This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.Digital twins of human organs are here. Theyre set to transform medical treatment.Steven Niederer, a biomedical engineer at the Alan Turing Institute and Imperial College London, has a cardboard box filled with 3D-printed hearts. Each of them is modeled on the real heart of a person with heart failure, but Niederer is more interested in creating detailed replicas of peoples hearts using computers.These digital twins are the same size and shape as the real thing. They work in the same way. But they exist only virtually. Scientists can do virtual surgery on these virtual hearts, figuring out the best course of action for a patients condition.After decades of research, models like these are now entering clinical trials and starting to be used for patient care. The eventual goal is to create digital versions of our bodiescomputer copies that could help researchers and doctors figure out our risk of developing various diseases and determine which treatments might work best.But the budding technology will need to be developed very carefully. Read the full story to learn why.Jessica HamzelouThis story is from the forthcoming magazine edition of MIT Technology Review, set to go live on January 6its all about the exciting breakthroughs happening in the world right now. If you dont already, subscribe to receive future copies.This is where the data to build AI comes fromAI is all about data. Reams and reams of data are needed to train algorithms to do what we want, and what goes into the AI models determines what comes out. But heres the problem: AI developers and researchers dont really know much about the sources of the data they are using.The Data Provenance Initiative, a group of over 50 researchers from both academia and industry, wanted to fix that. They wanted to know, very simply: Where does the data to build AI come from?Their findings, shared exclusively with MIT Technology Review, show a worrying trend: AIs data practices risk concentrating power overwhelmingly in the hands of a few dominant technology companies. Read the full story.Melissa HeikkilThree pieces of good news on climate change in 2024The vibes in the climate world this year have largely been less than great.Global greenhouse-gas emissions hit a new high, and this year is also on track to be the warmest on record. Global climate talks fell flat, and disasters from wildfires to hurricanes are being made worse by climate change.But among all that (very real) negative news, there was some good, too: We saw progress cutting back on the most polluting fossil fuels, cheaper and better technologies for combating climate change, and a continuous global effort to address the problem. So as we near the end of 2024, lets take a moment to look back on some of the bright spots.Casey CrownhartThis story is from The Spark, our weekly climate and energy newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 The US Supreme Court will hear TikToks appeal against its banIts agreed to hear the companys arguments on January 10. (FT $)+ A ruling could follow shortly afterwards. (WP $)+ Heres how a couple of the most likely scenarios could play out. (The Information $)2 Amazons telehealth clinic is being suedPhilip Tong died shortly after a virtual appointment last year. His family wants answers. (WP $)+ The legal case accuses the health provider of negligently failing to care for Tong. (LA Times $)3 The Boeing Starliner astronauts are still stuck in spaceTheir return to Earth has been pushed back yet again, this time to March 2025. (WP $)+ Theyve been living on the ISS since June. (The Guardian)4 Dangerous disordered eating content is rife on XThe platforms content moderation has become so lax, harmful communities are thriving unchecked. (The Atlantic $)5 People are shining lasers at planes flying over New YorkAmid the local drone panic, pilots are struggling with the unwelcome intrusions. (404 Media)+ Dont be surprised if other similar drone panics crop up in the future. (Vox)6 How Google Street View helped to solve a missing-person caseAfter its cars captured a man hunched over a large white bag in a car trunk. (NYT $)+ Google Maps is still the biggest, but these startups are fast gaining traction. (Fast Company $)7 Why you shouldnt remove fluoride from your drinking waterUnless you desperately want to jeopardize your dental health. (WSJ $)+ Its not the first time concerns around fluoride have surfaced. (NYT $)8 The old internet is slowly disappearingWhat does that mean for our collective cultural understanding? (The Verge)+ How to fix the internet. (MIT Technology Review)9 Europeans just love balcony solar panelsTheyre simple to install and can help to keep electricity bills down. (The Guardian)+ How to store energy for leaner times. (Knowable Magazine)+ Advanced solar panels still need to pass the test of time. (MIT Technology Review)10 You can now call ChatGPT on the phone Theres nowhere left to hide. (Bloomberg $)Quote of the dayI dont think that work is suitable for human beings.James Irungu, a former Facebook content moderator, reflects on the horrific material he encountered in the job, the Guardian reports.The big storyFuture space food could be made from astronaut breathMay 2023The future of space food could be as simpleand weirdas a protein shake made with astronaut breath or a burger made from fungus.For decades, astronauts have relied mostly on pre-packaged food during their forays off our planet. With missions beyond Earth orbit in sight, a NASA-led competition is hoping to change all that and usher in a new era of sustainable space food.To solve the problem of feeding astronauts on long-duration missions, NASA asked companies to propose novel ways to develop sustainable foods for future missions. Around 200 rose to the challengecreating nutritious (and outlandish) culinary creations in the process. Read the full story.Jonathan OCallaghanWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet em at me.)+ These optical illusion bird sculptures are a sight to be seen. + Dont blame me if you end up wanting to eat this Bche de Nol in one sitting.+ Casio watches are 50 years oldand cooler than ever.+ Do you fly naked? (No, not like that..)

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.The vibes in the climate world this year have largely been less than great.Global greenhouse-gas emissions hit a new high, reaching 37.4 billion metric tons in 2024. This year is also on track to be the warmest on record, with temperatures through September hitting 1.54 C (2.77 F) above preindustrial levels. Global climate talks fell flat, and disasters from wildfires to hurricanes are being made worse by climate change.But among all that (very real) negative news, there was some good, too: We saw progress cutting back on the most polluting fossil fuels, cheaper and better technologies for combating climate change, and a continuous global effort to address the problem. As we near the end of 2024, lets take a moment to look back on some of the bright spots.Were kicking coal to the curbOne of my favorite climate moments from this year happened in the UK. The country has historically relied heavily on coal as an electricity sourceas of 1990, coal met about 65% of its electricity demand. But on September 30, 2024, the last coal plant in the nation shut down.Renewables are stepping in to fill the gap. Wind farms in the UK are on track to produce more electricity this year than coal and gas plants together.The moment was a symbolic one, and it also reflects the very real progress thats happening around the world in inching away from this polluting fossil fuel. In the US, coal made up around 50% of the electricity supply four decades ago. In 2023, that share was roughly 16%.We should see coal use plateau and potentially begin to fall by the end of the decade, according to the International Energy Agency. Progress needs to happen faster, though, and it needs to happen in countries like China, where energy demand is increasing. Theres also growing concern about what increasing energy demand from data centers, including those used to power AI, will mean for efforts to shut off old coal plants.Batteries just keep getting cheaperLithium-ion battery packs are cheaper than ever in 2024, with prices dropping 20% this year to $115 per kilowatt-hour, according to data from BloombergNEF. Thats the biggest drop since 2017.Batteries are a central technology for addressing climate change. They power the electric vehicles were relying on to help clean up the transportation sector and play an increasingly important role for the grid, since they can store energy from inconsistently available renewables like wind and solar.Since EVs are still more expensive upfront than their gas-powered counterparts in most of the world, cheaper batteries are great news for efforts to get more people to take the leap to electric. And its hard to overstate how quickly battery prices have plummeted. Batteries were twice as expensive in 2017 as they are today. Just 10 years ago, prices were six times what they are in 2024.To be fair, theres been mixed news in the EV world this yeara slowdown in demand growth for EVs is actually one of the factors helping battery prices hit record lows. EV sales are still growing around the world, but at a slower pace than they were in 2023. China is the biggest EV market in the world by far, making up three-quarters of global registrations in 2024 as of October.Climate tech is still busy and bustlingLooking back at the energy and climate stories we published this year, I cant help but feel at least a little bit optimistic about whats coming next.Some groups are looking to the natural world to address the climate crisis; this year, I covered a company working to grow microbes in massive bioreactors to help supplement our food sources, as well as researchers who are looking to plants to help mine the metals we need to fight climate change. Others hope to tweak biologymy colleague James Temple spoke with Jennifer Doudna about the potential for CRISPR, the gene-editing technology she pioneered.Companies are deploying air-conditioning systems that can act like batteries, storing up energy for when its needed. The US Department of Energy is investing in projects that aim to concentrate heat from the sun and use it to power the grid or industrial processes. I spoke to a startup looking to make hydropower technology thats safer for fish, and another building magnets using cheap, widely available materials.And in October we published our 2024 list of 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch, which featured everything from a startup using AI to detect wildfires to a company giving supplements to cattle to help cut emissions from their burps.Climate change represents a massive challenge for the world, and were entering an especially uncertain time. Well be covering it all, the good and the bad. Thanks for being here this year, and Im looking forward to bringing you all the climate tech news you need in 2025.Now read the rest of The SparkRelated readingIf you need a dash of innovation and positivity in your life, might I recommend taking a gander at our list of 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch?Whats more inspiring than young people working on the worlds most important problems? Our 2024 class of 35 Innovators Under 35 is sure to spread some cheer.If youre needing even more innovation, why not look back at our 10 Breakthrough Technologies? Exascale computers certainly help me put things in perspective. And get excited, because our 2025 list is coming very, very soon.NICO ORTEGAAnother thingThis year was filled with some exciting moments in technology, but there were also some failures. Here are a few of the worst technology flops of 2024. Check it out to see why voluntary carbon markets made the list and learn all about AI slop.And one moreYouve almost certainly heard that energy demand from AI is huge, and only expected to explode in the coming years. A new preprint study aimed to quantify just how bad things are, and the researchers found that data centers accounted for over 4% of electricity consumption in the US between September 2023 and August 2024. And the carbon intensity of the power thats used is nearly 50% higher than the national average.Get all the details in the latest story from my colleague James ODonnell.Keeping up with climateGeothermal energy provides about 1% of global electricity today, but If things go well, the tech could meet up to 15% of global power demand growth through 2050. (Axios)Renting an EV over the holidays? This is a great guide for first-time EV drivers, including helpful tips about how to handle charging. (Bloomberg)Commonwealth Fusion Systems chose Virginia as the site for its first commercial fusion power plant. The company says the 400-megawatt plant will come online in the early 2030s. (Heatmap) I recently visited Commonwealths first demonstration site in Massachusetts. Its basically still a hole in the ground. (MIT Technology Review)The US Department of Energys Loan Programs Office just committed $15 billion to a California utility. Its the largest-ever commitment from the office. (New York Times)The US EPA will grant California the right to ban gas-powered cars by 2035. The agency has to give the state a waiver to set its own rules. (Washington Post) We can expect a legal battle, though. The incoming Trump administration is recommending major changes to cut off support for EVs and charging. (Reuters)China dominates the world of lithium-ion batteries. Some startups in the US and Europe argue that rather than playing catch-up, the rest of the world should focus on alternative chemistries like lithium-sulfur and sodium-ion batteries. (Canary Media)

The all-time best price on Apple's iPad 10th Generation has returned, with an on-page coupon discounting the tablet to $249.99.Apple's iPad 10th Gen returns to all-time best price.Black Friday pricing has returned on Apple's iPad 10th Generation, with the silver colorway dropping to $249.99 at Amazon. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple has a master plan to conquer the smart home, and after years of HomeKit being just a hobby, it all will begin in 2025. Here's what Apple has in mind.Apple is ready to take the smart home seriously starting in 2025The smart home market has been somewhat slow on the uptick while simultaneously changing at a rapid pace. It's led Apple to appear, at least at face value, behind the competition.In the last few years we've seen new standards for connectivity and working across platforms, dozens of new device types, and countless new products come to market. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's latest machine learning research could make creating models for Apple Intelligence faster, by coming up with a technique to almost triple the rate of generating tokens when using Nvidia GPUs.Training models for machine learning is a processor-intensive taskOne of the problems in creating large language models (LLMs) for tools and apps that offer AI-based functionality, such as Apple Intelligence, is inefficiencies in producing the LLMs in the first place. Training models for machine learning is a resource-intensive and slow process, which is often countered by buying more hardware and taking on increased energy costs.Earlier in 2024, Apple published and open-sourced Recurrent Drafter, known as ReDrafter, a method of speculative decoding to improve performance in training. It used an RNN (Recurrent Neural Network) draft model combining beam search with dynamic tree attention for predicting and verifying draft tokens from multiple paths. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

ICONs 100 home 3D printed Community First! Village is underway in an effort to combat homelessness in the Austin, Texas area. The only neighborhood of its kind in the nation, Community First! Village provides permanent housing solutions and supportive care for those experiencing chronic homelessness.ICON's contribution to the larger development, which serves 1,800 people, follows its previous work with the nonprofit Lennar Foundation on the new Wolf Ranch in Georgetown, Texas.The homes 3D printed by ICON across in the Villages expansion are a mix of townhome units and family designs with footprints varying between 380 to 1,040 square feet.Image courtesy ICONImage courtesy ICONImage courtesy ICONImage courtesy ICON

The total number of construction starts increased by 5% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.2 trillion. According to Dodge Construction Network, nonresidential building starts grew by 2%, nonbuilding starts were 16% high, and residential starts fell by 1%.For the 12 months ending November 2024, total construction starts were up 4% from the 12 months ending November 2023. Residential starts were up 7%, nonresidential starts were up 2%, and nonbuilding starts rose 4% over the same period. The number of manufacturing starts was down 52%."Construction starts continue to move sideways as the market waits for further rate cuts," Richard Branch, the chief economist of Dodge Construction Network, stated. "Elevated interest rates, labor shortages, and strict lending standards will continue to constrain construction activity in the near term."Related: Architecture Business Metrics Begin To Turn Positive: Archinects State of AEC November 2024The largest nonbuilding proj...

This week's edition of our curated career roundup from the Archinect Job board features 13 architecture and design firms in the San Francisco Bay Area currently offering a range of exciting opportunities.For helpful guidance on how to get that next job, make sure to check out Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series and our Archinect Tips collection.Sand Harbor Visitor Center by Bull Stockwell Allen.Bull Stockwell Allen seeks a Designer, a Job Captain, a Project Architect, and a Senior Project Architect in San FranciscoDesigner details: "The Designer will play a key role in supporting the design and production process throughout all project phases. Working closely with the Senior Designer and Job Captain, you will help create visual presentations and communicate design objectives using various methods of representation. Additionally, you will assist with project management tasks such as client meetings, contractor coordination, and ensuring that all project deliverables meet contra...

The 13th A+Awards invites firms to submit a range of timely new categories, emphasizing architecture that balances local innovation with global vision. Your projects deserve the spotlight, so start your submission today!In South Korea, there is a word on everyones lips: honjok. A combination of the Korean words for by myself and tribe, honjok literally translates to the tribe of one and is a way of life that celebrates solitude and autonomy. People who follow a honjok lifestyle will go about their days engaging in many activities alone and, notably, without fear of judgment. They take themselves for dinner, go to the movies solo, and even buy a home alone.For many young Koreans, honjok is a reaction to the relentless pace and pressures of modern life. Competitive workplaces leave little room for traditional relationship milestones such as dating, marriage or even living together. At the same time, a growing desire to push back against strict family expectations that often demand conformity, career success and parenthood play a role, too. In this environment, choosing to live alone becomes an act of rebellion as well as self-care.While the word honjok may belong on the Korean Peninsula, the trend is far from unique to South Korea. Across the globe, solo living is becoming more desirable. In Europe, almost 40% of homes are single-occupancy, while in the US and UK, one-person households make up approximately 30% of the population a figure that has more than doubled in the last 50 years.Jackie XU Private Residence I A Love Letter to My Dogs by Office of Goldchild, Shanghai, China | Photos by Jian XUSolo living is increasing for many reasons. In the UK, single women are one of the fastest-growing groups of homebuyers as financial independence and the ability to purchase and maintain a home alone has become a symbol of empowerment, a way of breaking from traditional domestic roles or expectations and a way to ensure personal and financial security. Even within traditional relationships, the notion of cohabiting is changing.Increasingly, couples are choosing to live apart while maintaining romantic partnerships a dynamic known as living apart together (LAT). For some, its about preserving individuality and prioritizing personal space. For others, the demands of dual-career households, often spread across different cities, make separate homes a practical solution. In other cases, blended and unique family units have required rethinking the family living arrangements most would regard as traditional.Meanwhile, in countries where familial duty typically dictates that aging parents live with their children Japan, for instance smaller families and shifting cultural expectations have led to an unprecedented rise in one-person households among older generations. For these individuals, solo living is often about dignity, control and maintaining autonomy in later life.Clearwater Lake Retreat by Wheeler Kearns Architects, Clearwater Lake, Wisconsin| Photos by Steve HallFor much of our history, homes were designed for families and communities. Shared functionality shaped everything from floor plans to furniture choices. Dining rooms, for instance, were a must for family meals, while multiple bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate children, extended relatives and guests were a top priority. By the motor boom in the mid-20th century, the two-car garage became a staple of suburban family homes, and as family dynamics changed, open-plan living encouraged interaction and togetherness. Homes were designed to prioritize collective needs over individual expression. Privacy and personalization were secondary concerns, and compromises kept everyone happy.However, the rise of solo living has turned things upside down. Architects, designers and even urban planners are being required to rethink the function of the home and consider how spaces designed to serve one rather than many can, like their occupiers, break from tradition and push boundaries.Designing for a single occupant comes with a unique set of challenges. Unlike multi-occupant homes, which must often balance competing tastes and needs, solo living demands a space that aligns wholly with its inhabitant and their unique circumstances. For single dwellers, priorities vary and shift dramatically. Social spaces like dining rooms or expansive living areas might be necessary for someone who hosts a lot of social gatherings but not so much for someone in a location simply for work. Similarly, drastic career and lifestyle changes are more common in the life of a single dweller. When designing within these parameters, functionality becomes hyper-specific, becoming tailored to hobbies and routines. Pull up bar in the kitchen? Sure, why not? Standing desk in the bedroom? Go right ahead. But always consider the need for change and adaptability. Traditional boundaries and expectations can be thrown out the window to make way for complete personalization. The possibilities for interior designers and architects are intriguing and vast.Tahanan Supportive Housing by David Baker Architects, San Francisco, California | Photos by Bruce DamonteHowever, as much as solo living celebrates individuality, it also raises questions about connection and community. For many, living alone doesnt mean a desire to actually be alone. With this in mind architects and planners are responding with co-living developments. These projects feature smaller, private units while making way for additional communal amenities like co-working areas, coffee shops, gyms and gardens.By focusing on shared amenities and reducing the footprint of individual apartments, many co-living developments can offer lower prices for those joining the property market as single renters or buyers. Additionally, the reduction in space within the home makes areas outside the apartment, like rooftop gardens and shared courtyards, more valuable to the owner and encourages interaction with neighbors.There is still a long way to go. Many traditional social housing models prioritize larger family homes, and governments and planners must address the lack of affordable, well-designed units for single occupants. A shortfall is commonly experienced by young professionals and lower-income individuals, for whom living alone remains an aspirational yet often unattainable goal.Apartment House Koya by OOS, Andermatt, Switzerland | Photos by OOSLike most societal shifts, solo living is coming under scrutiny. The decline of traditional family structures has raised concerns by some about the breakdown of informal care networks and cultural continuity. Families once functioned as economic units, pooling resources and providing support across generations. Without these structures, some policymakers worry about economic strain as individuals reject or are unable to bear the burden of additional dependents in the home. In countries with low birth rates, solo living has been blamedthough not provenfor contributing to demographic challenges like population decline.However, despite this, many cities are beginning to adopt promising models. By including affordable one-bedroom flats and studios in their public housing developments, they are ensuring that solo living can be both accessible and dignified. Elsewhere, modular housing and subsidized co-living spaces are emerging as scalable solutions.As solo living expands, architects and designers face both challenges and opportunities. How do you create spaces that are deeply personal yet highly adaptable? How can homes for one address and not exacerbate the burgeoning loneliness crisis? And how can the choice of living alone be available and affordable for anyone who wishes to? These questions demand a rethinking of the homenot only as a physical structure but also as a societal structure.The 13th A+Awards invites firms to submit a range of timely new categories, emphasizing architecture that balances local innovation with global vision. Your projects deserve the spotlight, so start your submission today!The post Home Alone: Exploring the Architecture of Solo Living appeared first on Journal.

Winter offers photographers unique opportunities to capture wildlife in a setting that emphasizes the stark beauty and resilience of nature. Snow-covered landscapes, frosty mornings, and the quiet calm of winter months provide a stunning backdrop for animals in their natural habitat. Heres how to approach winter wildlife photography with a professional touch, focusing on advanced techniques for lighting, composition, and patience.Using light to enhance winter wildlifeThe lighting in winter is often softer and lower, casting a gentle glow over the landscape. Understanding how to harness this light can bring out the best in your wildlife photos. Utilize soft, diffused light for detailThe low winter sun provides a gentle, diffused light that enhances the natural textures of animal fur and feathers. This lighting is perfect for highlighting details without harsh shadows, giving your images a soft, balanced look. Shooting in the morning or late afternoon will add a warm tone to your subjects, which contrasts beautifully with the cooler winter environment. Backlight for a dramatic silhouetteWinters low sun makes backlighting more accessible throughout the day. When positioned carefully, it can create a glowing outline around your subject, adding drama and depth to the shot. To prevent overexposure, meter for the highlights on the animal or use exposure compensation to maintain detail in the background.Capturing wildlife behaviorOne of the best aspects of wildlife photography is observing animals in their natural routines. Winter provides a unique opportunity to capture behaviors such as foraging, hunting, and interaction with the environment.Be patient and observePatience is crucial in winter wildlife photography. Animals tend to conserve energy during colder months, making them less active. By observing quietly, you can anticipate movements and be ready to capture subtle behaviors that convey the essence of the season. Allowing animals to come closer rather than approaching them directly often results in more intimate and authentic images. Look for animal tracks and signsSnow-covered landscapes highlight animal tracks, which can tell a story about where animals have been and what theyve been doing. Use these tracks as visual cues to find your subjects or incorporate them into the composition for a storytelling element.Composition techniques for winter wildlifeThe winter environment allows for minimalist compositions that focus attention on the subject without distractions. Use these techniques to frame your wildlife subjects effectively.Frame with the natural environmentUse trees, branches, or snowdrifts as natural framing elements to focus attention on your subject. For example, framing a fox against a backdrop of bare trees or snow-capped rocks creates depth and adds context, showing the animals relationship with its environment. Include negative space for isolationSnowy landscapes often create a natural negative space that emphasizes the subject. By placing your subject within a vast, open space, you can create a sense of isolation or solitude, which is powerful in winter scenes. This technique works particularly well when photographing solitary animals like deer or foxes. Get low for an immersive perspectiveShooting from a lower angle places the viewer at eye level with the animal, creating an immersive experience. This perspective not only brings out details in the subject but also allows the viewer to connect with the animal on a more personal level. In snowy environments, getting low can also let you capture the texture of the snow and add dimension to your images.Practical tips for winter wildlife photographyCamouflage and quiet gearIn winter, animals are highly aware of their surroundings. Dress in neutral colors and use silent gear to avoid startling your subjects. Many professional wildlife photographers invest in camouflage covers for their equipment to help them blend into the environment.Capture breath and frost for effectOn particularly cold days, you may notice animals breath creating small clouds or frost forming on their fur. Capture these elements to add a sense of realism and atmosphere to your photos. Timing is keywatch for when an animal pauses to breathe, creating an opportunity for a shot that conveys the chill of winter. Adapt your shutter speed to movementWhen photographing animals in motion, use a faster shutter speed to freeze the action, especially in snowy conditions where even a small movement can stir up snow. Conversely, a slower shutter speed can blur background snow, adding a sense of movement and dynamism to a stationary subject.Winter wildlife photography offers the chance to capture animals in a world transformed by cold and snow. By carefully considering lighting, composition, and environmental elements, you can create images that highlight the resilience and beauty of wildlife during this challenging season. Embrace the quiet, be patient, and let winters natural rhythm guide you to capturing these captivating moments.Not on 500px yet? Click here to learn about Licensing with 500px.The post Techniques for capturing wildlife in winter appeared first on 500px.