this is today’s version download, Our workday newsletter provides daily coverage of what’s happening in the tech world.
Brazilians are turning to Instagram to identify far-right rioters
Within hours of far-right rebels storming government buildings in the Brazilian capital on Sunday, January 8, a new account emerged on Instagram.
The site, called Contragolpe Brasil, quickly began posting photos of alleged riot participants, gaining more than 1 million followers in just 24 hours. The idea is to crowdsource information to identify “those who attack democracy in Brazil,” making it easier for authorities to find and punish those who escape arrest that day.
Soon after the account started posting, comments started pouring in, including people’s full names, the city and state they lived in, and their Instagram usernames. But trying to identify criminals online can be risky, especially when people get it wrong. read more.
— Gilles Langlois
NASA’s return to the moon gets off to a rocky start
Five years after humans first set foot on the moon, NASA has a plan to return astronauts to the moon. Project Artemis aims to visit a new region of the moon and retrieve samples, this time with new faces behind the visor — including the first woman and the first person of color.
Whether the program will succeed — and whether a new moon landing will inspire a new “Artemis generation” in space exploration — is a matter of debate.
Even though its first mission blasted into space in November, the entire lunar mission could fail if something goes wrong, or if the powerful Space Launch System rocket carrying it is deemed too expensive or unsustainable — or At least it will be judged similarly. read more.
— Rebecca Boyle
Rebecca’s entry from our latest issue print magazine, dedicated to the latest cutting-edge technological innovations. Don’t miss future issues –Sign up subscription.
TR10: Ancient DNA Analysis
Scientists have long sought better tools to study ancient human teeth and bones. In the past, they had to sift through countless ancient ruins to find well-preserved samples for analysis.
Now, cheaper techniques and new ways to make damaged DNA visible to commercial sequencers are fueling a boom Ancient DNA Analysis— and uncover extinct species in the process.
Ancient DNA Analysis Just one of 10 of our breakthrough technologies, which we showcase every day on The Download.you can view the rest of the list for yourself, and vote in our poll Help us decide what should be our final 11th technology.
required reading
I combed the internet to find you the funniest/most important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.1 China is bracing for a surge in new crown cases
People gather in large groups to celebrate Chinese New Year. (protector)
+ The country has reported nearly 60,000 deaths from the virus. (New York Times $)
+ The Chinese Paxlovid Internet scam is ubiquitous. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Ukraine’s open-source intelligence is a double-edged sword
It can both help and hinder the war effort. (economist $)
+ How Ukrainian tech workers work in the context of war. (edge)
3 Twitter appears to be ditching third-party clients
External developers were outraged that they hadn’t been notified. (Information $)
+ Laid-off workers cannot join forces in a class action lawsuit, a judge has ruled. (Reuters)
+ Who would be a better CEO than Elon Musk? (edge)
+ Twitter’s New York offices are infested with cockroaches. (insider $)
4 Disgruntled investors sue Virgin Galactic
They claim the failure of their plane was not properly disclosed. (protector)
5 High Risks of Tracking Hate Crimes in India
Religious violence is on the rise, and the data programs that monitor it are under threat. (wettable powder $)
+ Saudi prosecutors want to execute an academic for using social media. (protector)
6 The U.S. government’s big bet on chips is risky
It is an expensive and ambitious undertaking. (wall street journal $)
+ Chinese chips will continue to power your everyday life. (MIT Technology Review)
7 The UK is cracking down on single-use plastic
Say goodbye to single-use plastic plates and cutlery. (Engadget)
+ How chemists are solving plastic problems. (MIT Technology Review)
8 students baffled by Auburn University’s TikTok ban
Mainly because it has a very simple workaround. (New York Times $)
9 How El Salvador’s largest gig economy app crashed and burned
Hugo was so successful that even Uber balked at it—until it failed. (rest of the world)
10 Not All AI-Generated Art Is Impressive
In fact, a lot of it is rubbish. (Atlantic Organization $)
+ Artists lead class action lawsuit against artificial intelligence art company. (Kotaku)
+ Generative AI is changing everything. But what’s left when the hype wears off? (MIT Technology Review)
daily quote
“I would advocate no Move fast and destroy things. “
— Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, in an interview time.
big story
For centuries, China’s road to modernization has passed through my hometown
June 2021
For generations, politicians and intellectuals have searched for ways to build a strong China. Some tools and ideas imported from the West. Others left for a better education, but the motherland still beckoned to them.
Particle physicist Yangyang Cheng of Yale Law School is a product of their complex legacy. She grew up in Hefei, then a modest, mid-sized city in eastern central China that is now a burgeoning metropolis with new research centers, manufacturing plants and tech start-ups. For the city’s proudest two sons, born a century apart, a strong home armed with science and technology was a lifelong wish. Cheng grew up in their stories. They told her about the forces driving China’s rise and how geopolitical pressures squeezed life. read more.
we can still have nice things
A place of comfort, fun and distraction in these strange times. (Any ideas?leave me a messageortweet me.)
+ We can pass The book they are reading?
+ someone took three months to remake Toto’s Africa in Minecraft I’m in love (thanks Charlotte!)
+ oh, be a starfish whisperer.
+ Why we are always striving to create more work jargon?
+ don’t call it a comeback—Red hair will never go out of style.
