{"id":17452,"date":"2026-02-03T13:32:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/03\/the-download-squeezing-more-metal-out-of-aging-mines-and-ais-truth-crisis\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T13:32:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:32:05","slug":"the-download-squeezing-more-metal-out-of-aging-mines-and-ais-truth-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/03\/the-download-squeezing-more-metal-out-of-aging-mines-and-ais-truth-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: squeezing more metal out of aging mines, and AI\u2019s truth crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This is today\u2019s edition of\u00a0The Download<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what\u2019s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

Microbes could extract the metal needed for cleantech<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a pine forest on Michigan\u2019s Upper Peninsula, the only active nickel mine in the US is nearing the end of its life. At a time when carmakers want the metal for electric-vehicle batteries, nickel concentration at Eagle Mine is falling and could soon drop too low to warrant digging.<\/p>\n

Demand for nickel, copper, and rare earth elements is rapidly increasing amid the explosive growth of metal-intensive data centers, electric cars, and renewable energy projects. But producing these metals is becoming harder and more expensive because miners have already exploited the best resources. Here\u2019s how biotechnology could help<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Matt Blois<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

What we\u2019ve been getting wrong about AI\u2019s truth crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014James O\u2019Donnell<\/p>\n

<\/em>What would it take to convince you that the era of truth decay we were long warned about\u2014where AI content dupes us, shapes our beliefs even when we catch the lie, and erodes societal trust in the process\u2014is now here?<\/p>\n

A story I published last week<\/a> pushed me over the edge. And it also made me realize that the tools we were sold as a cure for this crisis are failing miserably. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, <\/strong>sign up here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

TR10: Hyperscale AI data centers<\/strong><\/p>\n

In sprawling stretches of farmland and industrial parks, supersized buildings packed with racks of computers are springing up to fuel the AI race.<\/p>\n

These engineering marvels are a new species of infrastructure: supercomputers designed to train and run large language models at mind-\u00adbending scale, complete with their own specialized chips, cooling systems, and even energy supplies. But all that impressive computing power comes at a cost.<\/p>\n

Read why we\u2019ve <\/strong>named hyperscale AI data centers as of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies<\/strong><\/a> this year, and <\/strong>check out the rest of the list<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX has acquired xAI<\/strong>
The deal values the combined companies at a cool $1.25 trillion. (WSJ<\/a> $)
+ It also paves the way for SpaceX to offer an IPO later this year. <\/em>(WP<\/a> $)
+ Meanwhile, OpenAI has accused xAI of destroying legal evidence. <\/em>(Bloomberg<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

2 NASA has delayed the launch of Artemis II<\/strong>
It\u2019s been pushed back to March due to the discovery of a hydrogen leak. (Ars Technica<\/a>)
+ The rocket\u2019s predecessor was also plagued by fuel leaks. <\/em>(Scientific American<\/a>)<\/p>\n

3 Russia is hiring a guerilla youth army online
<\/strong>They\u2019re committing arson and spying on targets across Europe. (New Yorker<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

4 Grok is still generating undressed images of men<\/strong>
Weeks after the backlash over it doing the same to women. (The Verge<\/a>)
+ How Grok descended into becoming a porn generator. <\/em>(WP<\/a> $)
+ Inside the marketplace powering bespoke AI deepfakes of real women. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

5 OpenAI is searching for alternatives to Nvidia\u2019s chips<\/strong>
It\u2019s reported to be unhappy about the speed at which it powers ChatGPT. (Reuters<\/a>)<\/p>\n

6 The latest attempt to study a notoriously unstable glacier has failed
<\/strong>Scientists lost their equipment within Antarctica\u2019s Thwaites Glacier over the weekend. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ Inside a new quest to save the \u201cdoomsday glacier\u201d <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

7 The world is trying to wean itself off American technology
<\/strong>Governments are growing increasingly uneasy about their reliance on the US. (Rest of World<\/a>)<\/p>\n

8 AI\u2019s sloppy writing is driving demand for real human writers
<\/strong>Long may it continue. (Insider<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

9 This female-dominated fitness community hates Mark Zuckerberg<\/strong>
His decision to shut down three VR studios means their days of playing their favorite workout game are numbered. (The Verge<\/a>)
+ Welcome to the AI gym staffed by virtual trainers. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

10 This cemetery has an eco-friendly solution for its overcrowding problem
<\/strong>If you\u2019re okay with your loved one becoming gardening soil, that is. (WSJ<\/a> $)
+ Why America is embracing the right to die now. <\/em>(Economist<\/a> $)
+ What happens when you donate your body to science. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale\u2026I mean, space is called \u2018space\u2019 for a reason.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014Elon Musk explains his rationale for combining SpaceX with xAI in a blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

On the ground in Ukraine\u2019s largest Starlink repair shop<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Starlink is absolutely critical to Ukraine\u2019s ability to continue in the fight against Russia. It\u2019s how troops in battle zones stay connected with faraway HQs; it\u2019s how many of the drones essential to Ukraine\u2019s survival hit their targets; it\u2019s even how soldiers stay in touch with spouses and children back home.<\/p>\n

However, Donald Trump\u2019s fickle foreign policy and reports suggesting Elon Musk might remove Ukraine\u2019s access to the services have cast the technology\u2019s future in the country into doubt.<\/p>\n

For now Starlink access largely comes down to the unofficial community of users and engineers, including the expert \u201cDr. Starlink\u201d\u2014famous for his creative ways of customizing the systems\u2014who have kept Ukraine in the fight, both on and off the front line. He gave MIT Technology Review <\/em>exclusive access to his unofficial Starlink repair workshop in the city of Lviv. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Charlie Metcalfe<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>skeet \u2019em at me<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ The Norwegian countryside<\/a> sure looks beautiful.
+ Quick\u2014it\u2019s time to visit these food destinations<\/a> before the TikTok hordes descend.
+ Rest in power Catherine O\u2019Hara<\/a>, our favorite comedy queen.
+ Take some time out of your busy day to read a potted history of boats<\/a> \"\ud83d\udea3\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is today\u2019s edition of\u00a0The Download,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[226],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17452\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}