The Download: robot-packed meals, and the looming fertility crisis [MIT Tech Review]

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This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Robot-packed meals are coming to the frozen-food aisle

What’s happening: Advances in artificial intelligence are coming to your freezer, in the form of robot-assembled prepared meals. Chef Robotics, a San Francisco-based startup, has launched a system of AI-powered robotic arms that can be quickly programmed with a recipe to dole out accurate portions of everything from tikka masala to pesto tortellini. 

Why it matters: You might think the meals that end up in the grocery store’s frozen aisle or on airplanes are robot-packed already, but that’s rarely the case. The vast majority of meals from recognizable brands are still typically hand-packed, because workers are often much more flexible than robots and can handle production lines that frequently rotate recipes. However, advancements from AI have changed the calculus, making robots more useful on production lines. Read the full story.

—James O’Donnell

IVF alone can’t save us from a looming fertility crisis

There are over 8 billion of us on the planet, and there’ll probably be 8.5 billion of us by 2030. We’re continually warned about the perils of overpopulation and the impact we humans are having on our planet. So it seems a bit counterintuitive to worry that, actually, we’re not reproducing enough.

But plenty of scientists are incredibly worried about just that. Improvements in health care and sanitation are helping us all lead longer lives. But we’re not having enough children to support us as we age. Fertility rates are falling in almost every country.

But wait! We have technologies to solve this problem! IVF is helping to bring more children into the world than ever, and it can help compensate for the fertility problems faced by older parents! Unfortunately, things aren’t quite so simple. Read the full story.

—Jessica Hamzelou

This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on biotech and healthcare. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Here’s how Elon Musk plans to colonize Mars
Over the past year, he’s ramped up his ambitions to build a Martian city. (NYT $)
+ Musk has denied that he’s volunteered his sperm to help out, though. (CoinTelegraph)
+ Inside NASA’s bid to make spacecraft as small as possible. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Is Russia waging war under the sea? 
The disappearance of a subsea cable has raised some serious questions. (Bloomberg $)

3 Kamala Harris conspiracy theories are running rampant online
If Joe Biden drops out of the Presidential race, she’s most likely to replace him. (Wired $)
+ Three technology trends shaping 2024’s elections. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Apple is still struggling to find the Vision Pro’s killer app
Ahead of the device going on sale in Europe today. (FT $)
+ Apple will need to convince developers to build apps for its headset. (MIT Technology Review)

5 These scientists doubt that you’ll live to 100
They contend you’re more likely to reach somewhere between 65 and 90 instead. (WSJ $)
+ The quest to legitimize longevity medicine. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Google Cloud was briefly listed as a Israeli military tech conference sponsor
Before its logo was rapidly removed. (404 Media)

7 Those New York Link5G towers don’t have 5G after all
Regardless, another 2,000 towers are scheduled for installation. (NY Mag $)

8 How AI is overhauling ultrasound scans in Africa
Benefiting the women who are most in need. (The Guardian)

9 Northeast Indian YouTubers are challenging culinary stereotypes 
They’re lifting the veil on their unique food culture. (Rest of World)

10 There’s a better way to hold your phone
And you’re probably doing it wrong. (WP $)

Quote of the day

“I don’t have any idea if it’s working or not working. I just know this is what I feel like I should be doing.”

— Ruth Quint, the webmaster of the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh website, explains why she creates disinformation-bunking resources to the New York Times. 

The big story

One city’s fight to solve its sewage problem with sensors

April 2021

In the city of South Bend, Indiana, wastewater from people’s kitchens, sinks, washing machines, and toilets flows through 35 neighborhood sewer lines. On good days, just before each line ends, a vertical throttle pipe diverts the sewage into an interceptor tube, which carries it to a treatment plant where solid pollutants and bacteria are filtered out.

As in many American cities, those pipes are combined with storm drains, which can fill rivers and lakes with toxic sludge when heavy rains or melted snow overwhelms them, endangering wildlife and drinking water supplies. But city officials have a plan to make its aging sewers significantly smarter. Read the full story. 

—Andrew Zaleski

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 child’s-eye view of the universe sounds a lot of fun.
+ Summer traybakes are an easy way to feed everyone you need to with minimal washing up.
+ Charli xcx would love this Nintendo DS remix of her song 360.
+ Buckle up girls, the skort is back.