That is at the moment’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s occurring on the planet of know-how.
Mass-market army drones have modified the best way wars are fought
When america first fired a missile from an armed Predator drone at suspected Al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan in November 2001, it modified warfare completely. Throughout the twenty years that adopted, extremely refined US drones had been repeatedly deployed in focused killing campaigns. They had been solely out there to probably the most highly effective nations.
However new navigation techniques and wi-fi applied sciences have helped to create a brand new sort of Turkish-made army drone. It caught the world’s consideration in Ukraine in 2022, when it proved itself able to holding again one of the formidable militaries on the planet.
The Bayraktar TB2 drone marks a brand new chapter in drone warfare. Learn the total story.
— Kelsey D. Atherton
Mass-market army drones are considered one of MIT Know-how Overview’s 10 Breakthrough Applied sciences of 2023. Discover the remainder of the record right here, and vote in our ballot to assist determine our 11th know-how.
Learn extra about how know-how is altering the face of contemporary warfare:
+ Why enterprise is booming for army AI startups. The invasion of Ukraine prompted militaries to replace their arsenals—and Silicon Valley stands to capitalize. Learn the total story.
+ The US army needs to grasp an important software program on Earth. Open-source code runs on each pc on the planet—and retains America’s vital infrastructure going. DARPA is anxious about how properly it may be trusted. Learn the total story.
New report: Generative AI in industrial design and engineering
Generative AI has the potential to remodel industrial design and engineering, making it extra necessary than ever for leaders in these industries to remain forward. So MIT Know-how Overview has created a brand new analysis report that highlights the potential advantages—and pitfalls— of this new know-how.
The report contains two case research from main industrial and engineering firms which might be already making use of generative AI to their work—and a ton of takeaways and finest practices from trade leaders. It’s out there now to obtain for $195.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at the moment’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 China’s nuclear weapons lab purchased forbidden US chips
It obtained US semiconductors at the very least six instances up to now few years regardless of decades-old export restrictions. (WSJ $)
2 Baidu is creating a ChatGPT rival
With a view to integrating the chatbot into its search engine, similar to Microsoft plans to. (WSJ $)
+ Right here’s what ChatGPT can inform us about technohumanism. (The Atlantic $)
+ Right here’s how Microsoft might use ChatGPT. (MIT Know-how Overview)
three San Francisco’s self-driving vehicles are getting bizarre
To the purpose that residents are calling 911 about their erratic conduct. (Motherboard)
+ It’s forcing town to rethink its robotaxi enlargement. (NBC Information)
+ The large new thought for making self-driving vehicles that may go wherever. (MIT Know-how Overview)
four Tech’s greatest firms are channeling their interior startup
All the pieces’s getting too messy—it’s time to return to fundamentals. (Vox)
+ The brand new AI arms race is being led by agile startups, not Large Tech. (WP $)
5 The form of water politics within the US
Tribal nations in Southwest management a lot of the drought-stricken area’s water. (New Yorker $)
+ Who really pays the value of local weather change? (Wired $)
+ The architect making associates with flooding. (MIT Know-how Overview)
6 The UK’s universities are turning on their spinouts
Commercializing know-how developed on-campus comes at a worth. (FT $)
7 What it takes to replace the human genome
The present code is generally primarily based on one man, which is much from consultant. (The Guardian)
eight Zero-carbon eggs are on the horizon
Hens are choosy eaters, however one firm has found out the key to feeding them meals waste. (Bloomberg $)
+ Why scientists are analyzing animals killed by wind generators. (The Atlantic $)
9 The rise and rise of the house antibodies check
In addition to covid, they can assist to diagnose different ailments extra precisely. (Neo.Life)
10 The case for a 3rd robotic arm
If it may very well be simply managed by the mind, further limbs may very well be a significant boon. (IEEE Spectrum)
Quote of the day
“This individual might be questioning, ‘Who’s the individual that’s listening to Pussycat Dolls?’”
—Ash LaPoint, a assist specialist who shares her Spotify listening habits together with her colleagues, wonders whether or not being so open about her music style might backfire, she tells the Wall Avenue Journal.
The large story
Novel lithium-metal batteries will drive the change to electrical vehicles

February 2021
For all of the hype and hope round electrical automobiles, they nonetheless make up solely about 2% of recent automotive gross sales within the US, and just a bit extra globally.
For a lot of consumers, they’re just too costly, their vary is simply too restricted, and charging them isn’t practically as fast and handy as refueling on the pump. All these limitations must do with the lithium-ion batteries that energy the automobiles.
However QuantumScape, a Silicon Valley startup is engaged on a brand new sort of battery that might lastly make electrical vehicles as handy and low-cost as fuel ones. Learn the total story.
—James Temple
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre instances. (Obtained any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ That’s one freaky-looking cloud.
+ Cats arrived in Europe a complete lot sooner than we beforehand thought.
+ The Cordova Iceworm Pageant in Alaska, which kicked off over the weekend, is a captivating solution to have a good time these little-known creatures (thanks Amy!)
+ Rick Astley isn’t giving up—he’s suing rapper Yung Gravy for “theft of voice.”
+ In case your negotiating expertise might do with a little bit of a nice tuning, the following pointers will assist.