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The contentious path to a cleaner future

What does a proposed nickel mine near a small town in Minnesota tell us about conflict over critical minerals?   The town of Tamarack, Minnesota, has a population of around 70.  Despite its... Read more »

How one mine could unlock billions in EV subsidies

RMI, a nonprofit research group focused on clean energy, projects that all the EV provisions within the IRA, which also include subsidies for new charging stations, will spur the sales of an... Read more »

The Download: how China’s regulating robotaxis

1 San Francisco is fighting back against self-driving cars The city has filed a lawsuit that could force firms to roll back their rapid expansions. (WP $)+ Meanwhile, Waymo is planning a new... Read more »

How China is regulating robotaxis

One difference between the robotaxi rollouts in the two countries has to do with regulation. Chinese regulators are known for their hands-on approach and the tendency to rein in new technologies early.... Read more »

The Download: disputes over green mining, and what’s next for robotaxis

Talon is striving to distance itself from the mining industry’s dirty past, portraying its plan as a clean, friendly model of modern mineral extraction. It proclaims the site will help to power... Read more »

What’s next for robotaxis in 2024

Bryant Walker Smith, an associate professor of law at the University of South Carolina, echoes this concern. “These companies are competing with an Uber driver who, in any estimate, makes less than... Read more »

This town’s mining battle reveals the contentious path to a cleaner future

It was these rich reserves that drew Talon, which was previously focused on developing gold mines in Brazil, to this part of rural Minnesota. After reviewing the findings of Kennecott Exploration, a... Read more »

Why does AI being good at math matter?

This is the second time in recent months that the AI world has got all excited about math. The rumor mill went into overdrive last November, when there were reports that the boardroom drama... Read more »

The Download: hope for new long covid treatments, and the future of chiplets

In response, manufacturers are turning to smaller, more modular “chiplets” that are designed for specific functions and can be linked together to build a system. But whether chiplets can help the industry... Read more »

Three technology trends shaping 2024’s elections

But researchers I’ve spoken with over the past few months say the 2024 US presidential election will be the first with widespread use of micro-influencers who don’t typically post about politics and... Read more »