The Download: Trump’s impact on science, and meet our climate and energy honorees
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.
How Trump’s policies are affecting early-career scientists—in their own words
Every year MIT Technology Review celebrates accomplished young scientists, entrepreneurs, and inventors from around the world in our Innovators Under 35 list. We’ve just published the 2025 edition. This year, though, the context is different: The US scientific community is under attack.
Since Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has fired top government scientists, targeted universities and academia, and made substantial funding cuts to the country’s science and technology infrastructure.
We asked our six most recent cohorts about both positive and negative impacts of the administration’s new policies. Their responses provide a glimpse into the complexities of building labs, companies, and careers in today’s political climate. Read the full story.
—Eileen Guo & Amy Nordrum
This story is part of MIT Technology Review’s “America Undone” series, examining how the foundations of US success in science and innovation are currently under threat. You can read the rest here.
This Ethiopian entrepreneur is reinventing ammonia production
In the small town in Ethiopia where he grew up, Iwnetim Abate’s family had electricity, but it was unreliable. So, for several days each week when they were without power, Abate would finish his homework by candlelight.
Growing up without the access to electricity that many people take for granted shaped the way Abate thinks about energy issues. Today, the 32-year old is an assistant professor at MIT in the department of materials science and engineering.
Part of his research focuses on sodium-ion batteries, which could be cheaper than the lithium-based ones that typically power electric vehicles and grid installations. He’s also pursuing a new research path, examining how to harness the heat and pressure under the Earth’s surface to make ammonia, a chemical used in fertilizer and as a green fuel. Read the full story.
—Casey Crownhart
Abate is one of the climate and energy honorees on our 35 Innovators Under 35 list for 2025. Meet the rest of our climate and energy innovators here, and the full list—including our innovator of the year—here.
Texas banned lab-grown meat. What’s next for the industry?
Last week, a legal battle over lab-grown meat kicked off in Texas. On September 1, a two-year ban on the technology went into effect across the state; the following day, two companies filed a lawsuit against state officials.
The two companies, Wildtype Foods and Upside Foods, are part of a growing industry that aims to bring new types of food to people’s plates. These products, often called cultivated meat by the industry, take live animal cells and grow them in the lab to make food products without the need to slaughter animals.
Texas joins six other US states and the country of Italy in banning these products—adding barriers to an industry that’s still in its infancy, and already faces plenty of challenges before it can reach consumers in a meaningful way. Read the full story.
—Casey Crownhart
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Videos of Charlie Kirk’s shooting are everywhere on social media
It demonstrates just how poorly equipped platforms are to stop the spread of violent material. (NYT $)
+ Why social media can’t get on top of its graphic video problem. (NY Mag $)
+ Here’s how platforms say they’ll treat the videos. (The Verge)
+ Far-right communities reacted to Kirk’s murder by calling for more violence. (Wired $)
2 NASA has uncovered the clearest sign of life on Mars to date
Some unusual rocks may have been formed by ancient microbes. (WP $)
+ Scientists are very excited by the possibility they were created by living organisms. (New Scientist $)
3 A California bill to regulate AI companion chatbots is close to passing
It would become the first US state to make chatbot operators legally accountable. (TechCrunch)
+ Wall Street is only now starting to worry about “AI psychosis.” (Insider $)
+ AI companions are the final stage of digital addiction, and lawmakers are taking aim. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Larry Ellison briefly overtook Elon Musk as the world’s richest person
His firm Oracle reported far better-than expected results. (The Guardian)
+ Oracle is riding high on a surge of demand for its data centers. (BBC)
+ But its continued success will depend on its ability to deliver promised hardware. (FT $)
5 The ousted CDC director is set to testify before the US Senate
RFK Jr repeatedly called Susan Monarez a liar during a hearing last week. (Ars Technica)
+ The backlash to Kennedy’s actions is intensifying. (NY Mag $)
6 A new system can pinpoint the best spot to hit an asteroid
Making destroying them a whole lot safer, in theory. (New Scientist $)
+ Meet the researchers testing the “Armageddon” approach to asteroid defense. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Saudi Arabia is building some of the world’s biggest solar farms ☀️
It needs plenty more electricity for its new resorts and data centers. (WSJ $)
+ AI is changing the grid. Could it help more than it harms? (MIT Technology Review)
8 CRISPR could help to combat diabetes
Scientists successfully implanted insulin-producing edited cells into a man’s pancreas. (Wired $)
+ A US court just put ownership of CRISPR back in play. (MIT Technology Review)
9 How to save oyster reefs 🦪
Conservation projects are helping to rebuild destroyed populations. (Knowable Magazine)
+ How the humble sea creature could hold the key to restoring coastal waters. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Bluesky is not as fun as it should be
It fosters a culture of reactionary scolding that’s driving some users back to X. (New Yorker $)
Quote of the day
“For the love of God and Charlie’s family, just stop.”
—A poster on X begs fellow social media users to stop sharing images and videos of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s murder online, the Associated Press reports.
One more thing
This giant microwave may change the future of warImagine: China deploys hundreds of thousands of autonomous drones in the air, on the sea, and under the water—all armed with explosive warheads or small missiles. These machines descend in a swarm toward military installations on Taiwan and nearby US bases, and over the course of a few hours, a single robotic blitzkrieg overwhelms the US Pacific force before it can even begin to fight back.
The proliferation of cheap drones means just about any group with the wherewithal to assemble and launch a swarm could wreak havoc, no expensive jets or massive missile installations required.
The US armed forces are now hunting for a solution—and they want it fast. One of these is microwaves: high-powered electronic devices that push out kilowatts of power to zap the circuits of a drone as if it were the tinfoil you forgot to take off your leftovers when you heated them up. Read the full story.
—Sam Dean
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 or skeet ’em at me.)
+ They’ve finally done it—the Stephen King novel they claimed was impossible to adapt is coming to the big screen.
+ Do you have more zucchinis than you know what to do with? This tasty bread is one solution.
+ How The Penguin’s production designers transformed NYC into spooky, dirty Gotham.
+ This fascinating website shows you what today’s date looks like on dozens of different calendars and clocks.
