bother for a CO2 removing startup, and a US spy spy ware bid

Working Tide, an aquaculture firm primarily based in Portland, Maine, has said it anticipated to set tens of 1000’s of tiny floating kelp farms adrift within the North Atlantic between this summer time and subsequent. The hope is that the fast-growing macroalgae will ultimately sink to the ocean ground, storing away 1000’s of tons of carbon dioxide within the course of.

The corporate has raised hundreds of thousands in enterprise funding and gained widespread media attention, and it counts massive names just like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative amongst its clients. However Working Tide struggled to develop kelp alongside rope traces within the open ocean throughout preliminary makes an attempt final 12 months and has misplaced a string of scientists in latest months, sources with information of the matter inform MIT Know-how Evaluate.

No less than a number of of the departures had been due, partially, to issues that the corporate’s executives weren’t paying enough consideration to the potential ecological results of its plans. Some staff had been additionally disturbed that Working Tide was discussing extra controversial practices, together with including vitamins to the ocean to stimulate macroalgae progress. Read the full story.

—James Temple

The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to seek out you right this moment’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.

1 A US protection firm is contemplating shopping for Pegasus spy ware
Probably placing a spy instrument so highly effective it’s thought of a weapon in US palms. (FT $)
+ NSO was about to promote hacking instruments to France. Now it’s in disaster. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Vehicles operating autopilot techniques have crashed a whole lot of occasions
Elevating severe questions over the protection of such techniques, and our reliance on them. (WP $)
+ The large new concept for making self-driving automobiles that may go anyplace. (MIT Technology Review)
+ Elon Musk thinks Tesla could be price “mainly zero” with out its self-driving tech. (Insider) 

three Inside crypto’s ugly tradition struggle
Workers declare that the boss of main crypto alternate Kraken fostered a toxic work environment. (NYT $)
+ The way forward for lending platform Celsius isn’t trying vivid. (Bloomberg $)
+ Crypto is weathering a bitter storm. Some nonetheless maintain on for pricey life. (MIT Technology Review)

four Rural America’s lengthy look ahead to quick web reveals no signal of abating
Regardless of the federal government sinking billions of {dollars} into upgrades. (WSJ $)

5 China’s radio telescope captured a mysterious sign
Which, whereas fascinating, is unlikely to be aliens. (The Conversation)
+ Right here’s how factories in house may work. (Quartz)

6 Ukraine’s web is being rerouted to Russia
Thus subjecting its site visitors to the nation’s censorial regime. (Wired $)
+ The US desires to know the way its electronics ended up in Russian navy gear. (WP $)

7 The web birthed a brand new method of working for the center courses
Nevertheless, making massive bucks continues to be the protect of valuable few. (New Yorker $)
+ Why TikTok is undoing all MTV’s laborious work. (The Atlantic $)

eight How eBay formed the fashionable web 
And have become considered one of our very first platforms within the course of. (The Guardian)

9 Why your child’s identify isn’t as distinctive as you suppose it’s
We’re all extra influenced by our cultural environment than we notice. (Motherboard)

10 The memefication of Catholicism is in full swing
That doesn’t imply extra persons are attending church, although. (Vox)

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