The US is turning away the world’s best minds—and this time, they may not come back

Prepare for a winter covid-19 spike now, say medical experts 

The Download Your daily dose of what’s up in emerging technology 07.14.20 Good morning! Today: the US is turning away the world's best minds, and medical experts warn we should prepare for a winter covid-19 spike now.  Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. The US is turning away the world’s best minds—and this time, they may not come back  A risky bet: For decades, US policymakers have bet that the world’s best and brightest will endure a dysfunctional immigration process for a chance at the opportunities the country offers. And for decades, they have been right. But as the Trump administration creates a slew of new barriers to skilled immigrants in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, it assumes that America will continue to be uniquely attractive to foreign talent. But the odds on this bet are changing. The latest move: Last week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) decreed that foreign students must leave the country if their schools operate entirely online next semester. It’s part of a wider effort to make it slower, costlier, and much less certain for immigrants to come to the US. America’s universities, research labs, and tech companies have watched these developments in disbelief. Research has shown that immigrants are critical to science and technology in the US, fueling technological innovation, job creation, and growth that benefit US citizens and noncitizens alike. Why it could backfire: The US just doesn’t have the irresistible pull it once did, and other countries are competing hard to attract them. America’s leading companies and universities are tough to match, but Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, and others now boast flourishing tech hubs, world-class research institutions, and bold public policies to support R&D. Read the full story.  Written by Tina Huang and Zachary Arnold, researchers with Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. Prepare for a winter covid-19 spike now, say medical experts The news: We should prepare now for a potential new wave of coronavirus cases this winter, according to the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences. Healthcare systems tend to struggle in winter anyway due to the faster spread of infectious diseases and the fact that some health conditions tend to be exacerbated in colder temperatures. But if you factor a potential winter rise in covid-19 infections that could be worse than the initial outbreak, a backlog of patients with other conditions, and exhausted frontline workers, healthcare systems could be pushed beyond their limit, the academy has warned in a new report. Some figures: The academy has modeled the “reasonable worst-case scenario” for the UK. It says the number of covid-19-related hospital deaths between September 2020 and June 2021 could reach 119,900, more than double the 45,000 deaths in the UK so far. Although the report relates specifically to the UK, the same conclusions could be drawn for many countries around the world. However, it’s worth remembering it is a model of worst case outcomes, and doesn’t consider potential new drugs, treatments or vaccines. It’s also based on the assumption that it won’t be feasible to introduce a lockdown in the UK again. We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled this poster. Yes, it’s real. And as one Twitter user put it, Hieronymus Bosch wants a word…   + Bears have learned to use nunchucks. 2020, you really are spoiling us.   + Spot the cat!   + A charming handwritten note from a girl to her Dad while he was on a conference call.   + A recipe for dirty rice, which is a lot more delicious than the name suggests.   + Care home residents in the UK are recreating iconic album covers. The top ten must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Too many countries are going the wrong way on covid-19, warns the WHO The world racked up a record 230,000 new reported cases on Sunday. (Axios)   + California has had to reverse course on reopening. (CNET)   + Hong Kong Disneyland is closing again after a spike of 50 cases a day. (Gizmodo)   + A record 5.4 million Americans have lost their health insurance amid the pandemic. (NYT $) 2 Working out how to reopen offices? You’ll need a geometry lesson  A lot of people are currently trying to figure out the most efficient way to pack six-feet-apart spheres into a confined space. (Quanta)   + Buildings are getting tested for coronavirus, too. (Axios) 3 Astronomers found a giant intergalactic “wall” of galaxies hiding in plain sight And it’s right in our backyard, relatively speaking. (TR) 4 People are suing stores for making them wear masks Oh just get over yourself. (The Verge)   + The UK is (finally) set to make masks mandatory in stores. (BBC)   + Don’t bother with single-use plastic bags. Just wear a mask. (Wired $) 5 Fax machines are hampering the US pandemic response This feels more than slightly absurd in 2020. (NYT $)   + The US has no idea how to manage all the testing data it’s collecting. (TR) 6 A growing coalition is fighting ICE restrictions on foreign students Tech companies and universities warn new rules could drive half of all international students out of the US. (Protocol) 7 Three countries are sending spacecraft to Mars this summer 🚀 Starting with the United Arab Emirates this week. (LA Times) 8 TikTok doesn’t seem to take any more of your data than Facebook That’s not a compliment. But just to give people a sense of perspective. (WP $) 9 How celebrity baby conspiracy theories flourish online 🤰 Some people need to disconnect from the internet. (The Atlantic) 10 Tourists pretty much all take the same photos 📷 Humans are wearily predictable. Yes, even you (and me). (The Next Web) Registration is open for EmTech MIT, our flagship event. This year's carefully curated lineup of leaders and experts will explore the road ahead for cloud computing, AI, biotech, innovating in the new economy, cybersecurity, and more. Register now. Quote of the Day “I can look online and find the number of covid-19 cases in nursing homes, but not in the poultry industry. If you walk into a poultry plant, you don’t know whether the person next to you has got it. It’s unconscionable.” —Tony Corbo, a lobbyist for Food and Water Watch, a progressive nonprofit advocacy group, tells the New Yorker that the meat industry is failing to protect its workers. Top image credit: BAMBI CORRO | UNSPLASH Please send dirty rice to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up for free Leading with Innovation. Join us online, October 19-22. *View this in a browser You Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog received this newsletter because you subscribed with your email address. *Edit email preferences   |   *Unsubscribe from all emails Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

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