The Download: herbicide-resistant weeds, and an octopus-inspired adhesive

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.

The weeds are winning

Since the 1980s, more and more plants have evolved to become immune to the biochemical mechanisms that herbicides leverage to kill them. This herbicidal resistance threatens to decrease yields—out-of-control weeds can reduce them by 50% or more, and extreme cases can wipe out whole fields.

At worst, it can even drive farmers out of business. It’s the agricultural equivalent of antibiotic resistance, and it keeps getting worse. Weeds have evolved resistance to 168 different herbicides and 21 of the 31 known “modes of action,” which means the specific biochemical target or pathway a chemical is designed to disrupt.

Agriculture needs to embrace a diversity of weed control practices. But that’s much easier said than done. Read the full story.

—Douglas Main

This piece is from the next print issue of MIT Technology Review, which delves into the weird and wonderful world of food. If you don’t already, subscribe to receive future copies once they land.

Everything comes back to climate tech. Here’s what to watch for next.

Climate technology never stands still. From energy and transportation to agriculture and policy, there’s always a new development to get your head around.

Casey Crownhart, our senior climate reporter, has been thinking about where climate tech will go next. Check out her predictions for the future.

This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate and energy newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

This octopus-inspired adhesive can stick to just about anything

What’s new: A new adhesive technology pays homage to one of nature’s strongest sources of suction: an octopus tentacle.

What is it? Researchers replicated an octopus’s strong grip and controlled release to create a tool that manipulates a wide array of objects. It could help improve underwater construction methods or find application in everyday devices like an assistive glove. Read the full story.

—Jenna Ahart

Roundtable: Producing climate-friendly food

Our food systems account for a major chunk of global greenhouse-gas emissions, but some businesses are attempting to develop solutions that could help address the climate impacts of agriculture. That includes two companies on the recently-announced 2024 list of MIT Technology Review’s 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch. Pivot Bio is inventing new fertilizers, and Rumin8 is working to tackle emissions from cattle.  

Join MIT Technology Review senior editor James Temple and senior reporter Casey Crownhart today at 12pm ET today for a subscriber-exclusive Roundtable diving into the future of food and the climate with special guests Karsten Temme, chief innovation officer and co-founder of Pivot Bio, and Matt Callahan, co-founder and counsel of Rumin8. Register here.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 The next Hurricane Milton could be even worse 
Extreme storms are getting more powerful, and global warming isn’t helping. (NY Mag $)
+ Hurricane disinformation is rife—and incredibly dangerous. (The Atlantic $)
+ Be sure to check credible resources for the latest updates. (Vox)

2 Tesla is preparing to unveil its Cybercab robotaxi
The company is entering a crowded and incredibly competitive market. (Wired $)
+ It’s time for Elon Musk to deliver on his long-discussed promises. (The Verge)
+ What’s next for robotaxis in 2024. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Russia has banned Discord
Even though its military relies on its chat function to communicate on the battlefield. (WP $)
+ It’s the latest in a long line of US platforms to be restricted in Russia. (Vice)

4 What the James Webb Space Telescope tells us about cosmic history
Featuring everything from ancient galaxies to colossal black holes. (Quanta Magazine) 

5 Meta’s new AI chatbot has finally launched in the UK
Regulatory issues prevented it from launched at the same time as the US. (The Guardian)
+ However, not all of us want to use chatbots all the time. (NYT $)+ Forget chat. AI that can hear, see, and click is already here. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Nigeria is looking to sanction Starlink
For nearly doubling its monthly subscription rate without warning. (Bloomberg $)

7 Rise of the wooden skyscrapers
It could be a viable high-rise alternative to steel and concrete. (Knowable Magazine)
+ The hidden climate cost of everything around us. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Keep an eye out for porch pirates
Opportunistic thieves are stealing packages containing AT&T phones across the US. (WSJ $)

9 Self-hypnosis apps are growing in popularity
Just don’t treat them as replacements for actual medicine. (FT $)

10 The Europa Clipper mission is genuinely exciting
But it very nearly didn’t happen. (Ars Technica)
+ Space startups are attracting major interest from investors right now. (Reuters)
+ NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is set to look for life-friendly conditions around Jupiter. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“It has been a catastrophic year.”

—Brian McNoldy, a senior research scientist at the University of Miami who specializes in tropical cyclone research, offers a frank assessment of 2024’s hurricane season to the Atlantic.

The big story

How environmental DNA is giving scientists a new way to understand our world

February 2024

Environmental DNA is a relatively inexpensive, widespread, potentially automated way to observe the diversity and distribution of life.

Unlike previous techniques, which could identify DNA from, say, a single organism, the method also collects the swirling cloud of other genetic material that surrounds it. It can serve as a surveillance tool, offering researchers a means of detecting the seemingly undetectable.

By sampling eDNA, or mixtures of genetic material in water, soil, ice cores, cotton swabs, or practically any environment imaginable, even thin air, it is now possible to search for a specific organism or assemble a snapshot of all the organisms in a given place.

It offers a thrilling — and potentially chilling — way to collect information about organisms, including humans, as they go about their everyday business. Read the full story.

—Peter Andrey Smith

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 tweet ’em at me.)

+ Get your day off to the best possible start with this adorable mole.
+ At 81, Martin Scorsese has no plans to retire any time soon.
+ I want to stay at every single one of these incredible surf hotels.
+ Wait, if milk is white, why is cheese yellow?!