The Download: technological complexity, and climate change Catan [MIT Tech Review]

View Article on MIT Tech Review
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.

The terrible complexity of technological problems

The philosopher Karl Popper once argued that there are two kinds of problems in the world: clock problems and cloud problems. As the metaphor suggests, clock problems obey a certain logic. The fix may not be easy, but it’s achievable.

Cloud problems offer no such assurances. They are inherently complex and unpredictable, and they usually have social, psychological, or political dimensions. Because of their dynamic, shape-shifting nature, trying to “fix” a cloud problem often ends up creating several new problems.

But there are ways to reckon with this kind of technological complexity—and the wicked problems it creates. Read the full story.

—Bryan Gardiner

These board games want you to beat climate change

The urgent need to address climate change might seem like unlikely fodder for a fun evening. But a growing number of games are attempting to take on the topic, including a version of the bestseller Catan released this summer.

Our climate reporter Casey Crownhart was curious about whether games could, even abstractly, represent the challenge of the climate crisis. Perhaps more crucially, could they possibly be any fun? Read the full story.

Both of these stories feature in the most recent print issue of MIT Technology Review, which explores the theme of Play. If you don’t already, subscribe now to be among the first to receive future copies.

The must-reads

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

1 China is dropping sanctions against a US communications firm 
In an extremely rare about-turn. (Bloomberg $)
+ The flow of restricted goods through China to Russia has fallen. (Reuters)

2 OpenAI is closing a major safety loophole
Telling GPT-4o mini to ‘ignore all previous instructions’ will no longer work. (The Verge)

3 Nvidia is working on a premium AI chip for the Chinese market 
Bringing its Blackwell chip in line with US export controls. (Reuters)
+ What’s next in chips. (MIT Technology Review)

4 This new nuclear reactor is entirely meltdown-proof
And could serve as the blueprint to assuage fears around other reactors. (New Scientist $)
+ There’s fears that nuclear fuel could be repurposed into weapons. (The Verge)
+ The next generation of nuclear reactors is getting more advanced. Here’s how. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Amazon’s returns policy is a total mess
Spare a thought for the poor retail staff who have to deal with it. (WP $)

6 Ethiopia wasn’t ready to ban importing gas and diesel vehicles
Almost six months into the ban, the country is struggling. (Rest of World)
+ Three frequently asked questions about EVs, answered. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Digital nomad visas are a hard sell in south-east Asia
Remote workers are just entering as tourists instead. (FT $)
+ The world isn’t ready for digital workers, either. (The Guardian)

8 Developing film photos is a lost art 
You never quite know how they’re going to turn out. (404 Media)

9 Billionaire dressing is out, mogul style is in
Jensen Huang remains the only tech boss to nail corporate chic. (The Guardian)
+ Hoodies are still fine, but polo shirts are out. (The Information $)

10 EA’s new video game stars AI replicas of real college football players
It was a huge gamble that appears to have paid off. (WSJ $)
+ How generative AI could reinvent what it means to play. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“They are so filled with rage that they have lost all sense of human decency and respect.” 

—Richard Zhang, 30, describes the extremely negative reactions to his decision to buy a Cybertruck to the New York Times.

The big story

The humble oyster could hold the key to restoring coastal waters. Developers hate it.

October 2023

Carol Friend has taken on a difficult job. She is one of the 10 people in Delaware currently trying to make it as a cultivated oyster farmer.

Her Salty Witch Oyster Company holds a lease to grow the mollusks as part of the state’s new program for aquaculture, launched in 2017. It has sputtered despite its obvious promise.

Five years after the first farmed oysters went into the Inland Bays, the aquaculture industry remains in a larval stage. Oysters themselves are almost mythical in their ability to clean and filter water. But human willpower, investment, and flexibility are all required to allow the oysters to simply do their thing—particularly when developers start to object. Read the full story.

—Anna Kramer

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.)

• How a beautifully ornate peacock mural destroyed a Victorian friendship.
  + Thailand’s incredible food never ceases to amaze.
  + PSA: it’s time to use up all those frozen berries you’re hoarding.
  + Consider your search for a summer read over.