—Jessica Hamzelou
Jessica’s story is from The Checkup, her weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Twitter is suspending journalists’ accounts
The common thread is that they’ve all reported on Elon Musk’s decision to suspend an account that tracks his private jet. (The Guardian)
+ The account of rival platform Mastodon has also been suspended. (TechCrunch)
+ So much for Musk’s commitment to free speech. (Vox)
+ Musk said he’d never ban the @elonjet account as recently as last month. (Motherboard)
+ It’s still easy to track the jet’s whereabouts, as the data is public. (Insider $)
2 A stealth effort to bury wood for carbon removal has just raised millions
If the trial is successful, it could be a relatively easy and easy way of reducing greenhouse gasses. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Bitcoin enthusiasts are crowing about FTX’s downfall
Even though bitcoin itself took a major hit. (Slate $)
+ NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal has denied any involvement with FTX. (Insider $)
4 Bio-based plastics are still plastics
Switching to plastics made from plant-extracted carbon could allow the industry to greenwash the process. (Wired $)
5 Streaming isn’t exciting anymore
There’s not as much money sloshing around, and Netflix et al don’t want to take risks in the same way they once did. (The Verge)
+ Mass-appeal shows are de rigueur now. (Insider $)
6 Changes in a child’s microbiome can induce fear
It could affect how they experience anxiety and depression in later life. (Neo.Life)
7 How online shopping tries to trick you
Pressuring shoppers into making quick decisions is at the heart of it. (Vox)
+ Ads for ads is the latest thing on TikTok. (FT $)
+ TV ads are getting more meta, too. (The Atlantic $)
8 Gen Z is going back to the tech dark ages
They’re reshaping what it is to be a Luddite in the digital age. (NYT $)
9 TikTok wants to rehabilitate pigeons’ bad reputation
But taking in wild birds off the street is still a bad idea. (The Atlantic $)
+ How to befriend a crow. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Strength training in older age pays off 💪
It’s never too late to start—and it can help to maintain independence for longer. (Knowable Magazine)