The pandemic is testing the limits of face recognition

Pulling methane out of the atmosphere could slow global warming

The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Mission creep 09.28.21 Good morning! Today: the use of facial recognition technology has expanded rapidly during the pandemic, and pulling methane from the atmosphere could slow global warming—if we can work out how to do it. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. The pandemic is testing the limits of face recognition   At first glance, JB, an artist based in Los Angeles, perhaps doesn’t look much like the picture on their driver’s license. For one thing, the photo is from a few years ago. And there’s the fact that JB is transgender and has been taking testosterone for over two years, which has led to changing facial features. JB lost a part-time retail job when the lockdowns hit last March and, like millions of other Americans, attempted to apply for unemployment benefits—never suspecting that their changing appearance would stand in the way.  Months after submitting their application, JB was finally invited to use California’s facial recognition system to verify their identity. But even after multiple tries, the system couldn’t match JB’s face and ID photo, shutting them out of the benefits they qualified for. Eventually, JB stopped trying. Law enforcement and private businesses have used face recognition for years, but use of the technology in distributing government aid has expanded rapidly during the pandemic. Experts and activists worry that failures of this technology could prevent people from getting benefits they desperately need—and that it could be even more dangerous if it works as designed. Read the full story. —Mia Sato Pulling methane out of the atmosphere could slow global warming ​​The big idea: Pulling methane out of the atmosphere has the potential to help slow global warming in the next few decades. It’s a powerful greenhouse gas, and human activities like natural-gas extraction and agriculture have more than doubled its concentration since the preindustrial era. Reducing methane in the atmosphere by 40% could reduce warming 0.4 ˚C by 2050, according to a new paper. But, but… Researchers are still trying to figure out if methane removal is really feasible. The technology is mostly unproven, though research groups are testing a few methods, and several commercial methane removal ventures are starting to sprout. A better solution may be to use readily available approaches like plugging up leaky natural-gas wells and decreasing reliance on coal mines. Read the full story. —Casey Crownhart 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.)   + Inside the mind of the world's best freediver.   + A vast swathe of the Scottish highlands is set to be rewilded.    + It's hard to wrap your head around the process of creating this incredible ballpoint pen drawing.   + I've just discovered that a skull-themed toilet sub-genre exists. Not sure how to feel about this.    + Got to admit, I'm enjoying some aspects of the Theranos trial, like this text message exchange between Holmes and her boyfriend.    + Can't wait for this new adaptation of Macbeth this Christmas, with Denzel Washington and Francis McDormand.    + Someone's made a play that's performed… in Google Sheets.    + Give origami a go and make this jumping frog. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Even with vaccines, covid-19 is ruthlessly ageist A reminder that the risks are not remotely evenly distributed. (New York Magazine)   + Covid deaths in America are increasingly falling along partisan lines. (NYT $)   + The pandemic has dragged down global life expectancy rates. (CNET)   + Tens of thousands of unvaccinated healthcare workers in New York are about to lose their jobs. (Ars Technica)   + 71% of unvaccinated Americans say booster shots prove the vaccines don’t work. (CNBC)   + Pharma companies are working on daily pills for covid. (Quartz)   + Biden's had his booster. (NYT $)  2 Ivermectin shortages are causing big trouble for farmers This is all so relentlessly maddening. (NYT $)   + What happens when your prescription drug becomes the center of covid misinformation. (TR)   + Facebook groups promoting ivermectin as a covid-19 treatment are still flourishing. (NYT $)   + Doctors have had enough of covid misinformation on Clubhouse. (Vice)  3 Do we really need deep-sea mining to fuel the electric vehicle revolution?   The pressure is on to find alternatives. (The Guardian)   + Ford is ploughing billions into electric vehicles. (WSJ $)  4 The case for treating Facebook like a hostile foreign power It certainly has an all-powerful dictator. (The Atlantic $)   + Facebook is delaying Instagram Kids. A lot of people would like to scrap it altogether. (NYT $)   + Facebook will spend $50 million investigating how to build "the metaverse" safely. (Vice)   + If Facebook wants to quell the critics, it should be more transparent. (The Verge)  5 TikTok now has over 1 billion users 🤳 It gained a huge number of new users in the US during the pandemic. (CNBC)    + Microsoft's CEO says Trump pushing the company to buy TikTok was the "strangest thing I've ever worked on." (The Verge)  6 Climate change tech feels like the dot-com bubble Except the stakes are way, way higher. (Wired $)   7 People are returning to offices and finding…. it kinda sucks If you're going to be isolated and on Zoom all day, you might as well be at home. (WP $)   + Hate your job? There's never been a better time to quit! (Wired UK)   + Going into the office every day should be a thing of the past. (New Yorker $)   8 DeepMind is trying to fuse AI and robotics 🤖 But it's coming up against some fundamental challenges along the way. (IEEE Spectrum)   9 Meatless "pork" presents a bit of a quandary for Muslims Is it halal or haram? Let the debate commence. (Slate $)   10 A hamster is beating humans at investing in crypto 🐹 Says it all, really. (BBC) EmTech MIT kicks off today! Join us as we distill what's probable, plausible, and possible with tomorrow's technology and global trends in biotech, cryptocurrencies, extended reality, AI, power, and more. Register today. Quote of the day “The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK out of the shit they created themselves.” —Edwin Atema, head of research and enforcement at Netherlands-based truckers' union FNV, tells The Guardian that the UK's 5,000 new emergency visas for drivers won't fix the country's fuel crisis. Top image credit: MS TECH | PEXELS Please send origami frogs 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 with Innovation. Join us virtually September 28-30. Register now Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142   Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list.  Subscription Information This message was sent to  Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally