The Download: the risk of falling space debris, and how to debunk a conspiracy theory
Plus: China appears to be expanding its nuclear testing facilities
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.
What is the chance your plane will be hit by space debris?
The risk of flights being hit by space junk is still small, but it’s growing. About three pieces of old space equipment—used rockets and defunct satellites—fall into Earth’s atmosphere every day, according to estimates by the European Space Agency. By the mid-2030s, there may be dozens thanks to the rise of megaconstellations in orbit.
So far, space debris hasn’t injured anybody—in the air or on the ground. But multiple close calls have been reported in recent years.
But some estimates have the risk of a single human death or injury caused by a space debris strike on the ground at around 10% per year by 2035. That would mean a better than even chance that someone on Earth would be hit by space junk about every decade. Find out more.
—Tereza Pultarova
This story is part of MIT Technology Review Explains: our series untangling the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read the rest of the series here.
Chatbots are surprisingly effective at debunking conspiracy theories
—Thomas Costello, Gordon Pennycook & David Rand
Many people believe that you can’t talk conspiracists out of their beliefs.
But that’s not necessarily true. Our research shows that many conspiracy believers do respond to evidence and arguments—information that is now easy to deliver in the form of a tailored conversation with an AI chatbot.
This is good news, given the outsize role that unfounded conspiracy theories play in today’s political landscape. So while there are widespread and legitimate concerns that generative AI is a potent tool for spreading disinformation, our work shows that it can also be part of the solution. Read the full story.
This story is part of MIT Technology Review’s series “The New Conspiracy Age,” on how the present boom in conspiracy theories is reshaping science and technology. Check out the rest of the series here.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 China is quietly expanding its remote nuclear test site
In the wake of Donald Trump announcing America’s intentions to revive similar tests. (WP $)
+ A White House memo has accused Alibaba of supporting Chinese operations. (FT $)
2 Jeff Bezos is becoming co-CEO of a new AI startup
Project Prometheus will focus on AI for building computers, aerospace and vehicles. (NYT $)
3 AI-powered toys are holding inappropriate conversations with children
Including how to find dangerous objects including pills and knives. (The Register)
+ Chatbots are unreliable and unpredictable, whether embedded in toys or not. (Futurism)
+ AI toys are all the rage in China—and now they’re appearing on shelves in the US too. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Big Tech is warming to the idea of data centers in space
They come with a lot less red tape than their Earth-bound counterparts. (WSJ $)
+ There are a huge number of data centers mired in the planning stage. (WSJ $)
+ Should we be moving data centers to space? (MIT Technology Review)
5 The mafia is recruiting via TikTok
Some bosses are even using the platform to control gangs from behind bars. (Economist $)
6 How to resist AI in your workplace
Like most things in life, there’s power in numbers. (Vox)
7 How China’s EV fleet could become a giant battery network
If economic troubles don’t get in the way, that is. (Rest of World)
+ EV sales are on the rise in South America. (Reuters)
+ China’s energy dominance in three charts. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Inside the unstoppable rise of the domestic internet
Control-hungry nations are following China’s lead in building closed platforms. (NY Mag $)
+ Can we repair the internet? (MIT Technology Review)
9 Search traffic? What search traffic?
These media startups have found a way to thrive without Google. (Insider $)
+ AI means the end of internet search as we’ve known it. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Paul McCartney has released a silent track to protest AI’s creep into music
That’ll show them! (The Guardian)
+ AI is coming for music, too. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“All the parental controls in the world will not protect your kids from themselves.”
—Samantha Broxton, a parenting coach and consultant, tells the Washington Post why educating children around the risks of using technology is the best way to help them protect themselves.
One more thing
Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple’s carbon neutral goalApple (and its peers) are planting vast forests of eucalyptus trees in Brazil to try to offset their climate emissions, striking some of the largest-ever deals for carbon credits in the process.
The tech behemoth is betting that planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil will be the path to a greener future. Some ecologists and local residents are far less sure.
The big question is: Can Latin America’s eucalyptus be a scalable climate solution? Read the full story.
—Gregory Barber
