The Download: AI vs quantum, and the future of reproductive rights in the US
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.
Why AI could eat quantum computing’s lunch
Tech companies have been funneling billions of dollars into quantum computers for years. The hope is that they’ll be a game changer for fields as diverse as finance, drug discovery, and logistics.
But while the field struggles with the realities of tricky quantum hardware, another challenger is making headway in some of these most promising use cases. AI is now being applied to fundamental physics, chemistry, and materials science in a way that suggests quantum computing’s purported home turf might not be so safe after all. Read the full story.
—Edd Gent
What’s next for reproductive rights in the US
This week, it wasn’t just the future president of the US that was on the ballot. Ten states also voted on abortion rights.
Two years ago, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a legal decision that protected the right to abortion. Since then, abortion bans have been enacted in multiple states, and millions of people in the US have lost access to local clinics.
Now, some states are voting to extend and protect access to abortion. Missouri, a state that has long restricted access, even voted to overturn its ban. But it’s not all good news for proponents of reproductive rights. Read the full story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Black Americans received racist texts threatening them with slavery
Some of the messages claim to be from Trump supporters or the Trump administration. (WP $)
+ What Trump’s last tenure as president can teach us about what’s coming. (New Yorker $)
+ The January 6 rioters are hoping for early pardons and release. (Wired $)
2 China is shoring up its economy to the tune of $1.4 trillion
It’s bracing itself for increased trade tensions with a Trump-governed US. (FT $)
+ The country’s chip industry has a plan too. (Reuters)
+ We’re witnessing the return of Trumponomics. (Economist $)
+ Here’s how the tech markets have reacted to his reelection. (Insider $)
3 How crypto came out on top
Trump is all in, even if he previously dismissed it as a scam. (Bloomberg $)
+ Enthusiasts are hoping for less regulation and more favorable legislation. (Time $)
4 A weight-loss drug contributed to the death of a nurse in the UK
Susan McGowan took two doses of Mounjaro in the weeks before her death. (BBC)
+ It’s the first known death to be officially linked to the drug in the UK. (The Guardian)
5 An academic’s lawsuit against Meta has been dismissed
Ethan Zuckerman wanted protection against the firm for building an unfollowing tool. (NYT $)
6 How the Republicans won online
The right-wing influencer ecosystem is extremely powerful and effective. (The Atlantic $)
+ The left doesn’t really have an equivalent network. (Vox)
+ X users are considering leaving the platform in protest (again.) (Slate $)
7 What does the future of America’s public health look like?
Noted conspiracy theorist and anti-vaxxer RFK Jr could be in charge soon. (NY Mag $)
+ Letting Kennedy “go wild on health” is not a great sign. (Forbes $)
+ His war on fluoride in drinking water is already underway. (Politico)
8 An AI-created portrait of Alan Turing has sold for $1 million
Just… why? (The Guardian)
+ Why artists are becoming less scared of AI. (MIT Technology Review)
9 How to harness energy from space
A relay system of transmitters could help to ping it back to Earth. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ The quest to figure out farming on Mars. (MIT Technology Review)
10 AI-generated videos are not interesting
That’s according to the arbiters of what is and isn’t interesting over at Reddit. (404 Media)
+ What’s next for generative video. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“That’s petty, right? How much does one piece of fruit per day cost?”
—A former Intel employee reacts to the news the embattled company is planning to restore its free coffee privileges for its staff—but not free fruit, Insider reports.
The big story
Recapturing early internet whimsy with HTML
Websites weren’t always slick digital experiences.
There was a time when surfing the web involved opening tabs that played music against your will and sifting through walls of text on a colored background. In the 2000s, before Squarespace and social media, websites were manifestations of individuality—built from scratch using HTML, by users who had some knowledge of code.
Scattered across the web are communities of programmers working to revive this seemingly outdated approach. And the movement is anything but a superficial appeal to retro aesthetics—it’s about celebrating the human touch in digital experiences. Read the full story.
—Tiffany Ng
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Sandwiches through the ages is a pretty great subject for a book.
+ Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon are getting the band back together! (kind of)
+ Instant mashed potatoes have a bad reputation. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
+ Here’s what an actual robot apocalypse would look like (thanks Will!)