this is today’s version download, Our workday newsletter provides daily coverage of what’s happening in the tech world.
What’s Next for Quantum Computing
For years, headlines about record-setting systems have dominated Quantum’s news cycle. But this year, researchers are shaking off the hype and getting serious about real-world life — packing processors with more and more quantum bits, or “qubits,” and switching to fewer, but higher-quality qubits. .
The company also announced new chips designed to connect directly to each other. The move is expected to speed up the transition to “modular” quantum computers and help machines scale up significantly in the process. read more.
—Michael Brooks
Drugs that hack our biological clocks may one day improve our health
We have more than one biological clock. In addition to the biological clocks that kick in as we age, the biological clocks in our brains keep our bodies in rhythm. This clock helps control when we wake up, eat and sleep.
But not only that. It also controls the finer aspects of how our bodies work by affecting hundreds of molecular clocks in our cells and organs, from regulating our metabolism to controlling how our genes make proteins.
Now, scientists are working on ways to tailor treatments to our circadian rhythms. Labs are exploring drugs that specifically target the biological clock itself. Could we one day hack our biological clocks to improve our health? read more.
— Jessica Hamzelloo
This story comes from The Checkup, Jessica’s weekly newsletter, which gives you the inside scoop on the world of biotech. register Get it in your inbox every Thursday.
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+ AI is bringing the internet to the flooded ruins of Rome. The technology makes it easier to monitor underwater archaeological sites. read more.
required reading
I combed the internet to find you the funniest/most important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 A new covid subvariant is sweeping the US
But there’s no evidence it’s any more serious than its predecessors. (Atlantic Organization $)
+ The World Health Organization said it was closely monitoring its spread. (sky news)
+ Black market demand for coronavirus drugs is soaring in China. (rest of the world)
+ The EU “strongly” recommends that member states test arrivals from China. (bbc)
2 Ex-Twitter employees still awaiting severance pay
Many of them have been waiting for more than two months. (Bloomberg $)
+ Hackers have shared the data of 200 million Twitter users. (register)
+ We’re witnessing Twitter’s brain death. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Celsius customers unlikely to get their money back
Unfortunately for them, they don’t really own most of the cryptocurrency – failed lenders do. (wettable powder $)
+ The founders of Celsius are being sued by the New York attorney general. (New York Times $)
4 Taiwan to build its own satellite network
To protect the country from potential attacks from China. (Financial Times $)
+ Satellite-to-cell phones are gaining popularity at this year’s CES. (wall street journal $)
5 Two Wikipedia administrators jailed in Saudi Arabia
Attempts to control information on this site nationwide. (protector)
6 Inside Facebook’s Political Nightmare
Downgrading a “sensitive” News Feed topic is far from straightforward. (wall street journal $)
+ Meta-management for transfers overseas is also a headache. (Information $)
7 Encouraging people to donate a kidney is hard
Offering financial incentives to donors is one solution to reducing waiting lists. (wired $)
8 Bionic Penile Implants Help Treat Erectile Dysfunction
Pigs with injured penises that received the artificial tissue patch were able to get normal erections. (motherboard)
+ Meet the Wounded Veterans Who Received Penis Transplants. (MIT Technology Review)
9 ways tech enthusiasts are adapting to living off-grid
Time to invest in wind turbines! (next network)
10 How Meme-Themed Piñatas Became Popular 
Designs themed around politics and social media were especially popular. (rest of the world)
daily quote
“The biggest risk is not taking the risk.”
— quoted from the website of Alex Mashinsky, CEO of bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Network, accused of defrauding investors of billions of dollars, Reuters report.
big story
Your first lab-grown burger is coming — and it’ll be ‘mixed’
December 2020
On a cool autumn night in 2010, Jessica Krieger was horrified by a documentary showing the horrific ways in which animals are slaughtered for food. At the time, she was a neuroscience undergrad working in what was then a fringe area of biotechnology research: growing and harvesting edible animal cells without killing any sentient beings.
While lab-grown meat is busy finding its way out of petri dishes, plant-based meat alternatives are undergoing a revolution. But Krieger and some other entrepreneurs see their success not as a threat, but as the opportunity they need to finally bring their creation to market—in the form of “hybrid meat,” a fusion of Essence of plants and meat. Artificial meat substitutes. You may have a chance to sample it soon. read more.
— Neil Firth
we can still have nice things
A place of comfort, fun and distraction in these strange times. (Any ideas?leave me a messageortweet me.)
+ If you’ve ever been lost in the wilderness, these must-haves Survival Skills It will benefit you a lot.
+ Douyin Home cleaning tips Surprisingly easy – and it works great to boot.
+ Learn all major and minor scales piano made easy.
+ Soft Almond Cookies-Yes, please.
+ TSA releases list of 2022’s weirdest finds — including gun hidden in peanut butter.
