That is at the moment’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a each day dose of what’s happening on this planet of expertise.
Adventures within the genetic time machine
An ancient-DNA revolution is popping the high-speed tools used to review the DNA of residing issues on to specimens from the previous.
The expertise is getting used to create genetic maps of saber-toothed cats, cave bears, and hundreds of historic people, together with Vikings, Polynesian navigators, and quite a few Neanderthals. The overall variety of historic people studied is greater than 10,000 and rising quick.
The outdated genes have already revealed exceptional tales of human migrations across the globe.
However researchers are hoping historic DNA will likely be greater than a telescope on the previous—they hope it can have concrete sensible use within the current. Learn the complete story.
—Antonio Regalado
This artist collaborates with AI and robots
Many artists fear in regards to the encroachment of synthetic intelligence on creative creation. However Sougwen Chung, a nonbinary Canadian-Chinese language artist, as a substitute sees AI as a possibility for artists to embrace uncertainty and problem individuals to consider expertise and creativity in surprising methods.
Chung’s exhibitions are pushed by expertise; they’re additionally stay and kinetic, with the paintings rising in actual time. Audiences watch because the artist works alongside or surrounded by a number of robots, human and machine drawing concurrently. These works are on the frontier of what it means to make artwork in an age of fast-accelerating synthetic intelligence and robotics. Right here’s what they should say about their work, and AI in artwork typically.
—Stephen Ornes
Each of the subscriber-only tales above are from the subsequent version of our print journal, which is all about relationships. Subscribe now to get a duplicate when it lands on February 26!
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at the moment’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 US illness monitoring capabilities are disappearing
DOGE simply fired half of a essential ‘illness detective’ group on the Facilities of Illness Management and Prevention. (CBS)
+ A measles outbreak in Texas is spreading quickly. (NBC)
+ Louisiana mentioned it’ll cease selling mass vaccination applications, on the identical day RFK Jr was sworn in as well being secretary. (NYT $)
+ Why childhood vaccines are a public well being success story. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
2 Who’s Elon Musk accountable to?
Once you’re the world’s richest man, it appears the reply is: nobody. (WSJ $)
+ Musk is utilizing X to unfold misinformation about DOGE’s targets. (WP $)
+ A Musk-linked group provided $5 million for proof of voter fraud. It couldn’t discover any. (The Guardian)
3 South Korea eliminated DeepSeek from app shops
Fairly just a few nations have executed this now, citing privateness issues. (BBC)
+ Baidu and OpenAI are responding to DeepSeek with new launches. (CNN)
+ E-scooter manufacturers are amongst many firms in China racing to combine DeepSeek AI. (South China Morning Put up $)
+ 4 Chinese language AI startups to observe past DeepSeek. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
4 Contained in the US’s fragile nuclear renaissance
Tech firms are betting that it will possibly assist meet AI’s power calls for. However big challenges lay forward. (The Data $)
+ Why Microsoft made a deal to assist restart Three Mile Island. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
5 OpenAI’s board rejected Elon Musk’s provide to purchase it for $97.4 billion
Unanimously. (WSJ $)
+ Musk did it to attempt to chuck a grenade into OpenAI’s technique of transitioning from a analysis lab to a for-profit firm. (Vox $)
6 A brand new system can clone your voice from simply 5 seconds of audio
And the top result’s scarily good. (The Register)
+ Motor neuron illnesses took their voices. AI is bringing them again. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
7 Individuals who misplaced cash on crypto are livid with Argentina’s President
He’s going through impeachment calls over allegations he promoted a traditional ‘pump and dump’ rip-off over the weekend. (CNN)
8 How musicians are utilizing AI instruments 
AI makes it straightforward to do historically difficult engineering duties like isolating and extracting sounds. (The Subsequent Net)
+ A Disney director tried—and failed—to make use of an AI Hans Zimmer to create a soundtrack. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
9Meta is engaged on humanoid robots
It’s hoping it will possibly mix its expertise in each {hardware} and AI to win on this more and more crowded class. (Bloomberg $)
+ China’s EV giants are betting large on humanoid robots. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
10 How Diablo hackers uncovered a speedrunning scandal
This makes me surprise simply how endemic dishonest may very well be within the gaming neighborhood. (Ars Technica)
Quote of the day
“He appears to have ghosted his personal firm.”
—Investor Nell Minow, vice chair of ValueEdge Advisors, tells the Washington Put up that Elon Musk’s inattention is beginning to do actual hurt to Tesla.
The large story
Three-parent child method might create infants liable to extreme illness
March 2023
When the primary child born utilizing a controversial process that meant he had three genetic mother and father was born again in 2016, it made headlines. The child boy inherited most of his DNA from his mom and father, however he additionally had a tiny quantity from a 3rd particular person.
The concept was to keep away from having the infant inherit a deadly sickness, and it appeared to work. However new proof now suggests this method may not work as hoped, because of a phenomenon scientists name “reversion.” Learn the complete story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ Prepared to guess your weekend wasn’t as eventful as this man’s was.
+ Cease overthinking. Begin ‘satisficing’.
+ Effectively, that’s one factor AI undoubtedly can’t do.
+ In case you’ve solely bought the time or power for one stretch, make it this one.
