Must read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Iran is systematically crippling Starlink
Jamming satellite internet service is considered impossible—But Iranian officials are doing just that. (rest of the world)
+ Messages circulating around Iran’s internet block suggest thousands of people have been killed. (NYT $)
+ On the ground in Ukraine’s largest Starlink repair shop. (MIT Technology Review)
2 studies claiming microplastics harm us are being questioned
Some scientists say these discoveries are likely the result of contamination and false positives. (Guardian)
3 Trump is trying to downplay the data center response
They hope this will help by motivating tech companies to pay more and thus reduce people’s energy bills. (WP $)
+ Microsoft has become the first tech company to promise that it will do just that. (NYT $)
+ We know AI is power hungry. But how big is the scale of the problem? (MIT Technology Review)
4 US emissions jumped last year
Thanks to a combination of rising electricity demand and burning more coal to meet it. (NYT $)
+ But it’s not all bad news: Coal power generation in India and China has finally begun to decline. (Guardian)
+ Four bright spots in climate news in 2025. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Elon Musk must face consequences for his actions
If we let him tolerate this flood of abuses of women and children, what will happen next? (atlantic $)
+ The US Senate has passed a bill that could give non-consensual deepfake victims a new way to fight back. (The Verge $)
6 Why is America set to lose the race to return to the Moon? 🚀🌔
The cuts at NASA aren’t helping, but they aren’t the only problem. (wired $)
7 Google’s Veo AI model can now turn portrait images into vertical videos
Really clever ones too. (The Verge $)
+ AI-generated influencers are sharing fake photos of themselves in bed with celebrities on Instagram. (404 media $)
8 Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams Has Been Accused Of Crypto ‘Pump And Dump’
He promoted a token whose market cap briefly rose to $580 million before falling. (CoinDesk)
9 Are you a middle manager? here’s some good news for you
Your skills are not being replaced by AI any time soon. (quartz)
10 minor lifestyle changes can also increase your lifespan
A study of 60,000 adults showed that a little more sleep and exercise makes a big difference. (new scientists $)
+ Aging affects us in our 40s and 60s. But well-being doesn’t require falling off a cliff. (MIT Technology Review)
today’s thought
