This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
Fuel prices are soaring. Plastic could be next.
As the war in Iran continues, one of the most visible global economic ripple effects has been fossil-fuel prices. But looking ahead, further consequences could be looming for plastics.
Plastics are made from petrochemicals, and the supply chain impacts from the conflict are starting to build up. Americans will likely feel the ripples.
Read the full story to grasp the unpredictable impacts.
—Casey Crownhart
This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Wednesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 SpaceX has filed for an IPO It’s set to be the largest ever, targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation. (NYT $) + Which would make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. (Al Jazeera) + But the IPO could hinge on the success of Moon missions. (LA Times $) + And the conflicts of interest are staggering. (The Next Web) + Meanwhile, rivals are rising to challenge SpaceX. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Artemis II is on its way to the Moon NASA successfully launched the four astronauts on its rocket yesterday. (Axios) + The lunar plans could violate international law. (The Verge) + But the potential scientific advances are tremendous. (Nature) + Check out our roundtable on the next era of space exploration. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Iran has struck Amazon’s cloud business in Bahrain again It promised to hit US companies only yesterday. (FT $) + Other targets include Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia. (CNBC) + AWS data centers in Bahrain were also hit last month. (Reuters $)
4 OpenAI was secretly behind a child safety campaign group It pushed for age verification requirements for AI. (The San Francisco Standard $) + OpenAI had backed the legislation as a compromise measure. (WSJ $) + Coincidentally, Sam Altman heads a company providing age verification. (Engadget)
5 Anthropic is scrambling to limit the Claude Code leak It’s trying to remove 8,000 copies of the exposed code from GitHub. (Gizmodo) + An executive blamed the leak on “process errors.” (Bloomberg $) + Here’s what it reveals about Anthropic’s plans. (Ars Technica) + AI is making online crimes easier—and it could get much worse. (MIT Technology Review)
6 A new Russian “super-app” aims to emulate China’s WeChat And give the Kremlin new surveillance powers. (WSJ $)
7 America’s AI boom is leaving the rest of the world behind And it’s concentrating power and wealth in a handful of companies. (Rest of World)
8 Chinese chipmakers have claimed nearly half the country’s market Nvidia’s lead is shrinking rapidly. (Reuters $)
9 The first quantum computer to break encryption is imminent New research reveals how it could happen. (New Scientist)
10 The world’s oldest tortoise has been embroiled in a crypto scam Reports that Jonathan died at just 194 years old are thankfully false. (Guardian)
Quote of the day
“Starlink is the only reason this valuation is defensible.”
—Shay Boloor, chief market strategist at Futurum Equities, tells Reuters why SpaceX has such high hopes for its IPO.
One More Thing
These companies are creating food out of thin air
Dried cells—it’s what’s for dinner. At least that’s what a new crop of biotech startups, armed with carbon-guzzling bacteria and plenty of capital, are hoping to convince us.
Their claims sound too good to be true: they say they can make food out of thin air. But that’s exactly how certain soil-dwelling bacteria work.
Startups are replicating the process to turn abundant carbon dioxide into nutritious “air protein.” They believe it could dramatically lower farming emissions—and even disrupt agriculture altogether. Read the full story.
—Claire L. Evans
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ Need more Artemis II in your life? This site takes you inside the flight. + Here’s a fascinating look at the recording errors that improved songs. + Good news: the elusive Nightjar bird is making a comeback. + Finally, a master chef has baked clam chowder donuts.