Could covid lead to a lifetime of autoimmune disease?

Stop talking about AI ethics. It's time to talk about power.

Sponsored by Salesforce The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Covid's lingering effects 04.23.21 Good morning! Today: just how long could long covid last? Also: we need to talk less about AI ethics and more about power, and NASA has produced pure oxygen on Mars. I hope you have a fun and restful weekend. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. Could covid lead to a lifetime of autoimmune disease?   When Aaron Ring began testing blood samples collected from covid-19 patients last March and April, he expected to see a type of immune cell known as an autoantibody in at least some of them. These are antibodies that have gone rogue and started attacking the body’s own tissue; they’re known to show up after some severe infections. Researchers had already found that some patients with bad cases of covid had copies of these potentially dangerous immune cells circulating in the bloodstream. These preexisting autoantibodies, likely created by previous infections, were still lurking and appeared to be mistakenly attacking other immune cells. It helped explain why some people were getting so sick from covid-19. Still, what Ring, a cancer immunologist at Yale University, detected in his blood samples last fall spooked him—badly. He found a vast array of autoantibodies ready to attack scores of other human proteins, including ones found in the body’s vital organs and bloodstream. The levels, variety, and ubiquity of the autoantibodies he found in some patients shocked him; it looked like what doctors might see in people with chronic autoimmune diseases that often lead to a lifetime of pain and damage to organs including the brain. What scared Ring the most was that autoantibodies have the potential to last a lifetime. This raised a series of chilling questions: What are the long-term consequences for these patients if these powerful cellular assassins outlive the infection? How much destruction could they cause? And for how long? Read the full story.  —Adam Piore If you want to read this entire story, you'll need to subscribe. With subscriptions starting at just $50 a year for our award-winning journalism, it's a bargain. So go ahead. Subscribe! Stop talking about AI ethics. It’s time to talk about power.  Artificial intelligence is often framed as simply efficient software running in “the cloud.” Not so, says leading AI scholar Kate Crawford in her new book, Atlas of AI, an exploration into the history of artificial intelligence and its impact on our physical world. Each chapter seeks to stretch our understanding of the technology by unveiling how narrowly we’ve viewed and defined it. Crawford does this by bringing us on a global journey, from the mines where the rare earth elements used in computer manufacturing are extracted to the Amazon fulfillment centers where human bodies have been mechanized in the company’s relentless pursuit of growth and profit.  Her close-up, vivid descriptions of the earth and labor AI is built on, and the deeply problematic histories behind it, make it impossible to continue speaking about the technology purely in the abstract. Our senior AI editor, Karen Hao, interviewed her about the book, and what it can tell us about power, ethics, and inequality. Read the full interview.  NASA’s Perseverance rover has produced pure oxygen on Mars The news: NASA’s Perseverance rover has successfully generated breathable oxygen on Mars. The demonstration could lay the groundwork for helping future astronauts establish a sustainable colony on the planet. How it happened: A toaster-sized device, called MOXIE, converted carbon dioxide into oxygen through a process called solid oxide electrolysis, whereby carbon dioxide is heated to 800 °C, separating it into oxygen and carbon monoxide. This allows each gas to be isolated and the carbon monoxide released, leaving just oxygen. In all, MOXIE managed to generate about 10 minutes of breathable air for a human. Why it’s a big deal: Future astronauts will need oxygen to breathe and live, but oxygen can also make rocket fuel. Read the full story. —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.)   + If you like Dad jokes, you'll love these.   + Peruse some funny tweets.    + Some nice things around the world that you may have missed this week, courtesy of Peter.   + Salmon fishing in Alaska. (NYT $)   + A surfer in Australia was reunited with his surfboard, which had traveled 1,670 miles.   + These pet portraits are great (thanks Jin!)   + This forgotten medieval fruit had a pleasingly rude name (thanks Donna.) Sponsor Message What happens when technology speaks the same language Artificial intelligence has developed to the point where chatbots and virtual assistants can have more nuanced interactions with humans—and that opens a wealth of possibilities. Learn more. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Israel didn't record a single covid-19 death yesterday For the first time in ten months. (Times of Israel)   + Covid cases aren't budging in the US. (Axios)   + The US has started to see vaccination take-up fall. (Ars Technica)   + The US is not likely to reach herd immunity, but that's not necessarily a disaster. (USA Today)   + India's second wave is a warning to other countries. (The Guardian)  2 Tesla autopilot works with no one in the driver's seat  This is really bad. (Consumer Reports)   + Two US senators say there may be an emerging pattern of safety concerns with Teslas after a fatal crash in Texas. (WSJ $)  3 Another amazing vaccine breakthrough… for malaria 💉 This could save thousands upon thousands of lives. (The Guardian)   + How covid is spurring Africa to kickstart a vaccines revolution. (Nature)  4 Carmakers are scaling back production due to chip shortages 🚗 The situation is worsening, and it shows no sign of improving soon. (CNBC)   5 Why China's tech tycoons are lying low They've seen what happened to Jack Ma and concluded it's better to stay silent. (NYT $)   6 Not everyone will get the chance to stay working from home It really depends on your profession—and your boss. (Recode)   7 Cryptocurrencies are terrible for the planet If you care about climate change, it's hard to conclude they should even exist. (New Yorker $)   + The destructive green fantasy of the bitcoin fanatics. (FT $)   + How can the US meet its climate goals? (Wired $)   8 What should the collective noun be for black holes? 🕳️ A "scream" gets my vote, but I like a "disaster" too. (NYT $)   9 How to plan a virtual work party that's actually good Play a game. Play Jeopardy. (Wired $)   10 People are paying $2,500 just for the possibility of a Burning Man ticket This feels like the universe's way of telling you that you have too much money. (SFist) Join MIT Technology Review and Harvard Business Review virtually at EmTech Next. Discover the technologies propelling organizational growth, the impact of AI and automation, the urgency to upskill the workforce, and more. Register today. Quote of the Day "There’s a lot of expectations when you send a Frenchman into space." —Thomas Pesquet, a French astronaut heading to the International Space Station today, tells the New York Times he will enjoy a Michelin-starred chef designed menu of lobster, beef bourguignon, cod with black rice, potato cakes with wild mushrooms and almond tarts with caramelized pears during his stay. Top image credit: Daniel Zender Please send Dad jokes 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 today Leading a forever-changed workforce Join us virtually | June 8-10, 2021 Register now   Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

*Unsubscribe *Update preferences

This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog

*the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally