The Download: Navigating the Tech World
This week’s edition of The Download brings you the latest from the world of technology, packed with insights on developments in quantum computing, the rising demand for electricity, and other key stories.
Microsoft’s Quantum Computing Breakthrough
Microsoft has announced significant progress in its two-decade-long mission to create stable and scalable topological quantum bits, or qubits. The company’s researchers have developed a chip containing eight of these qubits, and have also published a validating research paper in Nature. This approach varies from that of competitors like Google and IBM. Success could mark a significant step towards the dramatic abilities promised by quantum computing.
What’s Driving the Surge in Electricity Demand?
Electricity demand surged by 4.3% in 2024 and is expected to continue growing at nearly 4% annually through 2027, according to the International Energy Agency. While the rise of data centers, particularly those powering AI, has gained public attention, the actual factors behind this increase are far more complex than the headlines suggest.
Biodegradable Spandex: A Sustainable Alternative
Good Fibes, a company founded by Alexis Peña and Lauren Blake, is working on lab-grown elastics to create a biodegradable alternative to traditional spandex. The global spandex market, valued at billions in December 2024 and projected to grow 2-8% annually over the next decade, contributes to the shedding of microplastics, creating a need for sustainable materials.
The Must-Reads
Here are some vital stories shaping today’s tech landscape.
- DOGE has ‘god mode’ access to government systems: Concerns about abuse, harm, and potential corruption. (The Atlantic)
- Elon Musk is hunting for social security fraud: The practice is uncommon. (Business Insider)
- DeepSeek is considering its first external funding round: Addressing chip and server demand. (The Information)
- Electric truck maker Nikola has filed for bankruptcy protection: After a fraud scandal, and running out of money. (Business Insider)
- How a crypto scammer turned a small town against itself: Community fractured and neighbor turned against neighbor. (NYT)
- Google’s has unveiled a new AI ‘co-scientist’ tool: Understanding the impact of the new technology. (New Scientist)
- People are logging off: Social media burnout and the move away from online fighting. (New Yorker)
- What America’s first generation chipmakers endured: Unsafe conditions, and the lack of answers for health issues. (The Verge)
- Can you use ChatGPT to learn a new language? It’s complicated. (Wired)
- The latest TikTok trend? Using AI to time travel. (Fast Company)
“They destroyed everything here, and now we’re supposed to give up? How does that work?” — Alla Kriuchkova, resident of Bucha, Ukraine
The Big Story: Syracuse’s High-Tech Reinvention
In late April, a drilling rig appeared on the edge of a field in Syracuse, New York—the first sign of construction for what may become the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States. This development is the result of the CHIPS and Science Act, which leaders and politicians view as a strategy to secure supply chains and revive U.S. manufacturing.
