{"id":25651,"date":"2026-11-12T14:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T14:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=25651"},"modified":"2026-11-12T14:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T14:38:22","slug":"the-download-cop31s-climate-challenge-and-the-quest-for-immortality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=25651","title":{"rendered":"The Download: COP31\u2019s climate challenge and the quest for immortality"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

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

What to know about this year\u2019s UN climate talks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thousands of delegates, lobbyists, and journalists have gathered in Antalya, Turkey, for COP31, the annual UN climate talks. But this year\u2019s negotiations are taking place against a particularly tense geopolitical backdrop, as the world falls further behind the Paris Agreement\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n

Energy prices are soaring, and there are big questions about how countries will tackle the climate crisis. Expect a lot of back and forth on fossil fuels and climate finance, and whether negotiators can agree on meaningful action.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about COP31.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014Casey Crownhart<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Inside the quest for cognitive immortality<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Far-thinking technologists are working on ways to keep your brain going beyond death. MIT Technology Review\u2019s<\/em> latest Roundtables event explores their ideas, from gradual brain replacement to uploading memories to the cloud.<\/p>\n

Join science editor Mary Beth Griggs and senior editor for biomedicine Antonio Regalado for this subscriber-only discussion.<\/p>\n

Tune in live on Tuesday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m. GMT \/ 12:00 p.m. EST \/ 9:00 a.m. PST<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to join the conversation?<\/em> Subscribe to<\/em> MIT Technology Review for exclusive access to all our Roundtables.<\/em><\/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 Nvidia is reportedly preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang
<\/strong>The board will meet as soon as today to determine his future. (WSJ $)
+ Nvidia\u2019s stock slid 8% after the report was published.<\/em> (BI)
+ Huang allegedly also had an affair with an Nvidia colleague.<\/em>(NYT $)
+ His exit could send shockwaves across the AI industry.<\/em> (Axios)
+ Stakes are high in AI’s trillion-dollar gamble.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

2 The Nvidia spy scandal is set to tighten chip exports
<\/strong>But Commerce Secretary Lutnick has stalled the curbs. (CNBC)
+ China has signaled it will retaliate if they pass.<\/em> (FT $)
+ Chinese firms have started stockpiling Nvidia chips.<\/em> (Reuters $)
+ Democrats appear to be preparing an investigation.<\/em> (Politico)<\/p>\n

3 A startup has built an AI to detect AI-made bioweapons
<\/strong>It runs offline on a laptop with a USB gene sequencer. (Wired $)
+ Ukraine is opening up its battlefield data to train AI weapons.<\/em> (NYT $)
+ AI is making bioweapons easier to create.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

4 Anduril says its satellite can track spacecraft in orbital night<\/strong>
It uses an infrared sensor to detect hidden satellites. (Ars Technica)
+ Anduril is also making smart glasses for warfare.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

5 Ukraine has reported new restrictions on SpaceX\u2019s Starshield
<\/strong>Zelenskyy says they\u2019re hampering drone defenses. (NBC News<\/p>\n

6 Even remote Brazilian wildlife has microplastics in its blood
<\/strong>Animals 100 km from waste sites carried them. (Nature)
+ AstroTurf is increasing microplastic levels.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

7 A NASA space camera can spot invasive plants from orbit
<\/strong>It detects how different species\u2019 leaves reflect light. (Economist $)<\/p>\n

8 Astronomers have found an \u201cinvisible\u201d object that defies stellar theory
<\/strong>It\u2019s likely an ultra-rare supermassive neutron star. (404 Media)
+ New research has corroborated the first black hole image.<\/em> (New Scientist $)
+ The search for dark matter has been blown open.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

9 Life may have started with metabolism, not genes
<\/strong>Self-sustaining chemical cycles could have come first. (Quanta)<\/p>\n

10 Brain surgery has left a man seeing cat eyes on people
<\/strong>Researchers used AI to render what he sees. (Gizmodo)<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI know more about being a progressive than almost anybody on the planet, and I absolutely believe Palantir\u2014all of our products\u2014are essentially progressive.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2014Alex Karp, Palantir’s CEO, tells Politico that he’s a devoted Democrat despite recently backing Trump.<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

How Chinese short dramas became AI content machines<\/strong><\/h4>\n

China\u2019s short drama industry is fueled by bite-sized, melodramatic, and smutty shows built for smartphone scrolling. Now, many are being made entirely with AI: no actors, camera operators, cinematographers, or CGI specialists required.<\/p>\n

An average of 470 AI-generated short dramas were released every day in January. Production timelines have shrunk from months to weeks, while costs have dropped by up to 90%. Storytelling is also increasingly driven by performance data.<\/p>\n

The format is rapidly expanding overseas while reshaping the work of writers and production crews. Read the full story on AI\u2019s dramatic impact on China\u2019s short drama industry.<\/p>\n

\u2014Caiwei Chen<\/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

+ Watch Rome grow from 1000 BCE to the present day in a mesmerising 3D timelapse.
+ Hold your breath watching a skateboarder\u2019s record-breaking 94.3mph run down a Qu\u00e9bec hill.
+ A captivating photo essay has captured the heart-wrenching wail of flamenco at the Seville Biennial.
+ A majestic Chinese mural has sparked a rare US-China collaboration that unearthed new secrets from art history.<\/p>\n

\n

#Download #COP31s #climate #challenge #quest #immortality<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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