on the cake. How is anyone going to trust us moving forward?”
—Betony Jones, a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute think tank, shares with IEEE Spectrum how an ICE raid on a Hyundai EV factory in Georgia has shaken the sector.
One more item
The flawed reasoning behind hastily implementing radical climate solutions
In early 2022, entrepreneur Luke Iseman stated that he launched a pair of weather balloons filled with sulfur dioxide from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, hoping they would burst high above Earth.
This act was trivial in itself, essentially a small, DIY gesture of solar geoengineering, which is the controversial idea that the world could combat climate change by releasing particles that reflect more sunlight back into space.
Entrepreneurs like Iseman cite the urgent threats posed by climate change to justify their actions—even if they are uncertain about how effective their measures are. Yet experts argue that this sense of urgency does not grant a societal mandate to overlook the fundamental dangers or bypass the scientific method. Read the full article.
—James Temple
We can still enjoy nice things
A space for comfort, enjoyment, and distraction to elevate your day. (Have any suggestions? Reach out to me or hit me up.)
+ What language did ancient residents of the city of Teotihuacan speak? We’re finally beginning to unveil the answer.
+ If you’re uncertain whether an animal is safe to pet, this handy guide provides a solid starting point.
+ The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new ancient Egypt exhibition sounds exceptional.
+ This narrative examining the psychological experiment behind Star Wars‘ visual effects is absolutely wild.
