Some artists found a lifeline selling NFTs. Others worry it’s a trap.

This is how (almost) anyone can train to be an astronaut

Sponsored by Darktrace The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology NFTs: who benefits? 03.25.21 Good morning! Today: artists aren't sure what to make of NFTs, how (almost) anyone can train to be an astronaut, and a new, sharper image of the supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy. Don't forget to get friends to sign up here to get The Download every day.  Some artists found a lifeline selling NFTs. Others worry it’s a trap.   Anna Podedworna first heard about NFTs a month or so ago, when a fellow artist sent her an Instagram message trying to convince her to get on board. She found it really off-putting, like a pitch for a pyramid scheme. He had the best of intentions, she thought: NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are basically just a way of selling and buying anything digital, including art, that’s supported by cryptocurrency. Despite Podedworna’s initial reaction, she started researching whether they might provide some alternative income.   She’s still on the fence, but NFTs have become an unavoidable subject for anyone earning a living as a creative person online. Some promise that NFTs are part of a digital revolution that will democratize fame and give creators control. Others point to the environmental impact of crypto and worry about unrealistic expectations set by, say, the news that digital artist Beeple had sold a JPG of his collected works for $69 million in a Christie’s auction.  Newcomers must untangle practical, logistical, and ethical conundrums if they want to enter the fray before the current wave of interest passes. And there’s a question lingering in the background: Is the NFT craze benefiting digital artists, or are artists helping to make wealthy cryptocurrency holders even richer? Read the full story. —Abby Ohlheiser This is how (almost) anyone can train to be an astronaut What’s happening: Space missions are no longer for pro astronauts only. The next few years will see a series of missions for civilians, starting with SpaceX’s Inspiration 4, the first all-civilian crewed mission to space, this fall. Further missions in 2022 and 2023 are set to follow, and companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin plan to run much less expensive trips into suborbital space. The past: All these new opportunities will make us rethink what astronaut training means. Once upon a time, astronauts had to be military pilots with college degrees, no taller than six feet, and have a good grasp on engineering, medical procedures, and public speaking. They had to have totally clean medical histories and be able to withstand huge physical and mental strain.  New era: Future generations of private astronauts won’t have to jump through half as many hoops. The “right stuff” has changed. The FAA has only light safety guidelines around training private astronauts. It’s really up to the companies to approach things as they see fit. Read the full story. —Neel V. Patel This new image shows off magnetic fields swirling around a black hole   Astronomers have released a brand-new image of the supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy. It’s a sharper follow-up to the historic 2019 picture, showing the polarized light that traces the monster’s magnetic field lines. Read about what’s new about it, and why it matters. —Neel V. Patel 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.)   + Big news, friends: there's a new pasta shape.    + I really cannot recommend the podcast "Cautionary Tales" enough. Especially this episode about the Oscars, Galileo, nuclear reactors, and the financial crisis of 2008.   + This realtor's sign really raises more questions than answers.   + If you haven't been following the Cinnamon Toast Crunch shrimp tails mystery, let me catch you up.   + A 3,000-year-old mask was discovered in China. Memes galore followed.   + A truly lovely friendship between a woman and a St Bernard dog.   + If someone could make a batch of these banana pudding cheesecake bars and send them my way, that would be much appreciated. Sponsor Message Defend against cyber-threats with AI Darktrace AI identifies malicious activity hiding in your digital ecosystem and acts autonomously to neutralize the threat. Find out why McLaren relies on self-learning AI to detect and disrupt cyber-attacks at machine-speed. Learn more > The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Covid long-haulers feel better after being vaccinated 💉 We don't know why. (Wired UK)   + AstraZeneca adjusted its vaccine efficacy estimate, after a dramatic rebuke by US health officials. (Ars Technica)   + What scientists do and don’t know about the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Nature)   + More than 40 US states say they will meet or beat the May 1 deadline for vaccine eligibility for all adults. (NYT $)  2 Slack was forced to amend a feature that let anyone message anyone And… who asked for this anyway? (The Verge)   + On the same day it launched, Slack had to admit it could be used for abuse and harassment. (Forbes)  3 That big ship is still stuck in the Suez Canal "Okay, it was amusing at first but now you're really starting to overstay your welcome." (FT $)   + This is really bad news for international trade. (The Conversation)   + What will it take to get it out? (Wired $)   + At least it's providing excellent meme fodder. (The Guardian)   + This isn't the first time this has happened—14 ships once got stuck there for eight years. (Quartz)  4 Gambling apps try to get addicts even more hooked 📱💵 About 60% of their profits come from 5% of users, who are "problem gamblers." (NYT $)   5 Zuckerberg is backing changes to content moderation laws These changes could, incidentally, reinforce Facebook's size and power. (NBC)   + These are the tech companies that decide what we see online. (WP $)   + Facebook caught Chinese hackers using fake personas to target Uyghurs abroad. (TechCrunch)   + How Facebook got addicted to spreading misinformation. (TR)    6 Amazon delivery drivers have to consent to AI surveillance cameras or quit And they aren't even employed by Amazon. (Vice)   + Tesla's in-car monitoring camera is a big privacy risk. (The Next Web)  7 One in three people have spotted hate speech online  That gives an indication of what a vast problem this is. (BBC)   + Asian Americans experienced the largest rise in severe online hate in 2020. (The Guardian)  8 Citigroup has created "Zoom-Free Fridays" Now there's an idea that could catch on. (CNBC)   + Zoom employees get Zoom fatigue too. (CNBC)   9 Esports are providing hope in Brazil's favelas It's a new path to economic mobility. (Wired $)   10 Like puzzles? Got a spare seven hours? 🤔 Have a crack at this Alan Turing-inspired challenge, released by the UK's spy agency, GCHQ. (The Guardian) Join MIT Technology Review and Harvard Business Review virtually at EmTech Next. This year's program will explore the leadership strategies and the new technologies that will power a forever changed workforce. Purchase your ticket today. Quote of the day “I don’t make the jokes. I just point them out.” —John Cleese tells the New York Times Dealbook why he's selling an NFT evoking a classic con, the sale of the Brooklyn Bridge, with bids running until April Fools' Day.  First image credit: Getty Second image credit: Event Horizon Telescope Seriously, please actually do send banana pudding cheesecake bars 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 Don't settle for half the story. Subscribe to MIT Technology Review for access to subscriber-only content and more.   Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

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