This is today’s edition of Download, Our weekday newsletter provides daily coverage of what’s happening in the tech world.
What’s next for quantum computing?
For years, the quantum news cycle was dominated by headlines about record-setting systems. But this year, researchers are escaping the hype and embarking on real-world life — bucking the trend of packing processors with ever more quantum bits, a.k.a. as “qubits”, in favor of fewer but higher quality qubits.
The companies are also announcing new chips designed to connect directly to each other. It’s a move that is expected to accelerate the transition to “modular” quantum computers—and help the machines scale up significantly in the process. Read full story.
—Michael Brooks
How drugs that hack our biological clocks could one day improve our health
We have more than one biological clock. In addition to a clock that works gradually as we age, the circadian clock located in the brain keeps our bodies running smoothly. This clock helps control the time we wake, eat, and sleep.
But there is more than that. It also controls more subtle aspects of how our bodies work, by influencing hundreds of molecular clocks throughout our cells and organs, from regulating metabolism to substances that control how genes make proteins.
Now, scientists are studying how to tailor treatments to our circadian rhythms. Drugs that specifically target the clock are being explored in the lab. Could we one day hack our biological clock to improve our health? Read full story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
This story is from The Checkup, Jessica’s weekly newsletter that gives you insights into everything biotech related. Registration to get it in your inbox every Thursday.
You may have missed:
+ Artificial intelligence is bringing the internet to sunken Roman ruins This technology makes it easier to monitor underwater archaeological sites. Read full story.
Must read
I’ve scoured the Internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 A new covid sub-variant is sweeping across the US
But there is no evidence that it is more serious than previous times. (Atlantic $)
+ The WHO says it is closely monitoring its spread. (sky news)
+ Demand for covid drugs is skyrocketing on China’s black market. (The rest of the world)
+ The European Union “strongly” recommends member states check people coming from China. (BBC)
2 Former Twitter employees are still waiting for severance pay
Many of them have been waiting for more than two months. (Bloomberg $)
+ Hackers shared the data of 200 million Twitter users. (Registration)
+ We are witnessing the brain death of Twitter. (Technology Review MIT)
3 It is unlikely that Celsius customers will get their money back
Unfortunately for them, they don’t actually own most of their cryptocurrency—the lender that collapsed did. (WP $)
+ New York’s attorney general is suing Celsius’s founder. (NYT $)
4 Taiwan wants to build its own satellite network
In an effort to protect the country from potential attacks from China. (FT $)
+ Satellite-to-cell phones are gaining traction at this year’s CES. (WSJ $)
5Two Wikipedia administrators have been jailed in Saudi Arabia
In a draconian attempt to control the site’s information across the country. (guard)
6 Inside Facebook’s Political Nightmare
The downgrade of “sensitive” news feed topics has not been smooth sailing. (WSJ $)
+ Managing the meta of moving abroad is also a headache. (Information $)
7 Mobilizing people to donate kidney is difficult
Providing donors with a financial incentive is one solution to reduce waiting lists. (Wired $)
8 Bionic Penile Implants Could Help Treat Erectile Dysfunction
Pigs with an artificially patched penis can have normal erections. (motherboard)
+ Meet a wounded soldier who received a penis transplant. (Technology Review MIT)
9 How tech people are adapting to off-grid life 
It’s time to invest in a wind turbine! (next site)
How the meme-themed pinata took off 
Social media and political themed designs are especially popular. (The rest of the world)
Quote of the day
“The biggest risk is not taking one.”
—Quote from the website of Alex Mashinsky, CEO of bankrupt crypto lending firm Celsius Network, who allegedly defrauded investors of billions of dollars, Reuters report.
big story
Your first artificial burger is coming—and it will be “blended”
December 2020
On a cool fall night in 2010, Jessica Krieger was horrified by a documentary showing the gruesome ways in which animals are killed for food. Then, as an undergraduate student in neuroscience, she plunged herself into what was at the time a subfield of biotechnology research: culturing and harvesting edible animal cells. without killing any sentient beings.
While lab-grown meat is busy finding its way out of the petri dish, plant-based meat alternatives are undergoing a revolution. But rather than see their success as a threat, Krieger and several other entrepreneurs see it as the opportunity they need to finally bring their creations to market — in the form of “mixed meat,” combines the best of plant-based and cultured meat substitutes. And it may not be long before you get a chance to taste it. Read full story.
—Niall Firth
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.)
+ If you ever get lost in the wilderness, these essentials Survival skills will help you settle down.
+ House of TikTok cleaning tips surprisingly easy—and kicks off efficiently.
+ Learn all major and minor scales on one piano just become a breeze.
+ soft amaretti cookies– Yes, please.
+ The US Transportation Security Administration has released a list of the strangest finds of 2022—including one guns hidden in peanut butter.
