{"id":20869,"date":"2026-04-09T12:33:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/09\/the-download-astroturf-wars-exponential-ai-growth-desalination-numbers\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T12:33:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:33:19","slug":"the-download-astroturf-wars-exponential-ai-growth-desalination-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/09\/the-download-astroturf-wars-exponential-ai-growth-desalination-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: AstroTurf wars and exponential AI growth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

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

Is\u00a0fake\u00a0grass\u00a0a\u00a0bad\u00a0idea?\u00a0The\u00a0AstroTurf\u00a0wars\u00a0are\u00a0far\u00a0from\u00a0over.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

In 2001,\u00a0Americans installed just over 7 million square meters of synthetic turf. By 2024, that number was 79 million square meters\u2014enough to carpet all of Manhattan and then some. The increase worries folks who study microplastics and environmental pollution. \u00a0<\/p>\n

While the plastic-making industry insists that synthetic fields are safe if properly installed, lots of researchers think that isn\u2019t so. Find out why AstroTurf has ignited heated debates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Douglas\u00a0Main<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

This\u00a0story\u00a0is\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0next\u00a0issue\u00a0of\u00a0our\u00a0print\u00a0magazine,\u00a0packed\u00a0with\u00a0stories\u00a0all\u00a0about\u00a0nature.\u00a0<\/strong>Subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0read\u00a0the\u00a0full\u00a0thing\u00a0when\u00a0it\u00a0lands\u00a0on\u00a0Wednesday, April 22.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mustafa Suleyman: AI development won\u2019t hit a development wall anytime soon\u2014here\u2019s why<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

\u2014Mustafa\u00a0Suleyman, Microsoft AI CEO and\u00a0Google\u00a0DeepMind<\/em><\/em> co-founder<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0skeptics\u00a0keep\u00a0predicting\u00a0that\u00a0AI compute\u00a0will\u00a0soon\u00a0hit a\u00a0wall\u2014and\u00a0keep\u00a0getting\u00a0proven\u00a0wrong.\u00a0To\u00a0understand\u00a0why\u00a0that\u00a0is,\u00a0you\u00a0need\u00a0to\u00a0look\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0forces\u00a0driving\u00a0the\u00a0AI\u00a0explosion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Three\u00a0advances\u00a0are\u00a0enabling\u00a0exponential\u00a0progress:\u00a0faster\u00a0basic\u00a0calculators,\u00a0high-bandwidth\u00a0memory, and\u00a0technologies\u00a0that\u00a0turn\u00a0disparate\u00a0GPUs\u00a0into\u00a0enormous\u00a0supercomputers.\u00a0Where\u00a0does\u00a0all\u00a0this\u00a0get\u00a0us?\u00a0Read the full op-ed on the future of AI development to learn more<\/a>.\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Desalination\u00a0technology,\u00a0by\u00a0the\u00a0numbers<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

\u2014Casey\u00a0Crownhart<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

When I started digging into desalination technology for a new story, I couldn\u2019t help but obsess over the numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I knew\u00a0on some level that desalination\u2014pulling salt out of seawater to produce fresh water\u2014was an increasingly important technology, especially in water-stressed regions including the Middle East. But just how much some countries rely on desalination, and how big a business it is, still surprised me.<\/p>\n

Here are the extraordinary numbers behind the crucial water source<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This\u00a0<\/strong>story<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0from\u00a0The\u00a0Spark,\u00a0our\u00a0weekly\u00a0newsletter\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0tech\u00a0that\u00a0could\u00a0combat\u00a0the\u00a0climate\u00a0crisis.\u00a0<\/strong>Sign up<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0receive\u00a0it\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0inbox\u00a0every\u00a0Wednesday.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0must-reads\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve\u00a0combed\u00a0the\u00a0internet\u00a0to\u00a0find\u00a0you\u00a0today\u2019s\u00a0most\u00a0fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating\u00a0stories\u00a0about\u00a0technology.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

1 Meta has launched the first AI model from its Superintelligence Labs
<\/strong>Muse\u00a0Spark\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0company\u2019s\u00a0first\u00a0model\u00a0in a\u00a0year. (Reuters<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0
+\u00a0The\u00a0closed\u00a0model\u00a0brings\u00a0reasoning\u00a0capabilities\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0Meta AI\u00a0app.<\/em>\u00a0(Engadget<\/a>)\u00a0
+\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0built\u00a0by\u00a0Meta\u2019s\u00a0Superintelligence\u00a0Labs,\u00a0the\u00a0unit\u00a0led\u00a0by\u00a0Alexandr Wang.<\/em>\u00a0(TechCrunch<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Anthropic\u00a0has\u00a0lost\u00a0a\u00a0bid\u00a0to\u00a0pause\u00a0the\u00a0Pentagon\u2019s\u00a0blacklisting<\/strong>\u00a0
An appeals\u00a0court\u00a0in Washington, DC\u00a0denied\u00a0the\u00a0request. (CNBC<\/a>)\u00a0
+ A California\u00a0judge\u00a0had\u00a0temporarily\u00a0blocked\u00a0the\u00a0blacklisting\u00a0in March. (<\/em>NPR<\/a>)\u00a0
+\u00a0The\u00a0mixed\u00a0rulings\u00a0leave\u00a0Anthropic\u00a0in a legal limbo.<\/em>\u00a0(Wired<\/a> $)\u00a0
+ And open\u00a0doors\u00a0for\u00a0smaller\u00a0AI\u00a0rivals.\u00a0<\/em>(Reuters<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0<\/p>\n

3 New\u00a0evidence\u00a0suggests\u00a0Adam Back\u00a0invented\u00a0Bitcoin<\/strong>\u00a0
The British\u00a0cryptographer\u00a0may\u00a0be\u00a0the\u00a0real Satoshi Nakamoto. (NYT<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0
+ Back\u00a0denies\u00a0the\u00a0claims.<\/em>\u00a0(BBC<\/a>)\u00a0
+\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0dark\u00a0side\u00a0to\u00a0crypto\u2019s\u00a0permissionless\u00a0dream.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

4\u00a0Gen\u00a0Z\u00a0is\u00a0cooling\u00a0on\u00a0AI<\/strong>\u00a0
The\u00a0share\u00a0feeling\u00a0angry\u00a0about\u00a0it\u00a0has\u00a0risen\u00a0from\u00a022%\u00a0to\u00a031% in a\u00a0year. (Axios<\/a>)\u00a0
+ Anti-AI\u00a0protests\u00a0are\u00a0also\u00a0growing.\u00a0<\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

5\u00a0War\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Gulf\u00a0could\u00a0tilt\u00a0the\u00a0cloud\u00a0race\u00a0toward\u00a0China<\/strong>\u00a0
Huawei\u00a0is\u00a0pitching\u00a0\u201cmulti-cloud\u201d\u00a0resilience\u00a0to\u00a0Gulf\u00a0clients. (Rest of World<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

6 Meta has\u00a0killed\u00a0a\u00a0leaderboard\u00a0of\u00a0its\u00a0AI token\u00a0users<\/strong>\u00a0
It\u00a0showed\u00a0the\u00a0top 250\u00a0users. (The Information<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0
+ Meta\u00a0blamed\u00a0data\u00a0leaks\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0shutdown.<\/em>\u00a0(Fortune<\/a>)\u00a0
+\u00a0It\u00a0encouraged\u00a0\u201ctokenmaxxing,\u201d a\u00a0growing\u00a0phenomenon\u00a0in Big\u00a0Tech.<\/em>\u00a0(NYT<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0<\/p>\n

7\u00a0Did\u00a0Artemis II\u00a0really\u00a0tell\u00a0us\u00a0anything\u00a0new\u00a0about\u00a0space?<\/strong>\u00a0
Or\u00a0was\u00a0it\u00a0primarily\u00a0a PR\u00a0exercise? (Ars Technica<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

8\u00a0Israeli\u00a0attacks\u00a0have\u00a0brutally\u00a0exposed\u00a0Lebanon\u2019s\u00a0digital\u00a0infrastructure<\/strong>\u00a0
It\u2019s\u00a0managing\u00a0a\u00a0modern\u00a0crisis\u00a0without\u00a0modern\u00a0technology. (Wired<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0<\/p>\n

9 AI\u00a0models\u00a0could\u00a0offer\u00a0mathematicians\u00a0a\u00a0common\u00a0language<\/strong>\u00a0
They\u00a0hope\u00a0it\u00a0will\u00a0simplify\u00a0the\u00a0process\u00a0of\u00a0verifying\u00a0proofs. (Economist<\/a>)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

10\u00a0A\u00a0\u201cself-doxing\u2019 rave\u00a0is\u00a0helping\u00a0trans\u00a0people\u00a0stay\u00a0safe\u00a0online<\/strong>\u00a0
It\u2019s\u00a0among\u00a0a series\u00a0of\u00a0digital\u00a0self-defenses. (404 Media<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Quote\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0day\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0feel\u00a0like\u00a0anything\u00a0that\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0interested\u00a0in has\u00a0the\u00a0potential\u00a0of\u00a0maybe\u00a0getting\u00a0replaced,\u00a0even\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0next\u00a0few\u00a0years.\u201d\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\u2014Sydney\u00a0Gill, a\u00a0freshman\u00a0at Rice\u00a0University,\u00a0tells\u00a0the\u00a0New York Times<\/a>\u00a0why\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0soured\u00a0on\u00a0AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One\u00a0More\u00a0Thing\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
A view inside ATLAS,
one of two general-purpose detectors at the Large Hadron Collider.<\/figcaption>
MAXIMILIEN BRICE\/CERN<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Inside\u00a0the\u00a0hunt\u00a0for\u00a0new\u00a0physics\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0world\u2019s\u00a0largest\u00a0particle\u00a0collider<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n

In 2012, data from CERN\u2019s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) unearthed a particle called the Higgs boson. The discovery answered a nagging question: where do fundamental particles, such as the ones that make up all the protons and neutrons in our bodies, get their mass? <\/p>\n

But now particle physicists have reached an impasse in their quest to discover, produce, and study new particles at colliders. Find out what they\u2019re trying to do about it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Dan\u00a0Garisto<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u00a0can\u00a0still\u00a0have\u00a0nice\u00a0things\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place\u00a0for\u00a0comfort,\u00a0fun\u00a0and\u00a0distraction\u00a0to\u00a0brighten\u00a0up\u00a0your\u00a0day. (Got\u00a0any\u00a0ideas?\u00a0<\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

+\u00a0Enjoy\u00a0this\u00a0tale\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cjoke\u201d\u00a0sound\u00a0that\u00a0accidentally\u00a0defined 90s rave culture<\/a>.\u00a0
+\u00a0Take a nostalgic trip<\/a>\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0websites\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0early\u00a000s.\u00a0
+\u00a0One\u00a0for\u00a0animal\u00a0lovers:\u00a0sperm whales<\/a>\u00a0have\u00a0teamed\u00a0up\u00a0to\u00a0support\u00a0a\u00a0newborn.\u00a0
+\u00a0Here\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0long\u00a0overdue\u00a0answer\u00a0to\u00a0a vital\u00a0question: can the world\u2019s largest mousetrap<\/a>\u00a0catch a limousine?\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is today\u2019s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter […]<\/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-20869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20869","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=20869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20869\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}