{"id":17310,"date":"2026-07-15T12:44:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T12:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=17310"},"modified":"2026-07-15T12:44:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T12:44:51","slug":"the-download-a-useful-quantum-machine-and-a-record-breaking-subsea-tunnel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=17310","title":{"rendered":"The Download: a useful quantum machine and a record-breaking subsea tunnel"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is today’s edition of <\/em>The Download<\/em>, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

PsiQuantum has a plan to make a massive quantum computer out of light<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The machine that could change the world will be housed in a room that looks like a data center crossed with an ice cream factory. <\/p>\n

Inside, some 100 stainless-steel cabinets each hold hundreds of chips. On those chips, thousands of light particles will fly through a maze of optical switches and beam splitters. Each photon must be accounted for, because precisely measuring where it ends up will help answer questions that current computers might take millions of years to solve.<\/p>\n

This computer, as described, does not exist. It\u2019s the brainchild of a company called PsiQuantum, founded in 2016 by four physicists from UK universities. In a crowded field of deep-pocketed competitors with similarly fantastical visions, the company aims to be the first to build a useful quantum machine.<\/p>\n

Read the full story on the company\u2019s quest.<\/p>\n

\u2014James O’Donnell<\/em><\/p>\n

MIT Technology Review Narrated: inside the world\u2019s deepest and longest subsea road tunnel<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2014Niall Firth<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m currently around 1,000 feet beneath the North Sea, in a dark, dank cave. It smells weird. And I\u2019m increasingly aware of the pressure from millions of tons of seawater just above my head.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m under the iconic fjords of Norway to visit what will soon become the world\u2019s longest and deepest subsea road tunnel\u2014an exceptional engineering feat that will carry drivers deep beneath the North Sea.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m here to understand how you make a 16.6-mile highway that sits 1,280 feet below the sea at its deepest point. And also\u2014at a time when it can feel hard to get anything done\u2014to reassure myself that ambitious engineering is still possible. That we can still make things. <\/p>\n


This is our latest <\/strong>story <\/strong>to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on <\/strong>Spotify<\/strong> and <\/strong>Apple Podcasts<\/strong>. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it\u2019s released.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 Meta allegedly used AI to target workers with health issues for layoffs<\/strong>
Their lawsuit says Meta relied on AI to create a termination list. (Guardian)
+ And pinpointed staff who took maternity or disability leave. <\/em>(Reuters $)
+ One was allegedly informed the day before her water broke.<\/em> (Ars Technica)
+ The layoffs aimed to offset Meta\u2019s AI spending. <\/em>(Gizmodo)
+ AI agents are not your \u201ccoworkers.\u201d<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

2 OpenAI\u2019s first consumer device will be a mobile smart speaker<\/strong>
The screenless device will serve as an \u201cAI companion.\u201d (Bloomberg $)
+ It\u2019ll let you talk with ChatGPT. <\/em>(Verge)
+ And use a camera and sensor to understand your environment. <\/em>(Reuters $)
+ It\u2019s set to launch next year.<\/em> (Engadget)
 
3 The US military sent explosive drone boats into combat for the first time<\/strong>
They attacked an Iranian midget submarine and naval port. (Ars Technica)
+ Underwater drones may shape a war in Taiwan.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)
 
4 DeepMind\u2019s CEO has called for a US-led body to test frontier AI models<\/strong>
Demis Hassabis wants the watchdog to vet national security threats. (FT $)
+ If dangers mount, it would coordinate an industry-wide slowdown.<\/em> (Axios)
 
5 Data centers are set to add billions in power costs in 13 states<\/strong>
A power auction is slated to produce $6.3 billion in new charges. (NYT $)
+ Australia plans to govern the use of water and power for AI.<\/em> (WSJ $)<\/p>\n

6 xAI’s unpermitted power pollution hits Black communities hardest<\/strong>
Elon Musk’s xAI has been installing gas turbines without permits. (Reuters $)
+ We need to focus on Big Tech\u2019s energy footprint.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)
 
7 Stripe and Advent have offered to buy PayPal for more than $53 billion<\/strong>
The payments giant and private equity firm have made a joint bid. (Reuters $)
+ Apple and Google Pay have eroded PayPal’s market share.<\/em> (Bloomberg $)<\/p>\n

8 DeepSeek plans to file for IPO as soon as this year<\/strong>
The Chinese AI pioneer is likely to list in Shanghai. (WSJ $)
+ Here\u2019s why DeepSeek\u2019s latest model matters.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

9 A hard, lightweight \u201cbio-metal” has been discovered in sea worm jaws<\/strong>
It could have applications in engineering. (New Scientist $)<\/p>\n

10 A new $3,000 fitness suit electrocutes you to boost your gains<\/strong>
Celebrities love it\u2014but not everyone\u2019s a fan. (404 Media) <\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBy economic and engineering measures, generative AI might be the worst technology ever deployed.\u201d <\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2014Alex Reisner, a staff writer at The Atlantic, explains why GenAI\u2019s scaling problem is an engineering disaster.<\/p>\n

One More Thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

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FRANZISKA BARCZYK<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n


Hackers made death threats against this security researcher. Big mistake.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In April 2024, an anonymous hacker began posting death threats on Telegram and Discord channels aimed at a cybersecurity researcher named Allison Nixon. It wasn\u2019t long before others piled on. Someone shared AI-generated nudes of her.<\/p>\n

They targeted Nixon because she had become a formidable threat. As chief research officer at the cyber investigations firm Unit 221B, named after Sherlock Holmes\u2019s apartment, she had built a career tracking cybercriminals and helping get them arrested. <\/p>\n

For years, Nixon had lurked quietly in online chat channels or used pseudonyms to engage with perpetrators and bring them to justice. Now, she resolved to unmask the people behind the death threats\u2014and take them down for crimes they admitted to committing. <\/p>\n

Find out why they learned to regret their choice of target.<\/p>\n

\u2014Kim Zetter<\/em><\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ A musician has discovered the true masters of metal breakdowns: birds.
+ Photographer Fontanesi\u2019s surreal photo splits transform everyday images into spectacular hybrid scenes.
+ Over 30 actors, filmmakers, and friends recount how Steven Spielberg infiltrated Hollywood in this terrific article.
+ Who would win the World Cup if less important things than soccer decided it, like life expectancy and happiness? A new game tests your knowledge.<\/p>\n