This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.How plants could mine metals from the soilNickel may not grow on treesbut theres a chance it could someday be mined using plants. Many plants naturally soak up metal and concentrate it in their tissues. The US government is now spending $9.9 million funding research on how to use that trait for plant-based mining, or phytomining.It could be a good new way to source increasingly in-demand metals like nickel, crucial for the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. But for now, the goal is just to better understand which plants could help with mining and determine how researchers can tweak them to get our hands on all the critical metals well need in the future. Read the full story.Casey CrownhartThe year is 2149 andAn excerpt from a short story written for us by novelist Sean Michaels, which envisions what life will look like 125 years from now.The year is 2149 and people mostly live their lives on rails. Thats what they call living according to the meticulous instructions of software. Software knows most things about youwhat causes you anxiety, what raises your endorphin levels, everything youve ever searched for, everywhere youve been.Software understands everything that has led to this instant and it predicts every moment that will follow. There was a time when everybody kept their data to themselves, but the truth is, it works better to combine it all. So they poured it all together, all the datathe Big Merge. Everything into a giant basin, a Federal Reserve of informationa vault, or really a massively distributed cloud. It is very handy. It shows you the best route.Very occasionally, people step off the rails. Instead of following their suggested itinerary, they turn the software off. They take a deep, clear, uncertain breath and luxuriate in this freedom. Of course, some people believe that this too is contained within the logic in the vault. That there are invisible rails beside the visible ones; that no one can step off the map. Read the rest of the story here.This piece is from the latest print issue of MIT Technology Review, which is celebrating 125 years of the magazine! If you dont already, subscribe now to get 25% off future copies once they land.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Telegram will start to moderate private chatsPrior to its CEOs arrest, they were shielded from moderation. (The Verge)+ Pavel Durov called the platforms openness to criminal exploitation growing pains. (NYT $)+ Hes threatened to pull the platform from countries that oppose its values. (FT $)2 Google is under investigation in the UKAntitrust officials believe it may be unfairly favoring its own ad tech services. (WSJ $)+ Google disagrees with their interpretations of the sector. (Bloomberg $)+ The probe started all the way back in 2022. (TechCrunch)3 Amazons Alexa is picking political sidesWhich, predictably, has sparked a wave of right-wing conspiracy theories. (WP $)4 Its high time we welcomed the first nuclear clockUnlike atomic clocks, it wouldnt lose even a second over time. (Quanta Magazine)+ It could have the additional benefit of speeding up the internet, too. (Vice)+ Quantum squeezing is improving timekeeping precision. (MIT Technology Review)5 An AI solution to the cocktail party problem has been used in courtIt uses AI to filter out background sounds, much like the human brain. (BBC)+ Noise-canceling headphones use AI to let a single voice through. (MIT Technology Review)6 Japan has a plan to stage a tech leader comebackThis time its working with, rather than against, the US. (NYT $)7 How climate change is impacting creatures eggsThey may not be able to adapt quickly enough to cope with extreme weather. (Time $)8 Its cheaper to rent Nvidia chips in China than in the USWhich demonstrates Americas export restrictions arent having the desired effect. (FT $)+ Whats next in chips. (MIT Technology Review)9 Why arent there more electric school buses? Cleaner, greener buses make sense. But the grid isnt equipped to deal with them. (Vox)+ Electric three-wheelers are on the rise in the Philippines. (Rest of World)+ How 5-minute battery swaps could get more EVs on the road. (MIT Technology Review)10 The Boeing Starliner is set to return to Earth But its two-astronaut crew will remain on the ISS. (NYT $)+ The test flight has been disappointing, to say the least. (Ars Technica)Quote of the dayIts holding her captive.Fiona, a Brooklyn-based 11-year-old, describes her younger sister Margots obsessive iPad use to Vox.The big storyThe future of urban housing is energy-efficient refrigeratorsJune 2022The aging apartments under the purview of the New York City Housing Authority dont scream innovation. The largest landlord in the city, housing nearly 1 in 16 New Yorkers, NYCHA has seen its buildings literally crumble after decades of neglect. It would require at least $40 billion to return the buildings to a state of good repair.Despite the scale of the challenge, NYCHA is hoping to fix them. It has launched a Clean Heat for All Challenge which asks manufacturers to develop low-cost, easy-to-install heat-pump technologies for building retrofits. The stakes for the agency, the winning company, and for society itself could be hugeand good for the planet. Read the full story.Patrick SissonWe 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.)+ Its time to rearrange your coats for falland to donate the old ones you dont wear any more.+ Imperfect typography is where its at.+ TapeDeck is a seriously cool resource for lovers of cassettes from years gone by.+ If youve heard any howls of outrage from the UK this morning, this controversial new tea ranking is to blame.