That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s occurring on the earth of know-how.
The weeds are profitable
For the reason that Eighties, increasingly crops have advanced to change into resistant to the biochemical mechanisms that herbicides leverage to kill them. This herbicidal resistance threatens to lower yields—out-of-control weeds can scale back them by 50% or extra, and excessive instances can wipe out complete fields.
At worst, it will probably even drive farmers out of enterprise. It’s the agricultural equal of antibiotic resistance, and it retains getting worse. Weeds have advanced resistance to 168 completely different herbicides and 21 of the 31 recognized “modes of motion,” which suggests the particular biochemical goal or pathway a chemical is designed to disrupt.
Agriculture must embrace a variety of weed management practices. However that’s a lot simpler stated than accomplished. Learn the total story.
—Douglas Principal
This piece is from the following print concern of MIT Expertise Overview, which delves into the strange world of meals. In the event you don’t already, subscribe to obtain future copies as soon as they land.
Every thing comes again to local weather tech. Right here’s what to observe for subsequent.
Local weather know-how by no means stands nonetheless. From power and transportation to agriculture and coverage, there’s at all times a brand new growth to get your head round.
Casey Crownhart, our senior local weather reporter, has been occupied with the place local weather tech will go subsequent. Take a look at her predictions for the longer term.
This story is from The Spark, our weekly local weather and power publication. Join to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.
This octopus-inspired adhesive can persist with absolutely anything
What’s new: A brand new adhesive know-how pays homage to certainly one of nature’s strongest sources of suction: an octopus tentacle.
What’s it? Researchers replicated an octopus’s robust grip and managed launch to create a instrument that manipulates a wide selection of objects. It may assist enhance underwater building strategies or discover software in on a regular basis gadgets like an assistive glove. Learn the total story.
—Jenna Ahart
Roundtable: Producing climate-friendly meals
Our meals programs account for a serious chunk of worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions, however some companies are trying to develop options that might assist handle the local weather impacts of agriculture. That features two firms on the recently-announced 2024 listing of MIT Expertise Overview’s 15 Local weather Tech Firms to Watch. Pivot Bio is inventing new fertilizers, and Rumin8 is working to deal with emissions from cattle.
Be part of MIT Expertise Overview senior editor James Temple and senior reporter Casey Crownhart at this time at 12pm ET at this time for a subscriber-exclusive Roundtable diving into the way forward for meals and the local weather with particular company Karsten Temme, chief innovation officer and co-founder of Pivot Bio, and Matt Callahan, co-founder and counsel of Rumin8. Register right here.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at this time’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 The subsequent Hurricane Milton might be even worse
Excessive storms are getting extra highly effective, and world warming isn’t serving to. (NY Magazine $)
+ Hurricane disinformation is rife—and extremely harmful. (The Atlantic $)
+ You should definitely test credible assets for the most recent updates. (Vox)
2 Tesla is making ready to unveil its Cybercab robotaxi
The corporate is coming into a crowded and extremely aggressive market. (Wired $)
+ It’s time for Elon Musk to ship on his long-discussed guarantees. (The Verge)
+ What’s subsequent for robotaxis in 2024. (MIT Expertise Overview)
3 Russia has banned Discord
Despite the fact that its navy depends on its chat operate to speak on the battlefield. (WP $)
+ It’s the most recent in a protracted line of US platforms to be restricted in Russia. (Vice)
4 What the James Webb Area Telescope tells us about cosmic historical past
That includes every part from historical galaxies to colossal black holes. (Quanta Journal)
5 Meta’s new AI chatbot has lastly launched within the UK
Regulatory points prevented it from launched similtaneously the US. (The Guardian)
+ Nonetheless, not all of us need to use chatbots on a regular basis. (NYT $)+ Overlook chat. AI that may hear, see, and click on is already right here. (MIT Expertise Overview)
6 Nigeria is trying to sanction Starlink
For almost doubling its month-to-month subscription fee with out warning. (Bloomberg $)
7 Rise of the picket skyscrapers
It might be a viable high-rise various to metal and concrete. (Knowable Journal)
+ The hidden local weather value of every part round us. (MIT Expertise Overview)
8 Preserve an eye fixed out for porch pirates
Opportunistic thieves are stealing packages containing AT&T telephones throughout the US. (WSJ $)
9 Self-hypnosis apps are rising in reputation
Simply don’t deal with them as replacements for precise drugs. (FT $)
10 The Europa Clipper mission is genuinely thrilling 
However it very almost didn’t occur. (Ars Technica)
+ Area startups are attracting main curiosity from buyers proper now. (Reuters)
+ NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is about to search for life-friendly situations round Jupiter. (MIT Expertise Overview)
Quote of the day
“It has been a catastrophic yr.”
—Brian McNoldy, a senior analysis scientist on the College of Miami who makes a speciality of tropical cyclone analysis, affords a frank evaluation of 2024’s hurricane season to the Atlantic.
How environmental DNA is giving scientists a brand new technique to perceive our world
Environmental DNA is a comparatively cheap, widespread, probably automated technique to observe the range and distribution of life.
In contrast to earlier strategies, which may determine DNA from, say, a single organism, the strategy additionally collects the swirling cloud of different genetic materials that surrounds it. It will probably function a surveillance instrument, providing researchers a way of detecting the seemingly undetectable.
By sampling eDNA, or mixtures of genetic materials in water, soil, ice cores, cotton swabs, or virtually any surroundings possible, even skinny air, it’s now attainable to seek for a selected organism or assemble a snapshot of all of the organisms in a given place.
It affords an exhilarating — and probably chilling — technique to gather details about organisms, together with people, as they go about their on a regular basis enterprise. Learn the total story.
—Peter Andrey Smith
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Get your day without work to the very best begin with this cute mole.
+ At 81, Martin Scorsese has no plans to retire any time quickly.
+ I need to keep at each single certainly one of these unimaginable surf lodges.
+ Wait, if milk is white, why is cheese yellow?! 