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Openai brings a new web search tool to chatgpt.

The new tool puts OpenAI squarely in competition with the search giants, and will help fuel its next generation of AI agents

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This ai-generated version of minecraft may represent the future of real-time video generation, an easier-to-use technique for storing data in dna is inspired by our cells , the arrhythmia of our current age, meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping ukraine’s drone defense, ai search could break the web, inside a fusion energy facility, the surprising barrier that keeps us from building the housing we need, the food issue.

The quest to figure out farming on Mars

If we’re going to live on Mars we’ll need a way to grow food in its arid dirt. Researchers think they know a way.

These companies are creating food out of thin air

A new crop of biotech startups are working on an alternative to alternative protein.

Africa fights rising hunger by looking to foods of the past

Researchers, farmers, and global agricultural institutions are embracing long-neglected crops that promise better nutrition and more resilience to the changing climate.

The weeds are winning

As the climate changes, genetic engineering will be essential for growing food. But is it creating a race of superweeds?

How refrigeration ruined fresh food

Nearly everything on the American plate is processed, shipped, stored, and sold under refrigeration. In her new book, Nicola Twilley reflects on what it means to be entirely dependent on artificial cooling.

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Why OpenAI’s new model is such a big deal

The bulk of LLM progress until now has been language-driven. This new model enters the realm of complex reasoning, with implications for physics, coding, and more.

Two Nobel Prize winners want to cancel their own CRISPR patents in Europe

There’s a surprise twist in the battle to control genome editing.

Why Microsoft made a deal to help restart Three Mile Island

A once-shuttered nuclear plant could soon return to the grid.

A tiny new open-source AI model performs as well as powerful big ones

The results suggest that training models on less, but higher-quality, data can lower computing costs.

OpenAI released its advanced voice mode to more people. Here’s how to get it.

The company says the updated version responds to your emotions and tone of voice and allows you to interrupt it midsentence.

Why a ruling against the Internet Archive threatens the future of America’s libraries

The decision locks libraries into an ecosystem that is not in readers' interests. Congress must act.

Roblox is launching a generative AI that builds 3D environments in a snap

It will make it easy to build new game environments on the platform, even if you don’t have any design skills.

Why virologists are getting increasingly nervous about bird flu

Avian flu in dairy cows could stick around on US farms forever, and is raising the risk of outbreaks in mammals—including humans—around the world.

The UK is done with coal. How’s the rest of the world doing?

The country’s final coal-fired power plant just shut down, marking a major milestone for the notoriously polluting fossil fuel.

Chatbots can persuade people to stop believing in conspiracy theories

AI is skilled at tapping into vast realms of data and tailoring it to a specific purpose—making it a highly customizable tool for combating misinformation.

Beyond gene-edited babies: the possible paths for tinkering with human evolution

CRISPR will get easier and easier to administer. What does that mean for the future of our species?

Google says it’s made a quantum computing breakthrough that reduces errors

The company’s surface code technique allows its quantum bits to faithfully store and manipulate data for longer, which could pave the way for useful quantum computers.

Here’s what I made of Snap’s new augmented-reality Spectacles

These new AR glasses are amazing. And extremely goofy.

How “personhood credentials” could help prove you’re a human online

A system proposed by researchers from MIT, OpenAI, Microsoft, and others could curb the use of deceptive AI by exploiting the technology’s weaknesses.

AI’s impact on elections is being overblown

And the focus on AI is distracting us from some deeper and longer-lasting threats to democracy.

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Oropouche virus is spreading. Here’s what we know.

There have been plenty of reports of potentially concerning viruses this last year. Covid is still causing thousands of deaths, and bird flu appears set to make the jump to human-to-human transmission . Now there are new concerns over Oropouche, a virus largely spread by bites from insects called midges (sometimes called no-see-ums in the US).

There have been outbreaks of the Oropouche virus in Latin America for decades. But this one is different. The virus is being detected in all-new environments. It is turning up in countries that have never seen it before. The spread is being described as “ unprecedented .”

It may also be causing more severe disease. People with Oropouche fever typically have a sudden fever, aches and pains, and nausea. Most cases are mild, but some people have developed encephalitis and meningitis. And this year, two otherwise healthy young women who caught the virus have died .

Oropouche can be passed from mother to fetus, and it has been linked to stillbirths and birth anomalies. There are no treatments. There are no vaccines, either. This week, let’s take a look at why Oropouche is spreading, and what we can do about it.

Oropouche virus was first identified in 1955, in a person and a pool of mosquitoes from the village of Vega de Oropouche in Trinidad and Tobago. It was found in a sloth in Brazil in 1960. Since then, there have been over 30 outbreaks—in those countries as well as Peru, Panama, Colombia, French Guiana, and Venezuela . At least 500,000 cases have been reported in South America, largely in areas close to forest.

That’s probably because of the way the virus is transmitted. Oropouche virus is thought to be carried by some populations of sloths, and potentially some nonhuman primates. These animals can host the virus, which can then spread to people via insect bites, usually from midges or some types of mosquitoes.

Since late 2023, outbreaks have been reported in a number of countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, including Cuba, a first for the country. 

There has been an especially large surge of cases in Brazil. Since the beginning of this year, 10,275 cases of Oropouche have been confirmed in the Americas, according to a situation summary report published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) earlier this week. And 8,258 of them were in Brazil. Travelers have also imported cases to the US and Europe for the first time—90 such cases have been reported in the US, and 30 in Europe.

Another change is that this time around, the virus has been infecting people in urban settings far from forests. It is not entirely clear why, but there are probably a few reasons. Climate change, for a start, has led to increased temperatures and rainfall, both of which can help create breeding grounds for the insects that transmit the virus. And deforestation and urbanization, both of which have caused people to encroach on the habitats of wild animals, have also raised the risk of transmission to people, says Ana Pereiro do Vale, a veterinarian and microbiologist at University College Dublin in Ireland.

The virus itself also appears to have changed, according to new research published this week . William de Souza at the University of Kentucky and his colleagues analyzed blood samples taken from people with an Oropouche diagnosis between 2015 and 2024, enabling them to compare the form of the virus that is currently circulating with a historical strain.

The team found evidence that the virus has swapped genetic material with a related one, creating a new “virus reassortment.” It is this new form of the virus that has spread since the end of 2023, the team says.

That’s not all. The genetic changes have endowed the virus with new features. The current reassortment appears to be better at replicating in mammalian cells. That might mean that infected people—and sloths—have more of the virus in their blood, making it easier for biting insects to pick it up and pass it on.

The new form of the virus also seems to be more virulent. The team’s lab tests suggest that compared with the historical strain, it appears to cause more damage to the cells it infects.

We are still getting to grips with how the virus can spread, too. We know midges and mosquitoes are responsible for spreading Oropouche, but the virus can also pass to a fetus during pregnancy, with potentially harmful consequences. According to the PAHO report , Brazil has reported “13 fetal deaths, three spontaneous miscarriages, and four cases of birth anomalies” linked to Oropouche infections.

In a separate study published earlier this week, Raimunda do Socorro da Silva Azevedo at the Evandro Chagas Institute in Ananindeua, Brazil, and her colleagues assessed 65 unexplained cases of microcephaly—a birth anomaly in which babies have an unexpectedly small head—that had been recorded in Brazil between 2015 and 2024. The team found evidence of an Oropouche infection in six of the babies—and in all three that had been born in 2024.

It’s still not clear whether or how the virus might affect fetuses and babies, and research is ongoing. But the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant travelers “reconsider non-essential travel” to Cuba . 

Some scientists worry that the virus might also spread via sex. In August, a 42-year-old Italian man who fell ill after returning from a trip to Cuba was found to have Oropouche virus in his semen . And it was still there 58 days later. The CDC currently recommends that men diagnosed with Oropouche should use condoms or not have sex for at least six weeks from the start of their symptoms. They should avoid donating semen, too, according to the organization.

There are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to Oropouche. Some scientists have suggested that this is because outbreaks have historically been seen in poorer countries in the Global South.

“There is sufficient colonialism in disease research—if it doesn’t affect the industrial world and Western business interests, it’s not important,” Shahid Jameel, a virologist at the University of Oxford, told Gavi , an organization focused on global vaccination efforts. “Now that the virus has been found in Cuba—not far from Miami—the wheels of public health will turn.”

Let’s hope they get in gear quickly. As Vale says: “We don’t know what will happen with the virus, the mutation rate of the virus, or if the virus will jump to another host. We need to be careful and pay attention.”

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Oropouche infections can look similar to dengue—another viral disease, also spread by mosquitoes, that affects people in Brazil. The country is attempting to tackle the problem with bacteria-infected mosquitoes, Cassandra Willyard reported in March .

The spread of bird flu in dairy cattle in the US has virologists worried. The virus could stick around on US farms forever and is raising the risk of outbreaks in mammals—including humans—around the world.

Flu season is officially upon those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, it could enable the creation of an all-new bird flu , too. 

Could gene editing help curb the spread of bird flu? Abdullahi Tsanni explored the possibility of using CRISPR to make chickens resistant to the virus .

Another option, of course, is vaccines. Most flu vaccines are made, ironically, in chicken eggs. mRNA vaccines could provide an alternative, egg-free approach .

From around the web

A fertility clinic in London has helped two transgender individuals have a baby in a process that involved egg freezing, donated sperm, IVF, embryo storage, and surrogacy . “To our knowledge this is the first report of family building by a transgender couple in which both partners had successfully achieved gender reassignment and the creation of a family through surrogacy,” write the team. ( Reproductive BioMedicine Online )

“They showed me them in a mirror … and I looked like a witch,” says one woman who has experienced the horror of dental veneers gone wrong. Veneers have become as routine as Botox and lip filler. But what can people do when their dream of a perfect smile turns into a nightmare? ( The Guardian )

Thinking about deleting your 23andMe data? The company will hold on to some of it regardless, to comply with legal regulations. Some of your genetic information, your date of birth and your sex, and data linked to your account deletion request will all be retained. ( MIT Technology Review )

Pet dogs are spending more time indoors, in environments they aren’t suited to. Service dogs, on the other hand, are uniquely well adapted to life in the 21st century, say two researchers at the Duke Canine Cognition Center. Humans need to breed and train more puppies like service animals, they argue. ( The Atlantic )

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2024 Climate Tech Companies to Watch

2024 climate tech companies to watch: first solar and its advanced solar panels.

The US manufacturer is opening new factories and betting that a special material will make its thin-film solar cells more efficient. 

2024 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: BYD and its affordable EVs

The electric-vehicle maker has set its sights on expanding beyond China and into lucrative new territories.

2024 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: LanzaJet and its next-generation jet fuel

The company plans to use ingredients including corn, sugarcane, and municipal waste to power future flights.

2024 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: Kairos Power and its molten salt–cooled nuclear reactors

The company’s technology could usher in a new era of reactors that are cheaper and safer to operate.

2024 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: Form Energy and its iron batteries

Form ramps up production of its cheap batteries for long-term storage that aim to make renewable energy more viable.

What's Next

MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future.

What’s next for drones

Police drones, rapid deliveries of blood, tech-friendly regulations, and autonomous weapons are all signs that drone technology is changing quickly.

What’s next for MDMA

The FDA is poised to approve the notorious party drug as a therapy. Here’s what it means, and where similar drugs stand in the US. 

What’s next for bird flu vaccines

If we want our vaccine production process to be more robust and faster, we’ll have to stop relying on chicken eggs.

What’s next in chips

How Big Tech, startups, AI devices, and trade wars will transform the way chips are made and the technologies they power.

What’s next for generative video

OpenAI's Sora has raised the bar for AI moviemaking. Here are four things to bear in mind as we wrap our heads around what's coming.

What’s next for offshore wind

New projects and financial headwinds will make 2024 a bumpy year for the industry.

What’s next for robotaxis in 2024

In addition to restoring public trust, robotaxi companies need to prove that their business models can compete with Uber and taxis.

What’s next for AI in 2024

Our writers look at the four hot trends to watch out for this year

What’s next for AI regulation in 2024? 

The coming year is going to see the first sweeping AI laws enter into force, with global efforts to hold tech companies accountable. 

What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers

Scientists have begun running experiments on Frontier, the world’s first official exascale machine, while facilities worldwide build other machines to join the ranks.

Innovators Under 35 2024

2024 innovator of the year: shawn shan builds tools to help artists fight back against exploitative ai.

Shan built Glaze and Nightshade, two tools that help artists protect their copyright.

This company is building AI for African languages

AI models can’t understand African languages. Lelapa AI is trying to change that.

Is robotics about to have its own ChatGPT moment?

Researchers are using generative AI and other techniques to teach robots new skills—including tasks they could perform in homes.

Heat-storing batteries are scaling up to solve one of climate’s dirtiest problems

Starting next year, Antora’s new manufacturing plant will produce modular thermal batteries to help decarbonize heavy industries.

Ready, set, grow: These are the biotech plants you can buy now

For $73, I bought genetically modified tomato seeds and a glowing petunia.

MIT Alumni News

All the latest from MIT Alumni News, the alumni magazine of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Picture this

From the very beginning, Technology Review has used photography to help tell the story of MIT—and of science.

“I wanted to save lives”

Muyinatu Bell ’06 left MIT with a lofty goal: making sure everyone—regardless of body size, skin color, or address—has access to highly effective imaging tools that allow early detection of diseases.

How MIT’s Rad Lab rescued D-Day

After two British physicists invented a revolutionary gadget, MIT researchers used it to develop the radar devices that helped defeat the Nazis.

How fasting helps and harms the gut

Periodically abstaining from food helps intestinal stem cells regenerate and heal from injuries—but also increases cancer risk in mice.

An implantable sensor could prevent opioid deaths

The new device monitors vital signs to detect an overdose and then rapidly releases naloxone to counteract it.

The Renaissance man from Port Gamble Bay

An instinct for tinkering and a commitment to serving his community led Anthony Jones ’08 to carve out a career practicing both patent and Native law. His love of where he came from also led him back to the reservation he grew up on—and inspired art that honors his tribe’s cultural legacy. 

Cans + seawater + coffee = fuel

A fast, sustainable method for producing hydrogen gas.

Tiny batteries could power cell-size robots

The zinc-air batteries, which can generate up to a volt, are as thin as a human hair.

Why collagen lasts

MIT study explains why dinosaur collagen survived for millions of years.

Addressing climate change impacts

How business leaders view climate risk, and how they are planning to respond.

In partnership with Michigan Economic Development Corporation

10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Every year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now.

5 things we didn’t put on our 2024 list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies

Every year, we publish a new list of technologies we think matter most right now. Here’s what didn’t make the cut.

AI for everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT reached mass adoption in record time, and reset the course of an entire industry.

The first gene-editing treatment: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Sickle-cell disease is the first illness to be beaten by CRISPR, but the new treatment comes with an expected price tag of $2 to $3 million.

Enhanced geothermal systems: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Advanced drilling technology could unlock the potential of this carbon-free renewable energy source.

Exascale computers: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Computers capable of crunching a quintillion operations per second are expanding the limits of what scientists can simulate.