{"id":872190,"date":"2025-09-11T21:11:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T02:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/11\/the-download-trumps-impact-on-science-and-meet-our-climate-and-energy-honorees\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T21:11:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T02:11:54","slug":"the-download-trumps-impact-on-science-and-meet-our-climate-and-energy-honorees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/11\/the-download-trumps-impact-on-science-and-meet-our-climate-and-energy-honorees\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: Trump\u2019s impact on science, and meet our climate and energy honorees"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

How Trump\u2019s policies are affecting early-career scientists\u2014in their own words<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Every year MIT Technology Review celebrates accomplished young scientists, entrepreneurs, and inventors from around the world in our Innovators Under 35 list. We\u2019ve just published the 2025 edition<\/a>. This year, though, the context is different: The US scientific community is under attack.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s science and technology infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We asked our six most recent cohorts about both positive and negative impacts of the administration\u2019s new policies. Their responses provide a glimpse into the complexities of building labs, companies, and careers in today\u2019s political climate. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Eileen Guo & Amy Nordrum<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This story is part of MIT Technology Review\u2019s “America Undone\u201d series, examining how the foundations of US success in science and innovation are currently under threat. <\/strong>You can read the rest here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This Ethiopian entrepreneur is reinventing ammonia production<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the small town in Ethiopia where he grew up, Iwnetim Abate\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s also pursuing a new research path, examining how to harness the heat and pressure under the Earth\u2019s surface to make ammonia, a chemical used in fertilizer and as a green fuel. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2014Casey Crownhart<\/em><\/p>\n

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 <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a>, and the full list\u2014including our innovator of the year\u2014<\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Texas banned lab-grown meat. What\u2019s next for the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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The two companies, Wildtype Foods and Upside Foods, are part of a growing industry that aims to bring new types of food to people\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Texas joins six other US states and the country of Italy in banning these products\u2014adding barriers to an industry that\u2019s still in its infancy, and already faces plenty of challenges before it can reach consumers in a meaningful way. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014Casey Crownhart<\/em><\/p>\n

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review\u2019s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, <\/strong>sign up here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 Videos of Charlie Kirk\u2019s shooting are everywhere on social media
<\/strong>It demonstrates just how poorly equipped platforms are to stop the spread of violent material. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ Why social media can\u2019t get on top of its graphic video problem. <\/em>(NY Mag<\/a> $)
+ Here\u2019s how platforms say they\u2019ll treat the videos. <\/em>(The Verge<\/a>)
+ Far-right communities reacted to Kirk\u2019s murder by calling for more violence. <\/em>(Wired<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

2 NASA has uncovered the clearest sign of life on Mars to date<\/strong>
Some unusual rocks may have been formed by ancient microbes. (WP<\/a> $)
+ Scientists are very excited by the possibility they were created by living organisms. <\/em>(New Scientist<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

3 A California bill to regulate AI companion chatbots is close to passing
<\/strong>It would become the first US state to make chatbot operators legally accountable. (TechCrunch<\/a>)
+ Wall Street is only now starting to worry about \u201cAI psychosis.\u201d <\/em>(Insider<\/a> $)
+ AI companions are the final stage of digital addiction, and lawmakers are taking aim. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

4 Larry Ellison briefly overtook Elon Musk as the world\u2019s richest person<\/strong>
His firm Oracle reported far better-than expected results. (The Guardian<\/a>)
+ Oracle is riding high on a surge of demand for its data centers. <\/em>(BBC<\/a>)
+ But its continued success will depend on its ability to deliver promised hardware. <\/em>(FT<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

5<\/strong> The ousted CDC director is set to testify before the US Senate<\/strong>
RFK Jr repeatedly called Susan Monarez a liar during a hearing last week. (Ars Technica<\/a>)
+ The backlash to Kennedy\u2019s actions is intensifying. <\/em>(NY Mag<\/a> $)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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6 A new system can pinpoint the best spot to hit an asteroid
<\/strong>Making destroying them a whole lot safer, in theory. (New Scientist<\/a> $)
+ Meet the researchers testing the \u201cArmageddon\u201d approach to asteroid defense. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

7 Saudi Arabia is building some of the world\u2019s biggest solar farms <\/strong>\u2600\ufe0f<\/strong>
<\/strong>It needs plenty more electricity for its new resorts and data centers. (WSJ<\/a> $)
+ AI is changing the grid. Could it help more than it harms? <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

8 CRISPR could help to combat diabetes
<\/strong>Scientists successfully implanted insulin-producing edited cells into a man\u2019s pancreas. (Wired<\/a> $)
+ A US court just put ownership of CRISPR back in play. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

9 How to save oyster reefs <\/strong>????
Conservation projects are helping to rebuild destroyed populations. (Knowable Magazine<\/a>)
+ How the humble sea creature could hold the key to restoring coastal waters. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

10 Bluesky is not as fun as it should be<\/strong>
It fosters a culture of reactionary scolding that\u2019s driving some users back to X. (New Yorker<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the love of God and Charlie\u2019s family, just stop.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2014A poster on X begs fellow social media users to stop sharing images and videos of conservative activist Charlie Kirk\u2019s murder online, the Associated Press<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n
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This giant microwave may change the future of war<\/strong>Imagine: China deploys hundreds of thousands of autonomous drones in the air, on the sea, and under the water\u2014all 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The US armed forces are now hunting for a solution\u2014and 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014Sam Dean<\/em><\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>skeet ’em at me<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ They\u2019ve finally done it\u2014the Stephen King novel<\/a> 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<\/a> is one solution.
+ How The Penguin\u2019s production designers transformed NYC into spooky, dirty Gotham<\/a>.
+ This fascinating website shows you what today\u2019s date<\/a> looks like on dozens of different calendars and clocks. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Rhiannon Williams<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download ,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How Trump\u2019s policies are affecting early-career scientists\u2014in 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":872191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24097,46,163],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-872190","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-download","8":"category-technology","9":"category-trumps"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/872190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=872190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/872190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/872191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=872190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=872190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=872190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}