The Download: an inspiring toy robot arm, and why AM radio matters
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. How a 1980s toy robot arm…
The Download: China’s AI agent boom, and GPS alternatives
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. Manus has kick-started an AI agent…
Why doctors should look for ways to prescribe hope
This week, I’ve been thinking about the powerful connection between mind and body. Some new research suggests that people with heart conditions have better outcomes when they are more hopeful…
Inside the race to find GPS alternatives
Later this month, an inconspicuous 150-kilogram satellite is set to launch into space aboard the SpaceX Transporter 14 mission. Once in orbit, it will test super-accurate next-generation satnav technology designed…
Manus has kick-started an AI agent boom in China
Last year, China saw a boom in foundation models, the do-everything large language models that underpin the AI revolution. This year, the focus has shifted to AI agents—systems that are…
The Download: funding a CRISPR embryo startup, and bad news for clean cement
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. Crypto billionaire Brian Armstrong is ready…
Crypto billionaire Brian Armstrong is ready to invest in CRISPR baby tech
Brian Armstrong, the billionaire CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, says he’s ready to fund a US startup focused on gene-editing human embryos. If he goes forward, it would be…
Over $1 billion in federal funding got slashed for this polluting industry
The clean cement industry might be facing the end of the road, before it ever really got rolling. On Friday, the US Department of Energy announced that it was canceling…
The Download: AI’s role in math, and calculating its energy footprint
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. What’s next for AI and math…