The Download: polycrisis support networks and a hydrogen gold rush

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.

Support networks aim to help kids through the polycrisis

Sometime in the late 2000s, six-year-old Pim Sullivan-Tailyour was sitting in the back of a car in Thailand when she saw a mountain that had been quarried away. It was the first time she recognized that humans could alter the world for the worse.

She carried that knowledge with her, later joining an online group for young people worried about climate change. “I realized that I wasn’t alone,” she says. She was right: global surveys have found that most kids are anxious about the state of the world.

They are growing up in a time of what some are calling a “polycrisis”: the planet is warming, conflicts keep erupting, housing is growing impossibly expensive, and there’s rampant worry AI will take people’s jobs. That’s a lot. And it’s why online support networks like Force of Nature and the Good Grief Network have gained thousands of participants.

Find out how these groups are helping kids navigate the polycrisis, and why questions remain about their effectiveness.

—Sarah Scoles

This story is from the next issue of our print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to read it when it lands.

The next big thing in hydrogen could be underground

—Casey Crownhart

There’s a hunt for new sources of hydrogen, and the gas (or at least the right conditions to make it) could be hiding beneath our feet.

In a new story for our latest print issue, freelance reporter James Dineen took a look at the 21st-century gold rush for naturally occurring hydrogen gas, which is often hailed as a climate solution.

This is an area of research I’ve been fascinated by lately, so let’s take a look at the potential to capture the gas underground, as well as the questions that still linger, from how much is produced naturally to whether it can be effectively captured, moved, and stored.

Dive into why underground hydrogen could be the next 21st-century gold rush.

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

The must-reads

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

1 Republicans fear anger over data centers will cost them in elections
They’ve warned AI companies to stem the backlash. (Axios)
+ And that it could cost Ohio’s Republican senator his seat. (WP $)
+ Voters are trying to recall officials due to data center controversies. (NYT $)
+ Could we just put data centers in space? (MIT Technology Review)

2 A personalised vaccine stopped skin cancer returning in a historic trial
The vaccine was developed by drug companies Merck and Moderna. (BBC)
+ Their shares soared on reports of the mRNA trial. (Axios)
+ But US agencies are abandoning mRNA vaccines. (MIT Technology Review)

3 A Chinese startup has landed a reusable rocket for the first time
LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reached orbit and recovered its first stage. (SCMP)
+ The milestone is a step towards challenging SpaceX’s launch costs. (NYT $)

4 A former Meta executive says Zuckerberg put growth ahead of child safety
He testified in a landmark child safety trial. (Reuters $)
+ And said Zuckerberg ignored warnings about harms to kids. (Guardian)

5 The US says hackers are targeting Siemens devices in water facilities
Water systems have faced suspected Iran-linked attacks. (CNBC)
+ Officials said attackers are using AI-generated exploitation scripts. (Register)

6 Indian workers are training AI robots to take over their jobs
Robotics companies are collecting videos of humans at work. (Bloomberg $)
+ Gig workers are training humanoids at home. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Coders have already found ways around Claude’s AI watermarks
Overrides have been published online. (Wired $)
+ Microsoft has other ideas for proving what’s real. (MIT Technology Review)

8 A new AI tool aims to spot commercially promising science earlier
It could aid investors, but researchers say it has flaws. (Nature)

9 Dinosaur stomach stones may explain how birds took flight
By shifting their centre of gravity for easier lift-off. (Economist $)

10 Some lifeforms can survive on “significant” parts of the Moon
Scientists found that Earth microbes could live for up to a week. (404 Media)

Quote of the day

“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice—and they will not go near the next one. This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle.“

—A memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Democrats have made data centers a “centerpiece” of their campaign to defeat Ohio Senator Jon Husted—and that it’s working.

One More Thing

How aging clocks can help us understand why we age—and if we can reverse it

Wrinkles and gray hairs aside, it can be difficult to know how well—or poorly—someone’s body is truly aging, under the hood. But over the past decade, scientists have developed new methods of looking at the hidden ways our bodies are getting older: “aging clocks.”

These scientific tools can measure how our organs are wearing out, giving us insight into our mortality and health. They hint at our biological age: how our bodies are handling the passing of time and—perhaps—how much more of it we have left.

The science is still new, but aging clocks are helping us unravel some of the deepest mysteries in biology: Why do we age? How do we age? When does aging begin? Ultimately, and most importantly, can we reverse the whole process?

Here’s how aging clocks are providing clues to answer these questions.

—Jessica Hamzelou

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.)

+ The “happiest man in the world” has shared nine of his biggest life lessons.
+ These 10 enduring old technologies can still beat modern innovations on performance.
+ The Cone Maker’s experiments in soft serve are hitting new peaks (and nadirs) in ice cream.
+ Shampoooty creates parody toys for adults, like drug-stash crayons and a tramp-stamping kit.