Everything you need to know about the wild world of alternative jet fuels

I ordered a bubble tea by drone in Shenzhen

Sponsored by Rocket Software Subscribe The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology By Rhiannon Williams • 05.24.23 Hello! Today: how fried food could help to power your future flights. Plus: what the US can learn from China when it comes to building a successful drone delivery network. Everything you need to know about the wild world of alternative jet fuels The aviation industry is responsible for about 3% of all human-caused global warming. One way it hopes to reduce that is by using new fuels, which could help it meet its climate target: net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. These alternatives are made from a wide range of sources, including used cooking oils, and landfill trash. They can largely be used by existing planes. But the actual impact of alternative fuels will depend on a lot of factors. Our climate reporter Casey Crownhart dug into the science. Read the full story. Casey's story is part of our Tech Review Explains series, dedicated to untangling the complex, sometimes messy, world of science and technology to help you understand what's going on. Check out the other stories in the series. I ordered a bubble tea by drone in Shenzhen —Zeyi Yang During a recent trip to China, I learned that the dominant Chinese food delivery platform, Meituan, has been flying delivery drones in the city for more than a year now.  The reality of drone delivery is still far from ideal, and people may be turned away by the steep learning curve. Ordering a bubble tea is fraught with obstacles, from having to locate and travel to a pickup kiosk, to bugs in the ordering system.  But at the same time, it was an exciting experience—the prospect of routine drone delivery feels more realistic than it's ever been. Read the full story. This story is from China Report, Zeyi's weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things China. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Tuesday.   ADVERTISEMENT Sponsored by Rocket Software Modernization. Without disruption. We know the pressure to modernize your IT systems seems to increase by the day. Rocket Software empowers IT leaders like you to uncover insights, streamline infrastructure, and boost performance — all without starting over. Customized, easy-to-implement solutions ensure your business runs more efficiently without costly setbacks. Plus, we'll help you reduce liabilities and errors, so you can take two steps forward and no steps back. That's the power of modernization without disruption.  That's the power of Rocket Software. Learn more about our modernization solutions →   The must-reads I've combed the internet to find you today's most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Predators are using AI to create child sexual abuse images  It's a deeply grim trend that's sadly only poised to grow. (Bloomberg $) + The viral AI avatar app Lensa undressed me—without my consent. (MIT Technology Review)    2 We still don't fully know how social media affects adolescents But it's clear that for some, the risks do outweigh the benefits. (WSJ $) + The first generation to grow up on social media are unhappy, too. (The Atlantic $)   3 Ron DeSantis is launching his US presidential bid on Twitter In a live broadcast with Elon Musk, no less. (The Guardian) + Twitter is basically a far-right social platform these days. (The Atlantic $) + We're witnessing the brain death of Twitter. (MIT Technology Review) 4 Virgin Orbit is being carved up It's a sad end for the once-promising rocket company. (CNBC) + What's next in space. (MIT Technology Review)   5 Chinese labs are selling deadly fentanyl in exchange for crypto Technically, the amount they produce is enough to kill every person on earth. (Wired $) 6 Netflix's great password crackdown is upon us 📺 Good luck sharing logins between households now. (The Verge) + Anyone still sharing will be asked to cough up $7.99 a month. (WP $)   7 How three teenagers nearly crashed the internet The Mirai botnet they created quickly became a devastating hacking tool. (IEEE Spectrum) + These days, students are being trained to defend businesses instead. (Bloomberg $)   8 The internet is obsessed with purity culture Anti-sex campaigners are clashing repeatedly with pro-sex advocates online. (Vox)   9 Would you watch a full movie on TikTok? Millions of users are discovering previously-unknown films, in 10 minute chunks. (The Atlantic $) 10 What happens when the digital nomads come to town Locals tend to be priced out, for starters… (Rest of World) Quote of the day "If we are deprived of the Chinese market, we don't have a contingency for that. There is no other China, there is only one China." —Jensen Huang, CEO of semiconductor giant Nvidia, tells the Financial Times that smothering trade with China could end up damaging American companies. The big story Why venture capital doesn't build the things we really need June 2020 Venture capitalists sell themselves as the top of the heap in Silicon Valley. They are the talent spotters, the cowboys, the risk takers; they support people willing to buck the system and, they say, deserve to be richly rewarded and lightly taxed for doing so. This largely white, largely male corner of finance has backed software companies that grow fast and generate large amounts of money for a shrinking number of Americans—companies like Google, Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb.  But they don't create many jobs for ordinary people, especially compared with the companies or industries they disrupt. And things have been slowing down. Recently, venture capitalists have found fewer and fewer ideas that fit their preferred pattern. Read the full story. —Elizabeth MacBride We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.) + This cool Twitter account tweets out text graphics throughout the ages. + How to check out a once-in-a-decade supernova, using nothing more than your backyard telescope. + If you've got three weeks to spare, this guide to interrailing through Europe should keep you occupied. + How invested are you in the mismatched celebrity couple drama? + Lou Reed: icon of cool, master of tai chi. Give your grad a year of MIT Technology Review and save 18%. With unlimited access to trusted reporting, expert AI insights, and in-depth emerging tech stories, they'll always be learning.  GIVE A GIFT & SAVE Event EmTech Next Transform with Technology June 13 - 15, 2023 Learn more » Top image credit: LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES Please send rail passes to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @RhiannonJudithW. Thanks for reading! —Rhiannon Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today → View in browser | This email was sent to alexvarboffin.abbb@blogger.com. Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy MIT Technology Review · 196 Broadway, 3rd fl, · Cambridge, MA 02139 · USA Copyright © 2023 MIT Technology Review, All rights reserved. Opt out of all promotional emails and newsletters from MIT Technology Review