That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a every day dose of what’s occurring on this planet of know-how.
The weeds are successful
Because the Nineteen Eighties, increasingly crops have advanced to grow to be proof against the biochemical mechanisms that herbicides leverage to kill them. This herbicidal resistance threatens to lower yields—out-of-control weeds can cut back them by 50% or extra, and excessive instances can wipe out entire fields.
At worst, it may well 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 identified “modes of motion,” which suggests the precise biochemical goal or pathway a chemical is designed to disrupt.
Agriculture must embrace a range of weed management practices. However that’s a lot simpler mentioned than performed. Learn the complete story.
—Douglas Important
This piece is from the subsequent print situation of MIT Expertise Evaluation, which delves into the bizarre world of meals. Should you don’t already, subscribe to obtain future copies as soon as they land.
Every little 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 excited about the place local weather tech will go subsequent. Try her predictions for the longer term.
This story is from The Spark, our weekly local weather and power publication. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.
This octopus-inspired adhesive can keep on with absolutely anything
What’s new: A brand new adhesive know-how pays homage to one in all 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 software that manipulates a big selection of objects. It might assist enhance underwater building strategies or discover utility in on a regular basis gadgets like an assistive glove. Learn the complete story.
—Jenna Ahart
Roundtable: Producing climate-friendly meals
Our meals programs account for a significant chunk of world greenhouse-gas emissions, however some companies try to develop options that would assist handle the local weather impacts of agriculture. That features two corporations on the recently-announced 2024 checklist of MIT Expertise Evaluation’s 15 Local weather Tech Corporations to Watch. Pivot Bio is inventing new fertilizers, and Rumin8 is working to deal with emissions from cattle.
Be part of MIT Expertise Evaluation 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 visitors 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 search out you at this time’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 The subsequent Hurricane Milton may very well 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 sources 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 Evaluation)
3 Russia has banned Discord
Regardless that its army depends on its chat operate to speak on the battlefield. (WP $)
+ It’s the most recent in an extended line of US platforms to be restricted in Russia. (Vice)
4 What the James Webb House 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 concurrently the US. (The Guardian)
+ Nevertheless, 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 Evaluation)
6 Nigeria is seeking to sanction Starlink
For almost doubling its month-to-month subscription fee with out warning. (Bloomberg $)
7 Rise of the wood skyscrapers
It may very well be a viable high-rise different to metal and concrete. (Knowable Journal)
+ The hidden local weather value of every part round us. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
8 Maintain 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 
But it surely very almost didn’t occur. (Ars Technica)
+ House startups are attracting main curiosity from buyers proper now. (Reuters)
+ NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is ready to search for life-friendly circumstances round Jupiter. (MIT Expertise Evaluation)
Quote of the day
“It has been a catastrophic 12 months.”
—Brian McNoldy, a senior analysis scientist on the College of Miami who focuses on tropical cyclone analysis, gives a frank evaluation of 2024’s hurricane season to the Atlantic.
How environmental DNA is giving scientists a brand new solution to perceive our world
Environmental DNA is a comparatively cheap, widespread, doubtlessly automated solution to observe the variety and distribution of life.
Not like earlier methods, which might establish DNA from, say, a single organism, the strategy additionally collects the swirling cloud of different genetic materials that surrounds it. It may function a surveillance software, 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 atmosphere conceivable, even skinny air, it’s now potential to seek for a selected organism or assemble a snapshot of all of the organisms in a given place.
It gives an exciting — and doubtlessly chilling — solution to accumulate details about organisms, together with people, as they go about their on a regular basis enterprise. Learn the complete story.
—Peter Andrey Smith
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Get your day without work to the absolute best begin with this lovely mole.
+ At 81, Martin Scorsese has no plans to retire any time quickly.
+ I need to keep at each single one in all these unbelievable surf lodges.
+ Wait, if milk is white, why is cheese yellow?! 
