The trial is a potential turning point for the editing tool they use, CRISPR. Since the technology was first programmed to edit genomes about a decade ago, we’ve seen CRISPR move from the science lab to the clinic. But initial experimental treatments focused on rare genetic diseases. High cholesterol treatment has broader potential. Read the full story about how new CRISPR enables treatment of common diseases.
CRISPR for high cholesterol is one of us 10 breakthrough technologies, which we feature every day on The Download.have a look the rest of the listand vote in our poll Help us decide what our final 11th technology should be.
required reading
I combed the internet to find you the funniest/most important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 Twitter briefly verifies account belonging to Taliban
This is yet another demonstration of the dangers of charging for verification. (protector)
+ Twitter loses more than 500 of its biggest advertisers.(Information $)
+ The company’s office artwork and furniture are up for auction. (New York Times $)
+ Elon Musk’s “hardcore” workplace sounds absolutely awful. (edge)
2 Crypto is making a comeback
The industry wants to change influential minds. But are they buying it? (wettable powder $)
+ Even cryptocurrency veterans are feeling the pinch. (wall street journal $)
3 Meta’s advisory board wants to free nipples
The company’s longstanding anti-nudity stance appears to be softening. (Engadget)
4 Quantum computing is still very sensitive to noise
A new startup thinks it has a solution to blocking outside sounds. (wired $)
+ What’s next for quantum computing. (MIT Technology Review)
5 The United States still wants to block TikTok
However, it would spark a backlash from millions of US users. (sound)
6 Legal complaints pile up against Tesla’s Autopilot software
But Elon Musk continues to insist it is safe. (New York Times $)
7 How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Fight Crop Diseases
From analyzing blight to making crops more resilient. (Knowable Magazine $)
+ There is a lot of money revolving around AI right now. (Atlantic Organization $)
+ How technology is finally starting to tell farmers things they don’t already know. (MIT Technology Review)
8 How Messi and Ronaldo Followers Take Over Instagram
And in the process escalated football’s biggest rivalry. (rest of the world)
9 How Battle Royale Mode Infiltrated Video Games
Full-on brawls are the perfect antidote to overly scripted formulas. (New Yorker $)
10 Propane Influencers Here Comes
This is the latest wave of fossil fuel propaganda. (new york magazine $)
daily quote
“I had tears in my eyes. What I thought would be a reality in the future became a reality that day. We shouldn’t be reaching these temperatures — it wouldn’t be possible without climate change.”
