Download: the sci-fi megacity of Saudi Arabia and the brains of sleeping children
This is today’s edition ofDownload,Our weekday newsletter provides daily coverage of what’s happening in the tech world.
These exclusive satellite images show Saudi Arabia’s sci-fi megacity in the works
In early 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia announced The Line: a “civilization revolution” that could accommodate up to 9 million people in a carbon-free megacity, 170 kilometers long and half a kilometer high. but only 200 meters wide. Within its mirrored, car-free walls, residents will be transported around on subway trains and electric flying taxis.
Satellite image of 500 billion USD projectExclusively by MIT Technology Reviewshows that the site of Line’s vast linear construction has taken shape. Visit The Linelocation on Google MapsandGoogle Earth mapping applicationHowever, you will see less than bare rock and sand.
The odd gap in the image raises questions about who has access to the high-resolution satellite technology. And if the largest urban construction site on the planet doesn’t show up on Google Maps, what else can’t we see?Read full story.
—Mark Harris
Why do babies sleep a lot?
Newborns spend more time sleeping than awake. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why yet, but new technologies are beginning to unravel a bit more of this mystery—and may help reveal what’s going on inside the developing brain rapid infant development.
During the first few months, an infant’s brain is developing connections at a rate of about one million synapses per second. These connections are believed to play an important role in helping children learn to make sense of the world around them, establishing an important foundation for the rest of their lives.Read full story.
This story is from The Checkup, a weekly newsletter by our senior reporter, Jessica Hamzelou, that gives you insights into all things biomedical and biotechnology related.Registerto get it in your inbox every Thursday.
Must read
I’ve scoured the Internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Covid data is starting to disappear in China
It is about to enter the most dangerous phase of the pandemic. How deadly? We won’t know. (FT$)
+Foxconn founder’s letter may have helped convince Chinese leaders to abandon zero-covid strategy. (WSJ$)
+The policy pivot has been met with relief – but also anxiety and confusion.(NYT$)
+Here’s what scientists have to say about it. (Nature)
Selfie 2 AI is everywhere
You can thank the Lensa app and the fact that people can’t resist sharing how it makes them look sexy. (WP$)
+However, it produces disturbing NSFW images. Even if the photo is of a child. (Wired$)
+AI is also getting better at generating persuasive text.(Vox)
+Can you distinguish a real tweet from an AI-written tweet?(WSJ$)
3 Americans are flocking to climate-dangerous regions
Migration patterns have mostly moved away from safer areas, toward hotter, drier, and more wildfire-prone areas. (Wired$)
+These three charts show who is most responsible for climate change.(Technology Review MIT)
4 A lawsuit claims women are targets for firing Twitter
In engineering roles, 63% of women lost their jobs compared with 48% of men. (NBC)
+Musk’s plan to encrypt Twitter messages appears to be stalled.(Forbes)
+Twitter is planning to change the price of ‘Twitter Blue’ after a spat with Apple. (Information$)
+Elon Musk is openly flirting with a group of far-right, conspiracy-obsessed fans.(Wired$)
CoinDesk’s FTX scoop shot its own parent company in the foot
The ownership structure in cryptocurrencies is complex — and in this case, a bit too laid-back for comfort. (precipice)
+Cryptocurrency moderators exchanged frantic messages as FTX collapsed.(NYT$)
6 Tired of the internet? You’re not alone.
It starts out like a dying mall filled with stores you don’t want to visit. (New Yorkers$)
+Amazon is launching a TikTok clone. Yes, Amazon. (WP$)
7 The hype surrounding eSports is fading
The widespread economic downturn is sending donors and investors fleeing. (Bloomberg$)
+The FTC is trying to block Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of video game giant Activision Blizzard.(Vox)
8 What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?
A series of recent findings suggest that it is more complex than the accumulation of amyloid plaques. (quantum)
+The magic molecule can treat brain injuries and boost your fading memory.(Technology Review MIT)
9 The global spyware industry has spiraled out of control
And the United States is playing both arsonists and firefighters, using the very tools it condemns. (NYT$)
+It’s hard to control spyware technology when it’s in such high demand from governments around the world.(Technology Review MIT)
10 Xiaomi teaches the robot to play the drums
However, professional musicians can rest easy now, if the demo clip is anything to go by. (IEEE Phổ Spectrum)
Quote of the day
“Globalization is almost dead. Free trade is almost dead. And a lot of people still wish they’d come back, but I really don’t think they’ll be back for a while.”
—Morris Chang, founder of Taiwanese chip giant TSMC, made some blunt remarks on geopolitics at the launch of a new factory in Arizona this week, Nikkei Asia reports.
big story
The future of urban housing is energy-efficient refrigerators
June 2022
The old apartments under the New York City Housing Authority do not call for renovation. The largest homeowner in the city, home to nearly 1 in 16 New Yorkers, NYCHA has seen its buildings literally fall apart after decades of delayed maintenance and management. poor reason. An estimated $40 billion or more, at least $180,000 per unit, will be needed to return the buildings to a well-repaired condition.
Despite the scale of the challenge, NYCHA hopes to overcome them. It launched the Clean Heat for Everyone Challenge, asking manufacturers to develop easy-to-install, low-cost heat pump technologies to retrofit buildings. The stakes for the winning agency, company, and society itself can be huge—and good for the planet.
After all, retrofitting existing buildings is much more sustainable than tearing them down and building new ones.Read full story.
—Patrick Sisson
We can still have good things
A place for comfort, fun and entertainment in these strange times. (Any ideas?Drop me a lineortweet them with me.)
+ This onephotoshop comicsHeaven is so lovely.
+ Santa Claus, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas: you can call him whatever you want.long and illustrious history.
+ How to apply nailssmart, but by chance.
+cowboy butterwhoever?
