June 18, 2026

The Download: a new hunt for dark matter and Kenya’s case for going solar

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. The search for dark matter has been blown wide open For decades, physicists have hunted for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), a leading candidate for dark matter. But their search has…

Technology

The Enhanced Games fit right in with the rest of 2026’s longevity vibes

May 22, 2026
This Sunday, a group of 42 athletes will gather in Las Vegas to compete in a somewhat unusual sporting competition. Participants in the inaugural Enhanced Games are being encouraged to take performance-enhancing drugs. The goal is to “push the boundaries of human performance.” The games’ organizers have said that competitors will only be taking substances that…

Roundtables: Can AI Learn to Understand the World?

May 21, 2026
Listen to the session or watch below AI companies want to build systems that understand the external world and overcome the limitations of LLMs. Recent developments have brought world models to the forefront of the AI discussion. Watch a conversation with editor in chief Mat Honan, senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven, and AI reporter…

Scaling creativity in the age of AI

May 21, 2026
Storytelling is core to humanity’s DNA, stemming from our impulse to express ideals, warnings, hopes, and experiences. Technology has always been woven through the medium and the distribution: from early humans’ innovation of natural pigments and charcoals for cave paintings to literal representation by the camera. The landscape of storytelling continues to shift under our…

The Download: online safety’s future and climate tech’s big pivot

May 21, 2026
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. Tech researchers are suing the Trump administration over the future of online safety For months, the Trump administration has been going after researchers who study and try to counter hate speech,…

Climate tech companies are pivoting to critical minerals

May 21, 2026
We’re over a year into the second Trump administration here in the US, and support for climate causes is weak. But climate tech companies are finding ways to survive and even thrive in this new environment, including by focusing on potential benefits outside decarbonization. Suddenly, it feels like every climate tech company has a story…

Tech researchers are suing the Trump administration over the future of online safety

May 21, 2026
Since its earliest days back in office, the Trump administration has been going after researchers who study and try to counter hate speech, harassment, propaganda, and disinformation online.  Now, some of those researchers are fighting back. Last week their lawsuit—which could have global repercussions for online safety and free speech—made its first appearance in court. …

Boston Metal gets a $75 million lifeline to produce critical metals

May 20, 2026
The startup Boston Metal has raised a $75 million funding round to produce critical metals, MIT Technology Review can exclusively report.   The company has been known largely for its efforts to clean up steel production, an industry that’s responsible for about 8% of global greenhouse emissions today. With the additional money, the new focus could…

The Download: fully artificial chicken eggs and why Musk lost

May 20, 2026
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. Colossal Biosciences is growing chickens in a 3D-printed artificial eggshell The baby chicks were shifting and starting to pip—or trying to hatch. But not from an egg. Instead, these chickens were…