Must read
I’ve scoured the Internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 How Ukraine assembled a digital, discrete army
It created a low-cost version of the systems that the Pentagon spent decades (and billions of dollars) developing. (WSJ $)
+ Ukraine says it has shot down nearly 500 drones since September. (Guard)
2 Sam Bankman-Fried is planning to plead not guilty
The founder of FTX could face up to 115 years in prison if he is found guilty of fraud and conspiracy. (Reuters)
3 China’s Covid zero turn is exacerbating social inequality
It is difficult for young people in rural areas to recover from the disruption of their education. (FT $)
+ Other countries are requiring travelers from China to present a negative covid test. (Vox)
+ China’s foreign minister praised the United States in a rare program of reunification. (Bloomberg $)
4 tech startups having a bad 2022
As it stands, 2023 doesn’t look much better. (WSJ $)
+ Workers laid off from Big Tech companies are looking to start their own jobs. (Reuters)
+ Take a look back at the biggest tech failures of the past 12 months. (Vox)
5 Brazil’s far right is thriving on Twitter
As soon as the country’s new leftist president took office. (The rest of the world)
+ We are witnessing the brain death of Twitter. (MIT Technology Review)
6China’s innovative AI models are having serious problems
Like their Western counterparts, the results are often inaccurate and upsetting. (TechCrunch)
+ How AI-generated text is poisoning the internet (MIT Technology Review)
7The earth is constantly making its own music
A tiny device is helping seismologists adjust its rhythm. (NYT $)
8 The James Webb Space Telescope Revolutionized Astronomy
It is particularly adept at unraveling the life cycles of stars. (precipice)
+ The US military is planning to launch a constellation of satellites in March. (Atlantic $)
+ NASA is looking for potentially deadly asteroids. (inverse)
+ What’s next in space. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Your attention span may not be as broken as you think
Being distracted can actually be the productive respite your brain is craving. (Guard)
+ Why not start the new year without a smartphone? (slate $)
10 You Can Blame Your Nose For A Cold You Can’t Get Rid Of
Colder temperatures make it harder to fight nasty bugs. (Wired $)
Quote of the day
“It’s mostly scams and memes when you learn about it.”
