Today’s issue of You can download the Download , Our weekly newsletter provides you with a daily update on the latest in technology.
The best weather app on the web was built by a couple skiers
It’s not a brand or service funded by the federal government that offers skiers the best app to forecast snowfall. OpenSnow is a startup which uses data from the government, AI models and years of experience in alpine life to provide some of the most accurate predictions.
This winter has been one of the most bizarre on record. The app was especially useful.
The app has made its forecasters into micro-celebrities, as they sift though reams and reams data in order to create “Daily Snow Reports” for various locations across the globe.
Two ski bums who were broke became snow gods. You can read the entire story.
–Rachel Levin
Why some people opt for cryonics when they want to keep their brains and bodies after death
–Jessica Hamzelou
This week, I wrote about unusual research focusing on the frozen head of L.
Stephen Coles.
Coles was a scientist who studied ageing. He became interested in cryonics — the long-term storage and preservation of brains and bodies in hopes that one day they could be brought to life. Many people share this hope.
In the last few years I have spoken with people who are involved in cryonics, cryopreservation or simply want to cryogenically store. They all acknowledge the vanishingly low chance that they’ll be brought back to live.
Why do they keep doing it?
Find out more by reading the entire story.
You can also find out more about this by clicking here.
Articles This article is taken from The Checkup, a weekly newsletter on biotechnology. Sign up Receive it every Thursday in your email.
What is next in space exploration?
Scientists’ space efforts can reveal more about the future of humanity.
Amanda Silverman, features editor, sat with Robin George Andrews on Wednesday to learn about future possibilities and progress. Andrews is an award-winning author and science journalist. You can watch their video here if you missed the conversation. Subscribers can access the video, and subscriptions have been discounted. If you still haven’t, grab yours!
Must-read books
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Anthropic is no longer banned by the Pentagon
The judge halted the designation of this company as a risk to supply chains.
(CBS News)
The government is trying to stop her, she said. “chill public debate.” (BBC)
Sam Altman claimed that he attempted to “save” The clash of the Anthropic and the anthropocentric (Axios)
Elon Musk lost his suit against an ad-boss on X
A judge condemned the “fishing trip.” (Ars technica)
After Musk’s takeover, advertisers left X and ad revenue dropped by over half. (BBC)
OpenAI put off plans to create an erotic bot “indefinitely”.
Investors and staff raised concerns.
The Information ($)
+ The company has made a strategic shift. (FT $)
The final step in digital addiction is AI-assisted companions. (MIT Technology Review)
The helium supply chain is being affected by a shortage.
Problems stem from conflict in the Middle East. (Reuters)
Helium prices have gone up.
(MIT Technology Review)
Twelve tech leaders and only one academic are among the five new advisers to Trump on science.
At least nine of them are billionaires. (Nature)
David Sacks will step down from his position as Trump’s Crypto and AI Czar. (TechCrunch)
As early as October, 6 Anthropic may consider an IPO.
OpenAI is racing to launch an IPO. (Bloomberg $)
Wikipedia banned AI generated content
Editors were overwhelmed by LLM issues. (404 Media)
What we don’t know about AI truth crisis. (MIT Technology Review)
OpenAI’s advertising pilot has generated over $100 Million in less than 2 months
The trial involves more than 600 advertisers.
(CNBC)
In the next few weeks, ChatGPT Free and Go will be ad-free. (Reuters)
Nine Irish villages are giving their children a cell-free childhood
It works, because everyone is on board. (NYT $)
You’ll be less kind if you chat with an AI that is sycophantic
Nature’s new research shows that it promotes “uncouth behaviour”
Today’s Quote
I don’t think it was murder, but it looked like a plan to disable Anthropic.
The Verge reports that Judge Rita Lin has ruled against the Pentagon ban on Anthropic.
Another Thing
AURELIA ISTITUTE
The self-assembling space habitat of the future is designed for orbit
The International Space Station is only able to hold 11 people at once.
Aurelia Institute is an architecture R&D laboratory based in Cambridge.
They are building a self-assembling habitat in space that can be launched in a compact stack of tiles.
NASA has already endorsed the concept. Click here to read the complete story.
–Sarah Ward
You can have good things even if you’re not a fanatic
This is a place of comfort, entertainment and fun to make your day brighter. Have you got any ideas? Drop me a line .)
The optical illusions below will make you laugh out loud.
The Web Design Museum lovingly illustrates the development of the Internet.
Zara Picken’s modernist drawings are a window to the mid-20th Century.
Discover the connections between our planet and its digital Knowledge Garden.