According to a recent study, severe and long-lasting river droughts, lasting over 85 years each, impacted the Indus basin from 4,400 to 3,400 years ago. This finding may provide insights into the gradual decline of this ancient civilization and underscores how environmental factors can influence historical societies.
An artist’s reconstruction of the gates and drainage channels of the ancient city of Harappa. Image credit: Chris Sloan.
The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the earliest urban cultures, thrived between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago along the Indus River and its tributaries in present-day Pakistan and northwestern India.
During its zenith, around 4,500 to 3,900 years ago, the civilization was noted for its advanced urban centers and sophisticated systems for managing water resources.
Despite this, the reasons behind the protracted decline following its peak remain largely elusive.
“The Indus River played a crucial role in the growth of the ancient Indus Valley civilization by offering a consistent water source for agriculture, trade, and communication,” stated Dr. Bimal Mishra from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar and his colleagues.
“Civilizations prospered near the Indus River and its tributaries approximately 5,000 years ago and evolved over time.”
“The mature Harappan phase (4,500 to 3,900 years ago) was marked by meticulously planned cities, advanced water management techniques, and an intricate writing system.”
“However, post 3,900 years ago, the Harappan civilization began to deteriorate and eventually fell into decline.”
“The causes for this decline are still under discussion. Potential factors encompass shifts in river dynamics influenced by climate change, ocean retreat, drought, flooding, and alterations in social and political structures.”
“Understanding ancient hydroclimatic events and their impact on societies provides vital insights into the susceptibility of complex societies to environmental pressures.”
For this research, the authors simulated climate patterns in the Indus Valley from 5,000 to 3,000 years ago.
They integrated these findings with various indirect climate indicators, including the geochemistry of stalactites and stalagmites from two caves in India and water level data from five lakes in northwestern India.
The results indicated that temperatures rose by approximately 0.5 degrees Celsius during this time, while average annual precipitation in the region decreased by 10% to 20%.
They were able to identify four significant drought periods lasting over 85 years between 4,450 and 3,400 years ago, impacting 65% to 91% of the Indus Valley area.
“These droughts affected the selection of settlement locations in the Indus Valley Civilization,” the researchers noted.
“From 5,000 to 4,500 years ago, settlements were primarily situated in regions with abundant rainfall.”
“However, after 4,500 years ago, they shifted closer to the Indus River as drought conditions began to limit water availability.”
“The last identified drought, lasting 113 years from 3,531 to 3,418 years ago, corresponds with archaeological evidence of significant urbanization in the Indus Valley Civilization.”
“Instead of collapsing abruptly due to sudden climate changes, the Indus civilization likely faced a gradual decline, with extended drought being a key factor,” concluded the researchers.
Their study was published on November 27 in the journal Communication Earth and Environment.
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H. Solanki et al. 2025. River drought forcing Harappan metamorphosis. Communication Earth and Environment 6,926; doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-02901-1
Hi there! Welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery. Today, I’m pondering whether it’s time to upgrade from my iPhone 11 Pro. Tech news is filled with ongoing narratives from Silicon Valley, advice on how to sidestep annual smartphone upgrade cycles, and discussions on artificial intelligence in government, for better or worse.
Decoding Silicon Valley’s Narrative
The encroachment of technology can often seem unavoidable. This has likely always been the case, but the feeling is increasingly backed by Big Tech’s own supportive media ecosystem.
My colleague Nick Robbins – Early Report:
If you’re seeking insights from key figures in the tech world, you’ll frequently encounter them on programs like Sourcery, which act as safe havens for an industry wary of critical media. Some new media platforms are created by the companies themselves, while others, like fast-moving sharks, occupy niches favored by tech billionaires. Industry leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Satya Nadella have recently engaged in lengthy, cozy interviews, while entities like Palantir and Andreessen Horowitz have ventured into launching their own media ventures this year.
In a landscape where many Americans express distrust toward major tech firms and believe that artificial intelligence will negatively affect society, Silicon Valley has crafted its own alternative media network, turning CEOs, founders, and investors into lasting and cherished celebrities. What began as a few adoring podcasters has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem of publications and shows, supported by some of the most influential entities in the tech sector.
However, as these echo chambers within Big Tech expand, so do the critical voices emerging from within the companies.
My colleague Varsha Bansal reports on two recent developments. U.S. AI raters (a new type of contracted content moderator for AI) are discouraging their friends and family from utilizing AI. In Seattle, over 1,000 Amazon employees have anonymously signed an open letter expressing concerns that the rapid implementation of AI across the company and its products jeopardizes the environment and the jobs of its workforce.
1 dozen AI evaluators who verify the accuracy of AI-generated responses shared with the Guardian that upon realizing the capabilities of chatbots and image generators—along with the inaccuracies of their outputs—they began to advise friends and family against using generative AI altogether or at least to approach it with caution. These trainers are involved with various AI models, including Google’s Gemini, Elon Musk’s Grok, along with other popular and lesser-known bots.
More than 1,000 Amazon employees signed the open letter, expressing “grave concerns” regarding AI development and asserting that the company’s “all-costs-justification-at-warp-speed” strategy towards powerful technologies poses a threat to “democracy, our jobs, and our planet.”
This letter, which was made public on Wednesday and signed anonymously by Amazon staff, emerged a month after the company announced mass layoffs aimed at promoting AI usage in its operations. It carries various demands about Amazon’s impact on workplace conditions and the environment. Employees are urging the company to power all data centers with clean energy and to ensure that its AI-driven products and services do not facilitate “violence, surveillance, or mass deportation.”
ChatGPT and Mental Health
Tips for Not Buying New Gadgets This Holiday Season
New iPhone 16. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Black Friday online sales hit $8.6 billion in the U.S., according to Adobe Analytics. You might be one of the excited buyers, or perhaps, like me, you think your sputtering phone, laptop, or tablet will last another year, even if it’s cracked or barely holding a charge. The cost of a complete upgrade can be daunting.
Yet, alternatives are arising. Devices are becoming easier to repair, including Apple products. This means that even if your gadget is aging, there are often budget-friendly ways to obtain the technology you need without purchasing new devices. My colleague Alan Martin covers refurbished devices and shares five tips for navigating these options.
Understand Refurbished Terms
Refurbished can mean a variety of things. Pay close attention to the condition of the battery and what assurances are provided. Peer-to-peer purchases can be risky. The terms “used,” “secondhand,” and “refurbished” can sometimes be misleading. This is what separates reputable marketplaces like Back Market, MusicMagpie, and Refurbed from platforms where you buy directly from individuals such as Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
Review Warranties and Return Policies
If issues arise, you’ll want to make sure you’re covered.
Examine Seller Reputation
Check customer reviews and online feedback. On eBay, look for sellers participating in the company’s refurbished product program.
Research Selected Devices
The older the device, the more significant the discount, but if you need to replace it sooner, this could lead to extra costs. Especially for mobile phones and laptops, keeping them updated ensures longevity.
Don’t Sacrifice Quality for Cost
A low price is only worthwhile if the quality is indeed delivered. We prioritize customer service and a transparent refurbishment process over just saving a few bucks.
“When buying refurbished, the best advice is to go through trusted retailers like Back Market, Giffgaff, and Vodafone. If you’re using eBay, look for items labeled as ‘certified refurbished,’” technology journalist Thomas Deehan mentioned in an interview.
Read more: From shockproof cases to updates: How to extend your smartphone’s life
AI in Government: Inept Lawyers, Automated Bureaucracy
Brazilian flag reflected in the capital Brasilia. Photo: Sergio Lima/AFP/Getty Images
Artificial intelligence is infiltrating various workplaces, even those funded by taxpayer dollars. The stakes in election processes and judicial decisions are far greater than those faced by private firms selling errant products, making the use of AI in government appear to be a reckless venture. However, the sluggishness of administrative processes is a global challenge, rendering AI’s potential for efficiency highly appealing. The adoption of AI in government remains in its nascent stages, producing mixed outcomes.
On the upside, countries like Brazil, Germany, and Japan are leveraging generative AI to enhance their bureaucratic functions and increase participatory processes. Nathan E. Sanders and Bruce Schneier, co-authors of the book Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship, note:
Brazil is notorious for its high litigation rates, with more lawyers per capita than the United States. Its courts are consistently overwhelmed with cases, leading to a backlog that costs the government billions.
Since 2019, the Brazilian government has been actively using AI to automate judicial processes. Rather than making legal rulings, AI assists in redistributing workloads, conducting legal research, transcribing hearings, identifying duplicate submissions, preparing initial signature orders, and clustering similar cases for joint assessment, all aimed at making the justice system more efficient. The impact has been significant; Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court backlog reached its lowest point in 33 years in 2025.
In Germany, new tools like Wahlweise and Wahl.chat allow the creation of an AI-powered official wall-o-mat that facilitates interactive discussions with voters, providing tailored information based on their individual interests rather than static web content outlining various political parties’ stances.
In Japan, last year, 33-year-old engineer Takahiro Anno entered the Tokyo gubernatorial race as an independent candidate, finishing fifth among 56 candidates, largely due to his innovative use of a certified AI avatar. This avatar responded to 8,600 voter queries during a continuous 17-day YouTube livestream, capturing global interest in campaign innovation.
Two months ago, Anno was elected to the Japanese Senate, again harnessing AI to engage constituents, this time answering over 20,000 questions. His new party, Team Mirai, pledges to address public queries during committee meetings based on feedback from the Mirai Congress app.
Now for the downside. In California, government attorneys neglected to verify the accuracy of AI-generated outputs while attempting to prosecute an individual. My colleague Cecilia Nowell reports on how a prosecutor’s office in California utilized AI for at least one criminal case, resulting in filings that contained inaccuracies known as “hallucinations.”
The Nevada County District Attorney’s Office in Northern California recently utilized AI to prepare court documents, which led to incorrect citations. District Attorney Jesse Wilson stated, “Once the error was discovered, the application was immediately retracted.”
Defense and civil rights attorneys contend that AI has also been deployed in other criminal court filings.
I am not a product of Silicon Valley. I never pursued computer science and have never coded. My career hasn’t revolved around the discussions or sciences of technological progress. In 2018, I transitioned to Facebook Meta from the British and European political sphere, uncertain of what lay ahead.
As a Brit, the immense scale of America does not shock me. The distance from the power hubs on the East Coast feels significant when you first arrive in Northern California. It’s not merely 3,000 miles from Washington, DC, or New York; a 3-hour time difference creates a temporal dissonance. By the time the West Coast rises, the East has already moved on with its news agenda. Europe’s major events happen the night before. It feels isolated here. It’s understandable why those wishing to distance themselves from the scrutiny of the corporate world find refuge in this area. It serves as a natural haven for idealists daring to challenge the status quo.
There’s an alluring aspect to Silicon Valley, a place where affirmation flourishes. It draws in innovative minds brimming with creativity. Aspirations know no boundaries. Obstacles transform into opportunities, and every vibrant day could yield extraordinary breakthroughs. Anyone can conceive ideas that might revolutionize the world and amass wealth. However, it also functions as an industrial-scale breeding ground, predominantly for a certain male-centric environment—where assertive men and capable women must constantly vie for recognition. This ecosystem, which ideally serves new ideas, often distracts from the lives of average individuals. The wealth in this environment can create a disconnect from their everyday struggles, allowing an idealism that often overlooks harsh realities.
Upon my arrival at Facebook, the company was undergoing turmoil. Many employees were active during a time when their reputation diverged significantly from its former self. It was once an exhilarating ideal, spearheaded by a youthful genius with a remarkable mission, rapidly generating revenue while connecting the globe. Transforming from a group of rising stars to the public’s enemy was a cultural shock I was scarcely prepared for. It drew parallels to the Liberal Democrats in coalition government—a collective of idealists striving for change, leaving me bewildered as to why they were viewed unfavorably.
oThe most profound culture shock I faced in Silicon Valley had little to do with transatlantic differences. Since commencing my university journey in the mid-1980s, my path to success relied heavily on the power of words. At its core, politics embodies the contest of diverse narratives defining how things ought to be—liberalism, socialism, conservatism, fascism—all stories providing varying perspectives, analyses of problems, and proposed solutions. Winning an election hinges on how many resonate with your narrative about opponents’ affairs and visions.
Yet, Silicon Valley is populated with individuals viewing the world from a different lens: engineers. They navigate a realm of facts and processes. An engineer’s objective is to identify and solve issues, then move to the next challenge. They reside in a universe punctuated with acronyms, crafting a lexicon that feels akin to an exercise in boiling conversations down to their essence. Upon my arrival, I found myself immersed in XFNS, STOS, and FOAS, where every roadmap demanded a playbook, every community belonged to an ecosystem, and every topic was either TL;DR or worthy of deep dives. Everything—absolutely everything—needed quantification. In an early meeting, a senior engineer queried the likelihood of ‘government X’ passing law Y. I chuckled, believing it to be a jest. The notion of summarizing political processes into a pseudo-science seemed absurd. He didn’t laugh. When I retorted with “oh, maybe 23.67%,” he nodded earnestly. From that moment, I learned that persuasive narratives lacked weight without data points supporting every argument and evaluating potential outcomes. This realization grounded me. While science holds value, a systematic approach to problem-solving sharpens clarity in decision-making.
“He may be the most competitive person I’ve ever met”: with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in April 2019. Photo: Niall Carson/PA
However, this perspective can also be reductive. It commodifies everything, stripping away nuances, instincts, and humanity. Conversations about data with engineers often resembled how carpenters discuss wood. This reflects a broader cultural shift in privacy and data protection expectations shaped by regulation, but the reliance on logic over emotion and intuition reveals why Silicon Valley sometimes seems insensitive to the concerns of those beyond its colorful campus.
I might not be the typical figure you envision in Silicon Valley. My career has revolved around suits and ties, not hoodies or flip-flops. Faced with the flood of brightly colored, quirky posters decorating Facebook’s vibrant MPK campus (a nickname for Menlo Park), my initial impulse was to respond in a very British fashion with gentle sarcasm. During one of my first meetings with a recent team, a poster boldly proclaimed a common Silicon Valley mantra. Trying to break the ice, I quipped, “Don’t bring your real self to work. If I present my real self, you won’t like it. Just bring your inauthentic self between 9 to 5, then return home and revert to your true self.” The room fell silent. One team member later approached me, visibly embarrassed, explaining that the statement resonated uncomfortably with them. At that moment, I realized I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
While Mark Zuckerberg is often recognized as a visionary leader, two attributes stand out: his boundless curiosity and fierce competitiveness. Many who achieve early success tend to stagnate, lost in their own triumphs. In contrast, Mark displays humility, drive, and a continuous thirst for knowledge. If he feels uninformed, he passionately immerses himself in learning, absorbing every bit of wisdom related to the topic. He contemplates deeply and evaluates every angle. And no one—truly no one—can hold silence like Mark. I tend to fill awkward silences with chatter, but Mark allows it to linger, often to an unbearable extent. Yet, when he does speak, his words are always profoundly considered. While he might embody an engineer’s rational mindset—absent of emotions—this should not be misconstrued as a lack of depth or curiosity; it’s precisely the opposite.
Simultaneously, he is perhaps the most competitive individual I’ve ever encountered; I say this as someone seasoned in frontline politics and who has encountered numerous competitive personalities throughout my time in the UK private school system.
This competitive spirit manifests in his passion for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). He’s an avid UFC enthusiast and approaches his training with utmost seriousness. His involvement in MMA had to be disclosed to investors due to its potential business implications. Once characterized in the public eye as a geeky figure two decades ago, he has indisputably become quite muscular. Just ask Elon Musk, who, after challenging Mark to an MMA bout, made various excuses to avoid actually stepping into the ring with him. Mark’s commitment to MMA is so profound that he insisted during an offsite management day that some of his senior executives join him for training sessions at his personal gym. Everyone partnered up to practice techniques under the guidance of Mark’s professional instructors. Consequently, I found myself wrestling with my then-direct report, Joel Kaplan. This engagement sometimes felt overly intimate as we awkwardly navigated moves that established an entirely new level of corporate bonding.
Joel later humorously admitted he considered reporting it to the then-HR Director Lori Gaul, but when he looked for her, he found her in a chokehold from Mark Zuckerberg. Surviving that challenge meant that Joel left Meta, armed with a peculiar yet robust shared experience that fortified our collaboration in global business operations.
The technology sector is engaged in an intense competition to lure artificial intelligence experts with increasingly lucrative salaries and hefty signing bonuses. Researchers holding doctoral degrees in computer science are at the forefront of this battle, often dubbed “talent.” The Washington Post recently referred to them as Olympians in a headline that asks, “Why are AI superathletes commanding $100 million bonuses in Silicon Valley?” These individuals are the most sought-after professionals globally.
High-tech firms are investing heavily in AI team star players who can create technologies surpassing human capabilities. These innovations aim to yield AI models known as “artificial general intelligence” or “super intelligence,” which outperform human intellect in every task.
In the pursuit of these coveted advancements, Silicon Valley is pouring money that could potentially establish a legacy. The race for talent is so intense that stories about the poaching of individual researchers are making headlines, as seen in Wired: “Another well-known OpenAI researcher joins Meta,” and Bloomberg: “Meta recruits two prominent Apple AI experts after hiring their boss.” The Information also reported, “Humanity has hired two leading coding AI experts from the cursor developer Anysphere.” All these stories emerged just last week.
The tech press’s fixation on these researchers resembles the sports media’s coverage of star player trades. Analysis of their salaries, speculation about upcoming moves Meta’s roster, discussions about team composition or overall strategy, and scrutiny of individual players echo the basketball trade phenomena from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The term “another” in the Wired headline hints that one company is driving this frenzy—Meta. Mark Zuckerberg has made headlines recently by stating his company would invest “hundreds of billions” in AI initiatives. In April, Meta adjusted its capital expenditure plans for this year from $640 billion to $75 billion, an increase from the previous estimate of between $600 billion and $65 billion. In 2023, Meta only allocated $28 billion for maintenance, as noted by Fortune.
Zuckerberg is backing his commitment with cash. In early July, Meta hired Ruoming Pang, the head of Apple’s AI modeling team, for a staggering pay package amounting to around $200 million. Pang is set to join Meta’s super intelligence team, which may be the most expensive engineering group since the Manhattan Project.
The current trade frenzy is encapsulated in Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s remarks about half of the world’s leading AI researchers last week. He made these comments while in Beijing, during a meeting celebrating Donald Trump’s recent allowance for Huang’s extremely profitable company and a new permit to sell advanced semiconductors to China. Previously, the export of Nvidia chips faced tight restrictions. Huang’s remarks highlight the fact that American companies are investing in a pool of English-speaking talent, which still stands out in competition across the Pacific, regardless of the substantial salaries offered by high-tech giants.
Alternatives to iPhones and Samsungs vie for your attention
Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
In recent years, several companies have launched mobile phones aimed at providing alternatives to the industry’s biggest players. Some of these companies are capitalizing on a rising unease regarding smartphones’ grip on our daily lives or simply seeking to challenge the prevailing dominance.
One intriguing option is a recently released device in the UK by Sage Mobile. This iPhone 16 variant comes with customized software that prohibits internet searches, gaming downloads, and social media apps like Instagram. British technology editor Robert Booth notes that these bespoke phones are sold at over twice the price of standard UK iPhone contracts, targeting children with the promise of “reconnecting with real life.”
This device includes a curated app store, enabling users to access apps for banking, public transport, school calendars, and weather updates.
Based on experiences with similar devices in the US, usage among children aged 8 to 14 averaged just 15 minutes to an hour per day—significantly less than the average screen time of 3 hours. Kaspar remarked, “It’s not magic and isn’t that fun,” leading to disinterest among kids and resulting in many devices ending up in landfills.
A 16-year-old anonymous reviewer shared their experience with the Guardian, highlighting how using Sage underscored their dependency on various apps and social media platforms. Although they felt more productive and engaged with family, creating a clean division between online and offline life proved to be more complex than merely blocking apps.
Sage’s representatives mentioned that it can take about a month to adapt to these limitations. However, teens may feel isolated from their friends and society, which is perceived as unjust. Having TikTok and Instagram is the norm today, and stepping back from these platforms can make it challenging to stay connected.
Should I continue using this phone, I would likely feel excluded when discussing how many of our jokes and cultural references originate from those platforms.
The London-based company Nothing also aims for a different approach with its Phone 3. This device features a quirky design, including a small LED screen on the back of a translucent case, rather than being a stripped-down version of an iPhone or Android.
Constructed on a Nothing version of the Android operating system, the Phone 3 incorporates many interesting features while striving to differentiate itself from the ubiquitous offerings of Apple and Samsung. Consumer Technology editor Samuel Gibbs provided a four-star review, stressing the importance of its unique attributes for justifying its value.
While the Phone 3 is impressive for Nothing, it may not outperform standard Android devices. It stands out from competitors but requires a desire for something distinctive to appreciate its offerings, given that more affordable devices provide comparable or superior performance.
Photo: AP
In his commitment to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI, Zuckerberg disclosed plans for a data center comparable in size to Manhattan. Meta’s sprawling complex, fueled by similarly vast financial outlays, has been named Hyperion, after the Greek Titan symbolizing the sun. Zuckerberg’s second smaller data center is named Prometheus, after the Titan punished for bringing fire and sacred knowledge to humanity. Is this data center a boon for us? Or, as the creators of AI, are we destined to face consequences? The emotions evoked by these names reflect Zuckerberg’s grand ambitions. The famous novel Frankenstein has another notable title that seems relevant: Modern Prometheus.
Google is also expanding its undertakings, planning to invest $3 billion in hydropower and $25 billion in data centers across Pennsylvania and neighboring states within the next two years. Apple is making its mark with a $500 million deal for rare earth minerals, investments that have drawn scrutiny from US mining companies.
Deserts like Death Valley can be an extraordinary source of drinking water
Mimi Ditchie Photography/Getty Images
The compact panels managed to extract a glass of clean water from the arid air of Death Valley, California.
Although the atmosphere over extremely dry regions can retain a significant amount of water, extracting it into usable supplies has proven challenging. Previous methods, including simple mesh fabrics and mist-capturing nets crafted from synthetic spider silk, have struggled to function effectively in real-world conditions.
Now, Xuanhe Zhao from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his team have created a unique water collector, about 0.5 meters tall and 0.1 meters wide. It features a glass panel embedded with absorbent hydrogels—gel-like substances formed from long polymer chains and lithium salts, enabling it to gather water molecules.
The hydrogel is designed to fold into an origami-like configuration, enhancing surface area to capture moisture during the night. The absorbed water evaporates when sunlight hits the glass panel the next day. The interior of the device is coated with a specialized cooling material, which collects the evaporated water as it condenses and drips into a storage compartment below.
Zhao and his team conducted a week-long test of the apparatus in Death Valley, where humidity can plummet to as low as 5%. In comparison, the annual average in London hovers around 70%. They discovered the device can harvest up to 160 milliliters of water each day, enough to fill a small glass.
It’s estimated that eight of these panels could meet the daily drinking water requirements of an average adult, making them especially beneficial in arid regions. “Given the compact design of the device, we believe larger arrays could provide drinking water to households for consumption,” says Zhao.
Zhao and his colleagues assert that while the device shows promise in real-world conditions, Daryl Williams from Imperial College London cautions that extended testing—beyond a week—could present challenges. “Outdoor environments are generally hostile. We want to observe how the device performs under such stress after three, six, or even nine months.”
I recently discovered a restaurant located in my second-floor room in San Francisco, where a venture capital firm hosted a dinner. The after-dinner speaker was a tech veteran who sold his AI company for hundreds of millions and is now pivoting to investment. His straightforward message to the founders of a newly established startup was clear: the potential earnings from AI far exceed the limited market size of previous tech waves. You can draw on a global workforce, which could mean profits for everyone involved.
The idea of completely replacing human labor with AI sounds like science fiction. However, it is the explicit goal of a growing number of high-tech elites—individuals devoid of significant drives or resources, yet with ample financial backing and determination. When they declare their intention to automate all labor, we should take their words seriously.
This perspective is typically confined to closed circles for obvious reasons; one rarely invokes hostility faster than when suggesting that jobs may vanish. Nonetheless, a company named Machicalize challenged this trend last month by openly articulating their vision: “Fully automated economy.” They have successfully garnered funding from some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent figures, including Google’s chief scientist Jeff Dean and podcast host Workspatel.
Is it truly feasible to automate every job? Elon Musk seems to think so. He suggested that the rise of AI and robotics could lead to a scenario where “None of us have a job.” Bill Gates has also reflected on the future of human work, stating that some roles may not be necessary: “It’s not necessary for ‘most things’.” Predictions for sweeping labor changes come from notable figures such as AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and billionaire investor Vinod Khosla. Their insights are not to be dismissed lightly.
Certain professions appear to be notably resistant to automation. Taylor Swift, Harry Kane, or the next Archbishop of Canterbury are unlikely to be replaced. Famous artists, athletes, politicians, and clergy are among the occupations least susceptible to AI intrusion; unfortunately, they are not careers accessible to everyone.
Currently, technology cannot substitute for all human labor. AI is prone to errors and lacks the coordination, dexterity, and adaptability of humans. However, cutting-edge technology can already perform many tasks, and the expectation is that it will continue to accelerate in capability.
GPT-4, one of OpenAI’s large language models, achieved a Top 10% score on the bar exam in 2023. More recent models have proven adept at coding even beyond the skills of their own chief scientists. The demand for freelance writing sharply declined when ChatGPT was released; the same trend occurred in graphic design following the launch of AI image generators. Driverless cars are already a common sight in San Francisco. As Sam Altman stated emphatically, “The job is It will definitely disappear—full stop.”
While AI captures most headlines, advancements in robotics are also progressing rapidly. While AI may threaten white-collar jobs, robots are increasingly targeting blue-collar work. A humanoid robot is currently undergoing tests at BMW factories. Another model has managed to master over 100 tasks typically performed by human store clerks. Companies are preparing to commence home tests with robots as soon as this year. The Silicon Valley vision for the job market is clear: AI handles thinking, while robots take care of the physical tasks. In this scenario, what role remains for humans?
Until recently, AI researchers anticipated that achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI)—the ability for AI to perform virtually all cognitive tasks at human levels—was an aspiration far off in the future. However, that perception has shifted. Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind, now claims that “It’ll come soon“—in less than 5-10 years, he says, would not surprise him.
Of course, these forecasts could be inaccurate. There’s a chance we may enter another AI winter, where chatbot advancements stagnate, robots falter, and venture capital shifts focus to another tech phenomenon. I personally don’t believe this will happen, but it’s a possibility. However, the core question remains: it’s not whether high-tech CEOs and billions in funding are directing efforts toward labor automation, but rather why they are so eager to pursue this goal and how the general populace feels about it.
The more optimistic viewpoint is that they genuinely believe a post-labor economy will spur significant economic growth and vastly enhance global living standards. The crucial question is whether historical patterns indicate that the fruits of this growth are equitably shared.
Alternatively, a less charitable interpretation is that it all boils down to money. Venture capitalist Mark Andreessen famously remarked, “Software eats the world.” Many sectors have been absorbed into this tech phenomenon. Regardless of the software developed, human effort remains essential for executing the majority of global work. However, Silicon Valley now sees an opening: a chance to control the entire means of production. If they choose not to seize this opportunity, they would not be true to their innovative spirit.
Ed Newton-Rex is a founder of a nonprofit certifying AI companies that respect creator rights and is the founder of Fally Trained. He serves as a visiting scholar at Stanford University.
Last week, Apple faced a fine from the European Union, and Meta was also penalized for hundreds of millions in dollars.
As reported by my colleague Jennifer Rankin:
The European Commission imposed a fine of 500 million euros (£429 million) on Apple, alongside a 2 million euro penalty for Meta, for violating fair competition and user choice regulations. This marks the first enforcement action under the EU’s groundbreaking internet laws.
The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) is designed to promote equitable business practices among tech giants, potentially setting the stage for further conflict with Donald Trump’s administration, which has heavily criticized European internet regulations.
The Trump administration quickly condemned the fines: a spokesperson from the National Security Council labeled the EU’s decision as “a novel form of economic terror that the United States will not accept.”
Although these fines are significant, their repercussions may be overshadowed by the intense scrutiny tech companies are under in the U.S. While the EU enforces stronger consumer protection laws in technology, legal actions against these firms could jeopardize the existing corporate structures that integrate products and generate substantial profits.
Before Trump’s potential re-election, I would have expected his administration to introduce tech regulations that could enhance Silicon Valley’s dominance alongside Europe. However, the current regulatory environment reveals a different reality: the U.S. Department of Justice is actively investigating nearly all major tech firms for alleged monopolistic practices. Lawsuits against Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Google have been filed over the past two years, with Meta’s trial commencing recently, jeopardizing its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
Most critically, Google is facing the repercussions of losing two antitrust cases consecutively. The U.S. has petitioned the court to compel the tech giant to divest Chrome, a leading web browser.
With major tech operations based in the U.S., the government wields substantial influence. Unlike EU penalties, U.S. antitrust cases threaten the very foundations of these companies. High-performing firms have weathered heftier fines in the past, akin to when the FTC penalized Facebook $5 billion for privacy infringements, yet the platform continued operations as usual. Similarly, the EU fined Google in 2018 concerning Android’s preference for its search engine, while Apple was fined 1.8 billion euros last year related to music streaming payments.
Without Chrome, Google may offer a less tailored online experience. Platforms like YouTube and Google search may diminish users’ history, and no other entity currently ads on every corner of the web.
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Two insightful essays on technology
UK Regulators Work to Safeguard Children Online
Tesla Posts Disappointing Earnings at a Critical Time for Musk
Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the SpaceX Test Flight launch in November. Photo: Brandon Bell/Reuters
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company reported poor revenue figures last week for Q1 2025. Here are the details from my colleague Johanna Bouyan:
Tesla experienced a 9% decline in year-on-year revenue in Q1 2025, generating $19.3 billion—well below Wall Street’s expectations of $21.45 billion. The company reported earnings per share of 27 cents, significantly trailing the anticipated 43 cents.
The company’s profits plummeted by 71%, down to $499 million, compared to $1.399 billion in net income the previous year.
Tesla also saw a 13% decrease in vehicle deliveries, marking the worst quarter since 2022, with a total of 336,681 vehicles delivered.
Much of Musk’s considerable wealth—he remains the richest individual globally despite losing almost $100 billion since the start of the year—stems from his stake in Tesla, which is now valued significantly lower than it was when Trump took office.
In a call with disappointed investors following the revenue report, Musk remarked that his government role consists largely of “orderly finance houses.” He also indicated that his involvement with Doge will likely diminish next month, with plans to step away from the project on May 30, within the confines of his 130-day pledge as a special government employee.
This statement evokes the premature “mission accomplished” banner displayed by former President George W. Bush early in the Iraq War, indicating that the long-term success of Musk’s cost-cutting initiatives remains uncertain. Just days before the earnings call, a U.S. federal judge halted the administration’s efforts to close the leading consumer finance protection agency. The total impact of Musk’s role remains unclear.
Study published in the magazine Natural Earth Science: Planetary researchers used high-resolution images and compositional data captured by orbiting satellites to understand the geology of thousands of kilometers of hills in the northern and western lowlands. Maurus Gorge, a plateau located on the highland side of the hemisphere bisection boundary of Mars.
Rising hundreds of meters above the surrounding lowlands, two Martian hills reveal bright areas rich in clay minerals. Image credits: ESA / TGO / CaSSIS / NASA / JPL / MSSS / Murray Lab.
A research team led by scientist Joe McNeil from the Natural History Museum in London found that the mounds are the remains of ancient highlands that retreated hundreds of kilometers after erosion carved out the landscape billions of years ago. .
These actions played a key role in shaping the Martian landscape, which separates the planet's low-lying northern hemisphere from its high-lying southern hemisphere.
This mound is made of layered deposits containing clay minerals, formed by water interacting with rock over millions of years.
These clay layers are sandwiched between older non-clay layers below and younger non-clay layers above, marking distinct geological events in Mars' history.
“These mounds are incredibly interesting because they preserve the complete water history of this area within an accessible, continuous rock outcrop,” Dr. McNeil said.
“They are prime locations for future missions aimed at determining whether Mars once had an ocean and whether life could exist there.”
The authors also found that these mounds are geologically connected to nearby plains. Oxia Planum -ESA's Rosalind Franklin spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2028 searching for signs of past and present life.
“Mars' lack of plate tectonics means it still has much of its ancient geology, so Mars is a model of what early Earth was like,” McNeil said. the doctor said.
“The more missions that visit Mars, the more we will be able to dig deeper into our planet's history and discover how life began.”
“As part of the Natural History Museum's mission to transform natural history science, our research focuses on providing solutions from and for nature.”
“This research is part of our Planetary Origins and Evolution research theme, which explores the origins and systems that underpin the evolution of the Earth, Moon, and planetary systems.”
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JD McNeil others. Dichotomous regression and aquatic alteration of Noachian Mars are recorded in highland remnants. Nat. Earth Science published online on January 20, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41561-024-01634-8
This article is based on a press release provided by the Natural History Museum, London.
On January 28, 2017, I hurried to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). That evening, protests were gaining momentum across the United States against President Donald Trump’s travel ban on visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. The night was unusually cold, and I had not brought a proper jacket. Luckily, the train to the airport was warm and filled with nervous and chatty protesters. The airport itself was chaotic. Angry demonstrators blocked roads, causing taxis and Ubers to be stranded with meters still running. A hijab-wearing protester prayed next to a protest sign in the baggage claim area, while others shouted at travelers collecting their luggage. At that time, Trump was the most controversial figure in America, and his election had shocked the world.
Later that night, rumors of a $150 billion face in the crowd started to circulate. Sergey Brin, the founder and co-founder of Google, was present. At that time, he was the president of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which also owns YouTube. The impact was electrifying. One of the wealthiest and most influential men in the world was publicly expressing his displeasure with Trump by participating in a protest against him. Brin, originally from Moscow and immigrating to the United States at the age of 6, stated he was at SFO that night “because I’m a refugee,” delivering a personal rebuke to Mr. Trump, whom he described as a complete xenophobe.
Following Brin’s lead, Google and other tech giants condemned Trump’s travel ban. Nearly 100 technology companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Uber, supported a lawsuit challenging the measure.
However, today’s protests against President Trump’s reelection have had minimal impact. Silicon Valley is shifting its stance to show more deference to Mr. Trump. This week, the tech industry finished its nominations for the upcoming president.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the cessation of the company’s fact-checking operations in the United States. In 2022, Meta had claimed to have built the largest global fact-checking network and spent $100 million on it.
A few days later, Mr. Zuckerberg revealed a reduction in efforts to enhance workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) – a move met with controversy. These policies had been disdained by Trump and faced criticism from his prominent supporter, Elon Musk. Zuckerberg, seemingly driven by ambition rather than personal beliefs, took actions such as promoting Dana White to Meta’s board of directors after dining with Trump and supporting his inaugural committee.
Mr. Zuckerberg’s actions seemed to be influenced by Trump’s threats, as the president-elect had warned of dire consequences if Zuckerberg interfered in the election. Mehta, like others, stood to benefit from a friendly Trump administration, particularly concerning Meta’s antitrust lawsuit.
Several tech CEOs, including Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella, also demonstrated support for President Trump, each contributing in different ways. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi donated $2 million to Trump, and even Google made a substantial donation despite being targeted by Trump’s campaign.
The president-elect, noticing his newfound popularity, remarked on the change in attitude towards him. Meanwhile, Musk’s threats loomed over tech leaders like Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Jensen Huang, demonstrating the power dynamics at play in the tech industry.
Scientists from Tel Aviv University conducted geochemical surveys at two smelting camps dating back to the 10th century BC, the time of the Biblical kings David and Solomon. Timna Valley It is located in southern Israel, in the southern Arabah. They found that environmental pollution resulting from copper production is minimal, spatially limited, and poses no danger to residents of the area, past or present.
Aerial view of Site 201, north of the center of the Timna Valley on the western outskirts of Wadi Araba, Israel. Image credit: Yagel others., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80939-5.
“We toured two major copper production sites in the Timna Valley: one from the Iron Age; King Solomon's time Professor Erez Ben Yosef of Tel Aviv University said:
“Our research was very extensive. We took hundreds of soil samples from both locations for chemical analysis and created high-resolution maps of the presence of heavy metals in the area.”
“We found that contamination levels at the Timna copper mining site were very low and confined to the site of an ancient smelting furnace.”
“For example, the concentration of lead, a major pollutant in the metal industry, drops to less than 200 ppm just a few meters away from the furnace.”
“By comparison, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines industrial areas as safe for workers at 1,200 ppm and residential areas as safe for children at 200 ppm.”
The new study contradicts a series of papers published since the 1990s about pollution allegedly caused by the ancient copper industry.
“We are proving that this is not true,” Professor Ben Yosef said.
“Timna's contamination is very spatially localized, with the only people probably working directly at the furnaces suffering from inhalation of toxic gases, and just a short distance away, the soil is completely destroyed. It’s safe.”
“Furthermore, the agreement in the spatial distribution of copper and lead concentrations in the soil that we found indicates that the metal is ‘locked up’ in slag and other industrial wastes, so that the metal can leach into the soil. It has no effect on plants or humans.”
“Our findings are consistent with several recent studies conducted in the Wadi Faynan region of Jordan, which also show very low levels of pollution.”
“Timna and Feynan are ideal locations for this kind of research because they are undisturbed by modern mining, as happened for example in Cyprus, and thanks to their dry climate metals in the soil are not washed away. .”
“In Feynan, scientists from Hebrew University examined the skeletons of 36 people who lived at the mining site during the Iron Age and found that only three had evidence of contamination in their teeth. The rest It was completely beautiful. We are now presenting a similar picture for Timna.”
In addition to the geochemical study, the authors also reviewed existing literature and found that the hypothesis of global pollution before Roman times lacked solid evidence.
“In the 1990s, there was a tendency to attribute ancient copper production to the first example of industrial pollution,” said Dr. Omri Jagel of Tel Aviv University.
“Such statements make headlines and attract research funding, but they unnecessarily project contemporary pollution problems into the past.”
“Furthermore, research literature tends to use the term 'contamination' to describe traces of ancient metallurgical activity, leading to the erroneous assumption that the metal industry was harmful to humanity from its earliest days. They are connected, but this is clearly false.”
“Even when metal production became large-scale and essential to human civilization, it was the toxic lead industry that caused global pollution, not necessarily other metals.”
“Studies in the 1990s argued that trace amounts of copper found in Greenland ice cores migrated through the atmosphere from places like Timna.”
“However, this claim has not been supported by subsequent research.”
“As researchers facing today's tough environmental challenges, such as climate change, we often look for similar problems in the past or think that environmental degradation is an inevitable consequence of human activity since the agricultural revolution. There is a tendency to
“But we have to be careful. We might call some slag falling on the ground 'pollution', but we can't treat this local waste as regional or global environmental pollution.” should not be confused with. ”
Regarding this research, paper Published in a magazine on November 29th scientific report.
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O. Jagel others. 2024. The pre-Roman copper industry had no polluting impact on the global environment. science officer 14, 29675; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80939-5
aArchitectural surrealism is a defining characteristic of Monument Valley. The rigid and beautiful structures in the game transform and rotate with the player’s touch, creating new paths and stairs for the minimalist character to explore. Doorways can lead anywhere, and hitting a switch can cause pillars to rise from the ground, revealing hidden paths. Since 2014, these games have been popular on smartphones and are considered some of the best examples for touch screen puzzle enthusiasts. However, the latest entry in the series, released recently, offers a unique twist.
The iconic Moroccan-inspired architecture that made the game famous is still present, but this time, the geometric character Noor is accompanied by blooming flowers and winding vines. Noor is shown steering a small boat and getting lost in a bright yellow wheat field. The game also introduces more people, with Noor depicted as an apprentice lighthouse keeper responsible for a community devastated by a flood in various scenes. Throughout the game, she is accompanied or assisted by different characters, highlighting the theme of rebuilding together.
Monument Valley is now available as a game on Netflix, allowing subscribers to download all three entries for free. The game is developed by Ustwo Games, a small studio based in London. While some creators from the first game remain, the team has evolved over the past decade. Director Jennifer Estaris, who joined Ustwo Games in 2020, brings her experience as a climate change activist and game designer to the project. The game’s development is influenced by the play for the earth Initiative, with Monument Valley 2’s additional chapter, The Lost Forest, created as part of the Green Game Jam.
Calmly satisfied…Monument Valley 3. Photo: Ustwo/Netflix
“I believe that green nudging is crucial and that system change can be reflected in games,” says Estaris. “For Monument Valley 3, my main idea was to explore sustainable and resilient community building for a hopeful future. We focused on living in harmony with nature to provide the solutions we need.” The game offers a satisfying and visually stunning puzzle experience while subtly addressing themes of climate change through its natural shapes and architecture.
Lead Designer Emily Brown explains the team’s approach to Monument Valley 3, stating, “We wanted to explore a different perspective from the towering monuments and isolated characters of the previous games.” The game incorporates more natural elements and allows for a mix of styles and ideas, reflecting a shift towards a more hopeful and interconnected narrative.
“It was impossible for us as a team.” do not have To bring a part of myself to it”…Monument Valley 3. Photo: Ustwo/Netflix
Monument Valley’s minimalist design allows players to bring their own emotions and narratives to the game, creating a unique and personal experience. Despite the game’s focus on conveying messages about climate change and hope, the team aimed to retain the space for interpretation and personal connection. Lead Designer Brown expresses the team’s ambition for the game, stating, “We believe that things can improve when players bring a part of themselves to the experience.”
The development of Monument Valley 3 during the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the team to explore themes of community, unity, and recovery from disaster. The game embodies the concept of Hopepunk, offering a message of hope and resilience in the face of challenges. Estaris emphasizes the importance of unity in overcoming difficulties, stating, “We want people to feel that we can overcome challenges by working together.”
HHello. Welcome to TechScape. Happy belated Thanksgiving to all my American readers. I hope you all enjoy a fun holiday party this weekend. I’m looking forward to baking gritty bunts for the Feast of St. Nicholas. This week in tech: Australia causes panic, Bluesky raises the issue of custom feeds, and we cover the online things that brought me joy over the holidays.
Australia on Thursday passed a law banning children under 16 from using social networks.
My colleague Helen Sullivan reports from Sydney: The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) would prohibit social media platforms from allowing users under the age of 16 to access their services, with penalties of up to A$50 million (A$3,200) for failure to comply. He is threatening to impose a fine of US$ 1,000,000. However, it does not contain any details about how it will work, only that companies are expected to take reasonable steps to ensure that users are over 16 years of age. Further details will be available by the time the Age Assurance Technology trials are completed in mid-2025. The bill will not take effect for another 12 months.
The bill also does not specify which companies would be subject to the ban, but Communications Minister Michel Rolland has said that Snapchat, TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook are likely to be subject to the ban. YouTube is not included because it is for “important” educational purposes, she said.
The new law was drafted in response to Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying there was “a clear causal link between the rise of social media and the harm it causes to Australian youth mental health.”
TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and X are angry. Following the bill’s passage, Mehta said the process was “fast-tracked” and that it would take a long time to hear from young people, the steps the tech industry has already taken to protect them, and existing research on the impact of their social media use. He said he did not consider the evidence.
Australian children are not a significant user base for these companies. According to UNICEF, in 2023, there were 5.7 million people under the age of 18 living in Australia. Facebook reported 3 billion monthly users in 2023. May 2023. There are approximately 370 million Facebook users in India. Even if all Australian children were to leave social media, which is unlikely, the number of users would not decline significantly.
If countries around the world turn their young people away from social media, social media companies will face an uncertain future.
Of concern to tech companies is the precedent set by the new law. Tech companies also fiercely opposed measures in both Australia and Canada that would require them to pay for news content. The issue was not the amount requested, but what happened next. If countries around the world required people to pay for news, the financial burden it would place on Facebook and others would be enormous, as would the responsibility of determining what is news. As countries around the world turn their young people away from social media, social media companies will face an uncertain future. The pipeline of incoming users will dry up.
What tech companies want in Australia is a measure that would require parental consent, but this would be a more vague standard and one that would divide responsibility between companies and users. Mehta and others opposed a 2023 law passed in France requiring parents to approve accounts for children under 15 with far less vigor than Australia’s new law. However, in an ominous sign for Australia’s measures, local French media reports that technical challenges mean the under-15 rule has not yet been implemented. Also, does the parental consent feature work? Data from several European countries shows that it doesn’t. Nick Clegg from Meta said the company’s data shows that parents are not using parental control measures on social networks.
Australian law shows that this is indeed possible in any country. We have seen the laws of one country tilt the global governance of social networks before. In the United States, a law governing children’s privacy passed in 2000 imposed a minimum age of 13 for social media users. Social network privacy policy.
Click here for a comparison of Australia’s social media ban laws with those of other countries.
The slogan “the personal is political” was influential in the 1960s, highlighting power dynamics in marriage. Today, a slogan like “technology is political” is equally relevant, showing how a few global corporations hold political sway in liberal democracies. Elon Musk’s recent appearance alongside Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally underscored technology’s prominent role in American politics. Despite Musk’s reluctance to tweet, his company provides internet to Ukrainian troops and his rocket was selected to land the next American on the moon.
In the past, tech giants like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple flourished in a lenient political climate. Democratic governments overlooked technology’s influence, and antitrust regulators were hampered by legal restrictions. The University of Chicago Law School promoted the idea that corporate dominance was permissible unless it harmed consumers. However, recent regulatory actions led by the DOJ and FTC show a shift towards addressing tech monopolies like Google facing antitrust allegations.
The tech industry’s political awakening is evident in the substantial financial support crypto companies provide to political campaigns. Rather than aiming to sway election results, this money is directed towards influencing the composition of Congress. This contrasts with the tech pioneers of the past who shunned politics, highlighting the current intertwining of technology and politics.
John Norton is a Professor of Public Understanding of Technology at the Open University.
THoused inside a glass box in the chapel on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, the “Quantum Chandelier” is the symbolic centerpiece of an ambitious effort to transform upstate New York into a tech hub — something like Silicon Valley for social media or Cambridge, Massachusetts, for biotechnology.
The silvery sci-fi object, named for the internal gold lattice that mounts, cools and isolates the processors, will be the heart of a “quantum computing system” that will herald a new era of computing. It’s the heart of Curtis Prime’s dream, co-founder of Nvidia, a $2.8 trillion artificial intelligence hardware and software company, to transform Rensselaer (RPI) into an advanced computing hub, remaking this part of upstate New York into a new Silicon Valley.
Priem has invested a significant amount of his wealth into building the Curtis Priem Quantum Constellation, a workshop where RPI students can envision the future of quantum computing. Just as his partners at Nvidia, where he served as the company’s first chief technology officer, allowed him to freely imagine the graphics chip architecture that will power the AI revolution, he hopes his investment will spark a new era of computational innovation in the region.
Prime believes the area along the Hudson Valley, from Yorktown Heights, home to IBM’s Quantum Research Institute, to Troy, home to the RPI/SUNY nanotech complex, to Syracuse, where Micron is building a massive $100 billion fab complex, will be the future home of U.S. computer technology.
To that end, he’s thinking beyond concerns about artificial intelligence and the success of Nvidia’s H100 graphics processing unit (GPU), which powers 90% of generative AI systems.
There are two RPI students on campus. Photo: Gregory Sherin
Wall Street has become skeptical of technology. AI has caused billions of dollars of losses, and Wall Street is disheartened by the idea that new technology is going to change the world. But the same thing happened with the internet overbuild of the 1990s, which went through booms and busts before eventually paying off.
In theory, quantum technology could solve in seconds problems that take today’s supercomputers decades to solve, unlocking secrets about the behavior of molecules, the genetic code, weather forecasting and, of more recent concern, cracking the encryption systems that underpin the internet.
aAbout 700 well-heeled Democrats packed San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel on Sunday to see Kamala Harris return to the city for the first time since launching her presidential campaign. The crowd at the fundraiser, where the cheapest tickets cost $3,300 and the highest was $500,000, included tech billionaires, corporate executives, and Silicon Valley venture capitalists who are quick to endorse Vice President Harris in her bid for the White House.
The event, which raised more than $12 million, was the latest in the Harris campaign’s outreach to tech Democrats and an extension of ties to Silicon Valley elites that go back more than a decade.
Harris, a former California attorney general and then senator, has extensive ties to some of the tech industry’s most influential figures and big donors. Her campaign has yet to release detailed policy positions on issues such as tech regulation, but tech executives speculate that her track record suggests she could take a more industry-friendly approach than Joe Biden.
Democrats from the tech industry who have promoted or donated to the Harris campaign include former Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg; LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who attended the fundraiser in San Francisco; philanthropist Melinda French Gates; IAC Chairman Barry Diller; and Silicon Valley venture capitalist Ron Conway. Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire philanthropist and former wife of Apple’s Steve Jobs, is a longtime friend of Harris’ and held a fundraiser for her at her home in 2013. Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings, who publicly called on the president to drop out after his disastrous debate performance, publicly endorsed Harris for the race. Donated $7 million It funded a pro-Harris super PACac within days of her becoming the presumptive nominee.
Some of these donors have come to Harris’ campaign with their own agendas. Most notably, Hoffman and Diller have called for the removal of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, whose agency has aggressively regulated big tech companies, angering the industry with lawsuits against companies like Microsoft and Amazon. (Hoffman sits on the Microsoft board of directors.) Targeted of the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit.
That Hoffman and Diller are donating heavily to Harris while also calling for the removal of Khan gives the appearance of billionaire donors trying to sway policy for their own benefit. Hoffman’s denial Harris claims Hoffman’s donations were made in exchange for influence. While she has not yet commented on the donations from Khan or her critics, her campaign hosted him at an organizing event in early August after his attacks on the FTC chairman.
Harris has received public pledges of support from big-name donors as well as hundreds of venture capitalists and technology industry insiders. “VCs For Kamala” website More than 800 signatures were collected from various companies. Bloomberg reported Tech4Kamala’s open letter has garnered more than 1,200 signatures, and the two groups are planning to hold an event later this month.
Trump battles Harris to build new relationships in Silicon Valley
Harris may have more vocal tech advocates than Biden, but the industry has also seen a shift toward conservatism and embrace of far-right ideology, and she faces a host of strong opponents. Last month in San Francisco, venture capitalists David Sachs and Chamath Palihapitiya hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump that raised about $12 million, while Silicon Valley powerhouses Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz announced plans to make large donations to the former president.
Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, also ran his Ohio Senate campaign with roughly $15 million in contributions from tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who was briefly employed by Thiel’s venture capital firm in 2015. Before becoming a senator, Vance worked in Silicon Valley and was connected to a wide network of wealthy conservatives in the tech industry.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has openly supported Trump while promoting attacks on Harris and the Democratic Party on his social media platform, X. Last month, Musk shared a deepfake parody video on the platform that showed manipulated footage of Harris saying, “I’m the ultimate diversity hire.” Musk’s Grok chatbot has also Spreading disinformation Harris drew condemnation from Democrats after suggesting she was ineligible to appear on the ballot in some states.
On Monday, Musk spoke with Trump in a more than two-hour interview in which he praised the president and did not refute a variety of falsehoods and baseless election conspiracy theories.
“The Trump campaign is run by self-centered rich people like Elon Musk and Trump himself who have betrayed the middle class and won’t be able to live stream in 2024,” Joseph Costello, a spokesman for the Harris campaign, said in a statement after the interview.
California’s ties to big tech companies
Harris, who served as California’s attorney general and then senator from 2010 to 2020, served during a pivotal period in the rise of Silicon Valley’s largest social networks, including Facebook. Her record on tech legislation and litigation has been praised by regulatory and privacy advocates, but she has also been criticized for not trying to rein in companies that have accumulated monopolies.
Harris, as attorney general, had close ties to the industry, and had been close to Sandberg, who was Facebook’s COO, and had worked on the PR campaign for her memoir, “Lean In.” Sandberg made the maximum legal individual contribution to Sandberg’s 2016 Senate campaign, Emails obtained by HuffPostsent Harris a message two days after the election saying, “Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! We need your help now,” but Harris did not respond.
California has seen an increase in cases of valley fever, a fungal infection, in recent years.
Fourteen confirmed cases among people who attended or worked at a music festival in the state are one example of the threat the bacteria poses.
Climate change is creating more opportunities for a fungus called Coccidioides to thrive.
Valley fever breaks out among attendeesInfections among workers at an outdoor music festival in California's Central Valley highlight the growing threat of fungal infections.
Fourteen people who traveled to Bakersfield to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle festival in May have tested positive for valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department of Public Health told NBC News on Thursday. At least three people have been hospitalized.
“About a week after I got back from the festival, I got really bad body aches and fever,” said Eric Mattson, 33, a musician from San Luis Obispo who attended this year's festival after testing positive for valley fever last month.
The condition progressed to joint pain, difficulty moving and night sweats. “I would wake up two or three times in the night drenched in sweat. I had to change my bedding and pyjamas in terrible pain. It was really bad,” Mattson said.
The bacteria that causes valley fever, Coccidioides, thrives in hot, dry climates, so most cases have been seen in Arizona and California. Climate change is creating more opportunities for the bacteria to grow, leading to an increase in valley fever cases in California.
“The number of reported valley fever cases has been particularly high in 2023 and 2024, which may be related to heavy rains in the winter of 2022-2023 following several years of drought,” the health department said in a statement.
The number of annual cases in California has increased from fewer than 1,000 in 2000 to more than 9,000 in 2019. Recent reports from state health departmentsThere have been 5,370 suspected or confirmed cases so far this year.
San Joaquin County has already seen more than 200 suspected and confirmed cases combined this year, 47 overall last year and 59 so far in 2022.
Valley fever is not transmitted from person to person. Rather, it infects the lungs by inhaling spores in dust or soil. The name comes from the San Joaquin Valley, where Coccidioides was found.
Mattson said he hasn't been contacted by the California Department of Public Health, which has not released the names of the 14 people who have been confirmed to be infected, so it's unclear if Mattson is among them. NBC News has reviewed Mattson's medical records, which show he tested positive.
Mattson estimated he lost 20 pounds in four to five weeks.
He suspected valley fever, having heard reports of some festival-goers being infected in the past, but was initially diagnosed with pneumonia. Eventually, his family doctor ordered a blood test, which came back positive early last month.
Mattson's situation is common, says Dr. Geeta Sivasubramanian, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno: “Patients with valley fever are often misdiagnosed with bacterial pneumonia.”
That's because many doctors don't recognize the disease, test for it too early, or confuse it with other respiratory infections, she says — errors that can lead to patients receiving unnecessary antibiotics instead of the appropriate antifungal medication.
About 60% of people with valley fever have no symptoms, but some may experience symptoms such as cough, fatigue, fever, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle and joint pain, and a rash on the legs and upper body. People with diabetes, weakened immune systems, and pregnant women are more susceptible to severe lung infections. In very rare cases (about 1%), the lung infection can spread to the bones, joints, and brain, becoming life-threatening.
An ideal environment for spreading Valley Fever
Sivasubramanian said he wasn't surprised by the concentration of cases among the more than 20,000 people attending the music festival.
“We live in a valley fever endemic area so anyone who visits the area or lives in the area is at risk,” she said.
In the Central Valley, heavy winter rains encourage the growth of the fungus in the soil, then as temperatures rise and the soil dries, dust carries the spores into the air.
Activities that kick up large amounts of dust, such as construction and agriculture, increase the risk of exposure. In 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated: Five confirmed and five suspected cases of valley fever were linked. Dry and dusty environment on outdoor film set.
Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of the department of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said “Lightning in a Bottle” appears to have come to the right place at the right time.
“You need two things: a spore cloud and a human,” he said.
Mattson said high winds during the festival stirred up dust near some of the stages and in the campgrounds where many attendees stayed.
“When you have a lot of people dancing, it definitely kicks up a lot of dust,” he said.
Valley fever may be spreading to new areas
Climate change is bringing increased rainfall and warmer temperatures, which provide better conditions for the fungus to thrive. It may also lead to more frequent and intense wildfires. Transporting spores to the surrounding area.
Outside of California and Arizona, 2019 Survey It's estimated that valley fever may already be endemic in certain counties in 10 other states, stretching as far east as Kansas and Oklahoma.
“As the desert expands, we're going to see cases outside of the historic areas,” Casadevall said.
Some researchers suspect that climate change may be altering rodent migration patterns, helping the fungus spread, but others don't think that's the case in general. 2022 Survey Coccidioides has been detected in rodents in Kern County, home of the Lightning in a Bottle festival.
Mattson said she doesn't regret attending the festival, but wants people in the community to know about the disease and its symptoms.
“If you've been in the valley or been anywhere where there's a lot of dust in the air, we really want to encourage people to get tested,” he said.
I
yeah How does democracy end?In his elegant book, The Restoration of Liberal Democracy, published after Trump’s 2016 election, David Runciman made a startling point: the liberal democracies we take for granted will not last forever, but they will not fail in the ways we’ve seen them in the past: without revolution, military coup, or breakdown of social order. Moving forward through failure In an unexpected way. The implication was that people who compare it to what happened in Germany in the 1930s are mistaken.
Until a few weeks ago, that seemed like wise advice. But then something changed: key sectors of Silicon Valley, a Democratic stronghold for decades, began to support Trump. In 2016, contrarian billionaire and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel was the only prominent Silicon Valley figure to endorse Trump, which merely confirmed the fact that he was a Silicon Valley legal outcast. But in recent weeks, many of Silicon Valley’s bigwigs (Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and David Sachs, to name just three) have revealed themselves as Trump supporters and donors. Musk has set up a pro-Republican political action committee (super PAC) and is donating to it. On June 6, venture capitalist Sachs hosted a $300,000-a-person fundraising dinner at Trump’s San Francisco mansion.
Why the sudden interest in politics? It’s probably a combination of several factors. First, Biden’s billionaire tax plan (and his administration’s antitrust litigation enthusiasm). Second, Trump’s newfound enthusiasm for cryptocurrency. Third, Biden has raised far more money for his campaign. And finally, and most importantly, Trump’s momentum was beginning to look unstoppable even before Biden dropped out.
The last two factors are reminiscent of the 1930s. In 1932, the Nazi Party was in serious financial trouble, and when Hitler became chancellor the following year, he personally appealed to business leaders for help. Funds were raised from 17 different business groups, with the largest donation coming from IG Farben and Deutsche Bank
At the time, these donations must have seemed like a shrewd gamble to the businessmen who donated them. But as historian Adam Tooze wrote in his landmark book on the period, it also meant that German businessmen “were willing to cooperate in the destruction of German political pluralism.” In return, according to Tooze, German business owners and managers were given unprecedented powers to control their employees, collective bargaining was abolished, and wages were frozen at relatively low levels. Corporate profits and business investment grew rapidly. Fascism had been good for business, but it wasn’t anymore.
I wonder if these thoughts were going through the minds of the tech titans enjoying a $300,000 dinner in San Francisco that June night. My guess is no, they’re not. Silicon Valley residents don’t care much about history because they’re in the business of creating the future, so there’s nothing to learn from the past.
That’s a pity, because history has some lessons for them. The German businessmen who decided to support Hitler in 1933 may not have known exactly what he was up to for Germany, and probably knew nothing about the plans for the “Final Solution.” But David Sachs’ dinner guests have no such excuse. Project 2025
President Trump’s second term plans are available online in a 900-page document.
It’s an interesting read. It has four core objectives: protecting children and families, dismantling the administrative state, defending borders, and restoring “God-given” individual liberties. But essentially, A huge expansion of presidential powers There are many hysterical proposals, including putting the Department of Justice under Presidential control, replacing nonpartisan civil servants with loyalist ones, rolling back environmental laws, mass deportations, and removing “sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender sensitivity, abortion, reproductive health and reproductive rights” from all federal rules, agency regulations, contracts, grants and laws.
The rationale for Project 2025 was a concern that Trump had no idea how to use his new powers when he came to power in 2016, and that he certainly will not do so next time. As public concern about the document has grown, he has tried to distance himself from it. This may be because he thinks he won’t need a plan if elected. Speaking recently at a Christian convention in Florida, he said: “Go out and vote, this time. You don’t have to vote anymore. Four more years and we’ll take care of it. We’ll all be sorted out. My beautiful Christian people, you don’t have to vote anymore.”
The lesson? Be careful what you wish for. Copycats, Silicon Valley.
circleJD Vance was a student at Yale Law School in 2011 when he attended a talk by conservative tech billionaire Peter Thiel. Vance didn’t know Thiel at the time, but over the next decade he became Thiel’s employee, friend, and recipient of his generosity. Thiel’s millions of dollars paved the way for Vance to become a senator.
Vance wrote that Thiel’s speech “was the defining moment of my time at Yale Law School.” Essays for 2020 Vance said Thiel’s talk about the failure of elite institutions and his Christian faith made him rethink his own faith and quickly planned a career outside of law, perhaps tinkering with technology and venture capital before entering politics.
Vance is best known for the hardscrabble upbringing he described in his autobiography, “Hillbilly Elegy,” but in the years after graduating from Yale he developed extensive ties to Silicon Valley investors and elites. His experience as a venture capitalist combined with his status as a rags-to-riches media fixture forged the core connections that powered his political climb and helped him assemble an influential following that pushed him to become Trump’s running mate.
After graduating from Yale and briefly working in corporate law, Vance moved to San Francisco and joined Thiel’s venture firm, Mithril Capital, in 2015. After his best-selling book “Hillbilly Elegy” gained him national fame in 2016, he joined Revolution, a venture capital firm founded by former AOL CEO Steve Case.
Vance returned to Ohio and stayed in the tech venture capital world. Leaving the Revolution Vance received funding from Thiel in early 2020 to co-found a venture firm, Naria Capital, which, like Thiel’s, was named after the elven ring of power in “The Lord of the Rings.” Naria’s other notable investors include former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Marc Andreessen, the venture capitalist who endorsed Trump last week. The avowed goal of Vance’s firm was to invest in early-stage startups in cities that Silicon Valley often overlooks.
In 2021, Naria Capital led a group of conservative investors, including Thiel, to invest in Rumble, a video streaming platform positioning itself as a less moderated, right-leaning version of YouTube. Naria co-founder Colin Greenspon touted the investment as a challenge to Big Tech companies’ control over online services, a topic conservatives have frequently discussed amid the backlash against content moderation surrounding the pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. It was also around this time that Thiel, a major financial backer of Trump during the 2016 campaign, invited Vance to meet with Trump for the first time, in a secret meeting at Mar-a-Lago in February 2021. According to the New York Times:.
Vance and Thiel’s longtime relationship also paid dividends in the 2022 Senate race, with Thiel pouring a massive $15 million into Vance’s campaign. According to the Washington Posthelped garner support for President Trump and led Vance to win the fiercely contested Republican primary and Senate elections.
While Thiel has vowed in recent years to stay away from donating to the 2024 election, Vance has since tried to ingratiate himself with Trump through other Silicon Valley connections. The Ohio senator introduced prominent venture capitalist David Sachs to Donald Trump Jr. in March. The New York Times reported.Vance attended a pro-Trump fundraiser for Sachs in June, which he co-hosted with Chamath Palihapitiya, Sachs’ co-host on the popular podcast “All In.” The event, which cost $300,000 to attend, was held at Sachs’ San Francisco mansion, where investors thanked Vance for helping make the fundraiser happen. During an informal conversation at the dinner, Sachs and Palihapitiya said Trump said: Vance as his running mate.
Sachs spoke at the Republican National Convention on Monday, days after calling Trump to endorse Vance as his running mate, along with Elon Musk and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. According to AxiosThiel also voiced his support for Vance during a private phone call with Trump, according to The New York Times. After Trump confirmed Vance would be his running mate, Sachs and Musk tweeted their congratulations, with Musk saying the victory was “ringing off.”
Many of Vance’s wealthy tech elite and venture capitalist backers now appear ready to offer even more concrete support. Investors including Musk, Andreessen, and Thiel’s Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale have ReportedlyPlanning a donation Huge sums of money supporting the Trump and Vance campaigns.
According to climate scientists, the impact of global warming on California’s interior is becoming more evident as desert droughts worsen and rainfall intensifies. Residents of Death Valley are witnessing these changes firsthand. The future of this resilient symbol lies in the ability of the desert’s plants, animals, and local economies to adapt to the evolving conditions in one of the Earth’s harshest environments.
“It’s fascinating to witness these changes up close,” remarked Donnelly. “It’s a clear indication of climate disruption.”
Two Unprecedented Storms
Susan Sorrels, who owns an ecotourism town near Death Valley National Park called Shoshone, described the weather in the area as always erratic. However, recent years have shown a distinct pattern. In early 2022, Death Valley, along with the rest of the American Southwest, experienced a historical drought lasting 22 years, leading to record-low soil moisture levels and the gradual demise of plants such as creosote bushes. The severity of these conditions was a testament to the extreme weather in the region.
“Desert shrubs are incredibly resilient but eventually succumb,” explained Lynn Sweet, a research ecologist at the University of California, Riverside.
In August of the same year, the region was struck by an unprecedented flood, receiving 1.7 inches of rain within a few hours. This storm caused significant damage to park infrastructure and left a lasting impact on the area.
About a year later, the remnants of Hurricane Hillary caused another extraordinary event, dumping 2.2 inches of rain in a day, exceeding the typical annual rainfall. This extreme shift from drought to heavy rainfall exemplifies the unpredictability of the changing climate.
Road workers work along Highway 190, where much of the road was washed away by Tropical Storm Hillary the week before, in Death Valley, Aug. 31, 2023. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images File
The aftermath of these storms led to challenges for Sorrels and her ecotourism business in Shoshone, with highway closures impacting accessibility during the peak tourist season.
Sorrels mentioned the local struggle to navigate through the economic impact of these weather fluctuations. She highlighted community efforts to expedite road repairs, ultimately reopening the park and highway for visitors.
In a surprising turn of events, Donnelly observed the growth of wildflowers in the region despite adverse conditions. The flowers, thriving in unusual ways, showcased a resilience that defied expectations.
Additionally, the presence of enough water led to the revival of Lake Manly, previously a dry lake bed filled with dust. This resurgence prompted the National Park Service to allow kayaking on the lake, a rare occurrence that highlighted the dramatic changes taking place in the region.
'TThe part where the mother and child get separated on the Red Mountain is a level fairly early in the game where you have to go back and find the mother. I was completing the sound design and music in the hospital. She was right next to my mother as she slept while she was recovering from open heart surgery. ”
Todd Baker pauses for a moment. He recalls the development process for Monument Valley 2, a 2017 indie puzzle game. Biggest success stories It will remain in the history of mobile games. The second game is more experimental than the first. The number of stories has increased and the atmosphere has changed. While the first title was all optical illusions and impossible objects, the sequel moves away from his MC Escher-inspired towers and spiers to non-Euclidean geometry and brutalism.
At the center of it all are a mother and daughter, wordlessly walking back and forth in each other's paths, desperately trying to stay together as the world heaves and undulates and does its best to tear them apart. It's about women's heritage and relationships, and for Todd there were parallels between fiction and reality. “The fact that this game is about a mother and a child, and the fact that I lost my mother at the end of the year when I was making this game, is very heartbreaking.”
“I wanted the music to speak and tell the story”…Monument Valley 2. Photo: ustwo
Monument Valley 2's soundtrack is the kind of music you want to listen to when you're not playing. Even when separated from the parent game, it's still very enveloping, very rich and textured, and provides a comfortable background for whatever you're doing. Waves of warm, organic tones and ambient, soothing sounds wash over you. This was always Baker's intention. Even before the unfortunate coincidence of fictional and real losses, Monument Valley 2's soundtrack was designed to be soothing, familiar, and gorgeous.
“Basically, what I was trying to do was create the sound of a really warm hug,” Baker said with a laugh, referring to one of the early stages of the game, when the child first comes to his mother. He described the moment he was held in his mother's arms. “At that moment, the kid comes in and I hug him, and there’s a lot of bass going on…I needed a really warm, fuzzy feeling, like this is where I want to be right now. .”
This moment in the game is very important. It's all about setting what's at stake. Yes, this story is abstract and minimalistic, but this moment has such power. Baker creates an impromptu acoustic guitar melody that he layered on three tracks and played on an EBow for a slightly supernatural sound, all backed up by an intoxicating supporting bass note, but it's not unlike the visuals here. I am doing a very important job. Establish everything that's at risk, Apple/iOS friendly, “bright on white”. If you don't watch the game to the end, you'll never see these two reunite.
That resonated with the audience, Baker said. “What's amazing is that now I get messages from people saying, 'This was the soundtrack of my childhood,'” Baker laughs. “They talked to me as adults now who were playing this game when they were 11 or 12 years old and said this is nostalgic and it's a safe space for them. It touches people's hearts. , they have a lot of nostalgia for it now.”
'It touched people's hearts'…Todd Baker performs music from Monument Valley 2 at London's V&A. Photo: ustwo
Baker was responsible for not only the music for Monument Valley 2, but also the entire sound design. Things like how a chime sounds when you swipe or tap on certain interactive elements, or how a little music plays as you explore a curious geometric world. It gets sucked in. This was an opportunity for him to emulate the approach Martin Stig Andersen took with Limbo and Inside. Both games had a huge influence on Monument Valley 2's audio, even though they couldn't be more different in tone.
“From the beginning, I was confident that I could do this. We were able to do the whole project holistically, including discussions about whether to license the music or use other artists for the trailer.” But for this one…I had to bring it myself. I wanted the music to speak and tell the story, and I wanted the rest of the development team to be really excited about it.”
As Baker says this, he imitates a hug and brings it around himself, recreating the hug he tried to evoke in the hearts and ears of players in the game's early moments. A decade after the original game was released, Apple still promotes both Monument Valley and the sequel on the App Store, with the latter installed on at least 30 million of his devices. There's no doubt that millions of people heard echoes of that hug and Baker's relationship with his mother. If you've never played this game with the sound on, find your headphones, head over to the App Store, and give it a try. I promise you, it's worth the effort.
In Brisbane’s western suburbs, houses hide behind subtropical rainforest, horses graze on paddocks, and road signs warn of deer and kangaroos.
The suburb of Anstead, nestled between a bend in the river and the foothills of the D’Aguilar Mountains, may seem like an unexpected place for a Polish-born management professor who advocates for embracing the age of artificial intelligence.
However, Marek Kowalkiewicz’s home, surrounded by rubber trees, tells a different story.
“When I moved here from Silicon Valley, my kids were about 5 years old and had no idea what an iPad was,” he said from his balcony overlooking his property. “From 9pm to 5pm, where I am, there is a world that is permeated with technology, and then there is a world that is superficially less permeated with technology.”
Today is the first Monday in March, and Kowalkiewicz is just hours away from the release of his book, ‘The Algorithmic Economy: AI and the Rise of Digital Minions’. In this debut book, the Queensland University of Technology professor explores the emergence of a new era driven by non-human agents, reshaping economies and societies in ways that are not fully understood.
Mr. Kowalkiewicz admits that, as the founding director of the QUT Center for Digital Economy Research, he initially misunderstood algorithms. He thought of them as mere pieces of code following human instructions, but now he acknowledges his error.
In a world increasingly dominated by algorithms, Kowalkiewicz believes that human agency is more important than ever to ensure a positive impact on society.
As we enter this new “weird” economy characterized by algorithmic controllers, robotaxis, and AI-driven decisions, Kowalkiewicz sees opportunities for human empowerment rather than replacement.
View from a kayak on Death Valley Temporary Lake, February 9, 2024
Michael Kohler/NPS
Heavy rain has fallen in California in recent weeks, resulting in the remarkable formation of a rare temporary lake in Death Valley, the driest place in the United States.
Record levels of rain have flooded California over the past month. Numerous atmospheric river storms (narrow bands of highly concentrated moisture in the air) worsen wet conditions, putting up to 37 million people at risk of flooding.
Heavy rainfall also hit Death Valley National Park along the California-Nevada border. In fact, it rained so much that the park's Badwater Basin, normally a dry salt flat, temporarily turned into a shallow lake.
At 86 meters below sea level, the basin is the lowest point in North America and was home to an ancient body of water that researchers named Lake Manly tens of thousands of years ago.
Over the past few decades, the lake has been backfilled several times. In August 2023, rains associated with Hurricane Hillary formed a lake 11.3 kilometers long and 0.6 meters deep, which shrank in the following months. Well, it has been replenished once again. The current maximum length of the lake is nearly 10 kilometers and the depth is approximately 0.3 meters.
Last year, Death Valley National Park Closed for several weeks after Hurricane Hillary This is because flooding damaged the road network and limited opportunities for visitors to explore the temporary lake. This time, the park opened and the re-emergence of Lake Manly attracted tourists, including swimmers and kayakers.
Following the recent historic heavy rains in California, an unusual event continues to unfold at the lakes of the famous Death Valley.
Officials from the park confirmed that a lake formed in the Badwater Basin in August, typically a salt flat, after heavy rains and flash flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Hillary in Death Valley National Park.
Thanks to atmospheric river events over the past two weeks, heavy rain across much of California has caused the lake to last longer than it would have under normal conditions. According to the park’s statement on Thursday, “Most of us thought the lake would be gone by October,” park ranger Abby Wines said in a statement. “We were shocked to see it still here after almost six months. Rain this week will extend the length of time the lake is here. It’s too shallow for kayaking, but It gives us great reflections of the mountains.”
People walk along Lake Manly, a temporary shallow lake in Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, California, on December 24.Abbey Wines/NPS Photo
Death Valley typically only receives about 2 inches of precipitation a year, but in the past six months it has seen just under 5 inches of rain, almost entirely due to Hillary and recent atmospheric river events. This was announced on Thursday.
During Hurricane Hillary, about 2.2 inches of rain fell per day, hitting California as a rare tropical storm, resulting in floods that damaged roads and other infrastructure.
The lake, which at one point was 11 miles long, 4 miles wide and 2 feet deep, spilled out following the heavy rainfall, as reported by the National Park Service.
Death Valley received 1.66 inches of rain earlier this week, according to the National Weather Service said earlier Wednesday. With a 72 hour precipitation report.
Park officials say temporary lakes in Badwater Basin are rare. Once an inland lake named Lake Manly, the basin has long since dried up. The park states that it has existed in the geologic past, and the most recent one dried out approximately 10,000 years ago.
Known for having some of the hottest, if not record-setting, scorching summer temperatures ever recorded on Earth, this week’s highs in Death Valley are in the 50s to 60s. The average high temperature in Furnace Creek usually begins to reach 90 degrees in April. According to the park.
The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, reaching 134 degrees, as reported by the World Meteorological Organization.
What do iconic Valley investors Zachary Bogue and Chris Sacca have in common? They’re both trying to stop cows from burping methane. No, really. And Soccer Investments has just raised $20 million to do just that. What gives?
With the conclusion of COP28, the global conference on the climate crisis, methane is on the ClimateTech agenda for investors and startups.
Emissions from livestock are the main source of agricultural methane, accounting for about one-third of all methane. emissions, and most of them aren’t from the parts of the cow you’d expect. In fact, it is from cow burp.
When cows process their feed, they literally exhale methane gas as part of their rumination process, allowing them to digest grass and hay that other animals, including us, cannot.
And it’s these emissions that agritech and biotech companies are now starting to target. There is a lot of pressure to do so. In fact, six major companies in the dairy industry recently pledged The company plans to start disclosing its methane emissions, and other companies are expected to join the plan. And one of the bigger topics at his recent COP meeting was a promise to reduce methane emissions. is growing rapidly.
Methane gas is by far the worst of all greenhouse gases, and like methane it is much worse than CO2. trap more heat The amount per molecule in the atmosphere is greater than carbon dioxide.
This gas stays in the atmosphere for about 12 years, whereas carbon dioxide lasts for hundreds of years, but over 20 years it is about 80 times more heating than carbon dioxide, and over 100 years it is 27 times more heating. according to to the Expert Panel on Livestock Methane in 2023.
Its reduction is therefore considered key to fighting the climate crisis. In fact, there is even a satellite-based “Methane Alert and Response System” (MARS). announced by the United Nations last year.
And a major UN report says “urgent measures” are needed to reduce methane to keep global warming within limits. manageable limit.
British companies now think they can tackle this problem.
British biotech startup Mootral Raised $20 million in Series B funding round backed by Menlo Park-based climate investors king philanthropiesalongside existing investors Lowercarbon Capital (a climate VC started by Chris Sacca), Earthshot Ventures, Kindred Ventures, Third Derivative, Climactic, and Climate Capital.
In total, Mootral raised $48.9 million. This number corresponds to the $11.2 million seed round. Series A for $12.8 million (led by King Philanthropies, which invested $10 million). This Series B is worth $20 million. Family office investment by Thomas Hafner and Karin Boimer is $24.9 million.
Mootral said in a statement that it aims to scale up to feeding 300 million cows with its feed additives by 2033, with the potential to achieve up to 50 percent methane reductions by 2025. This is quite a claim.
“We aim to immediately and permanently reduce methane emissions, and this is happening on farms today,” Mootral founder and CEO Thomas Hafner said by phone. Ta.
“The next generation of products will need to be on the milligram scale. Our next generation will be even better. We aim to reduce it by up to 90%.”
Mootral also has a scheme called ‘CowCredits’ which allows farmers to access the carbon credit market when reducing their herd’s methane emissions. ClimatePartner, a company that funds climate change projects through carbon credits, has signed on to include his Mootral in its portfolio of options for Crent.
So how does it work? Dairy cows produce about 500 liters of methane every day. 3.7 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. Mootral says its current ruminant supplement can reduce methane emissions from dairy cows by up to 38 percent on commercial farms.
One of its competitors is CH4 Global It raised $29 million in its latest funding round. CH4 Global — backed by the aforementioned Zachary Bogue of DCVC — seaweed It is added to cattle feed to reduce methane emissions.
CH4 Global CEO Steve Mellor said in an email that the company is using “aquaculture” to address the problem. Global agricultural company to supply 9.5 million head of cattle is announced. Combining these two will result in approximately 80 million tons of CO2-e reductions. ”
He claims that CH4 Global’s line of feed additives (called Methane Tamer) contains Asparagopsis, which the company claims can reduce methane emissions from cows by as much as 90%. did.
The other player in that space is DSM, a Dutch multinational companyWhich recently It said it would monitor the environmental impact of foods containing animal protein.
In any case, it is clear that the climate tech sector is intersecting with agricultural technology in unexpected ways in the fight against the climate crisis.
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