That is at present’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what’s occurring on this planet of know-how.
What to find out about this autumn’s covid vaccines
Many individuals have began testing optimistic for covid not too long ago. Hospitalizations for the illness within the US rose almost 16% through the third week of August, and even Jill Biden examined optimistic this week.
Information counsel we’re at first of a fall wave. It’s been a 12 months since a covid booster was launched, and whereas the most recent wave isn’t more likely to be as dangerous because the tsunami we skilled in 2021-2022, there’s lots of uncertainty about what the following few months seem like.
So, the place are the up to date photographs to assist shield us? And the way do they stack up towards the difficult new variants? Learn the complete story.
—Cassandra Willyard
This story first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Expertise Overview’s weekly biotech e-newsletter. Signal as much as obtain it in your inbox each Thursday.
My colleague Jessica Hamzelou not too long ago wrote about how covid hasn’t gone away. Test it out right here.
How ought to we regulate AI?
Deciding methods to regulate AI is likely one of the greatest challenges dealing with politicians and consultants alike. On September 12 we’re holding the second MIT Expertise Overview Roundtable: a 30-minute dialog with our writers and editors—and this one’s all about governing AI.
Melissa Heikkilä, our senior reporter for AI, will probably be chatting with information editor Charlotte Jee about what needs to be performed to maintain AI corporations in line. Roundtables are free for MIT Expertise Overview subscribers, so for those who’re not already, you possibly can grow to be one at present from simply $80 a 12 months.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at present’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Elon Musk lower off Starlink web to disrupt Ukrainian troops He scuppered a sneak assault Ukraine had deliberate on Russia’s naval fleet. (CNN) + The information underscores the disproportionate energy that SpaceX wields. (WP $)+ Musk’s famously impulsive selections usually come again to chew him. (WSJ $)+ Starlink alerts may be reverse-engineered to work like GPS. (MIT Expertise Overview)
2 Huawei has unveiled one other controversial smartphoneOfficials are baffled how China seems to have sidestepped US chip sanctions. (Bloomberg $)+ The brand new handset might be significantly dangerous information for Apple. (WSJ $)
3 US and UK authorities have sanctioned ransomware gang membersThe infamous Trickbot group has evaded justice for years. (Wired $)
4 There aren’t any medication to reliably deal with anorexiaDespite near 50 years of analysis, researchers have had little success. (The Atlantic $)
5 One other FTX government has pleaded guiltyRyan Salame made political contributions to the Republican get together below the guise of loans. (CoinDesk)+ If he’s discovered responsible, he faces as much as 10 years in jail. (NYT $)
6 Microsoft is engaged on the world’s largest cancer-detecting AI modelThe system examines photographs of tissues and flags anomalies to human docs. (CNBC)+ A brand new blood take a look at may diagnose ailments inside 10 minutes. (FT $)+ Medical doctors utilizing AI catch breast most cancers extra usually than both does alone. (MIT Expertise Overview)
7 ChatGPT satisfied the Pentagon to spend money on AI-powered weaponsThat’s based on former VR CEO Palmer Luckey, who now builds army drones. (Motherboard)+ Contained in the messy ethics of creating battle with machines. (MIT Expertise Overview)
8 Service workers have had sufficient of your TikTok gimmicksThey’re unwilling members in 1000’s of tedious meals skits. (WSJ $)
9 Australia is ditching handwritten signaturesElectronic signatures and video hyperlink witnessing will change the necessity to signal on the dotted line in particular person. (The Guardian)
10 You most likely don’t must improve your iPhone However Apple positive is sweet at convincing you that it is best to. (Vox)
Quote of the day
“Persons are beginning to depart a hint. They’re forgetting the core rules of the burn.”
—Jeffrey Longoria, who attended this 12 months’s mud-stricken Burning Man pageant, laments how guests are forgetting to clear up after themselves, Insider stories.
The massive story
VR is pretty much as good as psychedelics at serving to individuals attain transcendence
August 2022
After a near-death expertise, artist and physicist David Glowacki tried to recapture the hallucinatory transcendence he felt. A VR expertise known as Isness-D is his newest effort.
On 4 key indicators utilized in research of psychedelics, this system confirmed the identical impact as a medium dose of LSD or psilocybin (the primary psychoactive part of “magic” mushrooms).
Which means it may probably be used to alleviate the signs of psychological well being situations, together with obsessive-compulsive dysfunction, dependancy, post-traumatic stress dysfunction, and despair. Learn the complete story.
—Hana Kiros
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre occasions. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ These drone photographs of marine creatures are fairly cool.+ If monitoring murders in late medieval London, York, or Oxford is your factor, boy, do I’ve some maps for you.+ These no-bake peanut butter bars sound like the right weekend deal with.+ Ethan Lee is doing essentially the most: by porting our favourite indie PC video games to Linux.+ Alien is filled with meticulously-designed semiotic requirements. Examine them out.