Running Tide, an aquaculture company based in Portland, Maine, has speak it expects to set up tens of thousands of small floating kelp farms in the North Atlantic between this summer and next summer. It is hoped that the fast-growing macroalgae will eventually sink to the ocean floor, storing thousands of tons of carbon dioxide in the process.
The company has raised millions of dollars in venture capital and achieve popular media attention, and it includes big names like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative among its clients. But Running Tide has struggled to grow kelp along ropes in the open ocean during its initial efforts last year and has lost a bunch of scientists in recent months, sources familiar with the matter told MIT Technology. Reviews.
At least some of the departures were due in part to concerns that the company’s executives were not paying enough attention to the potential ecological impacts of its plans. Some employees also wondered that Running Tide was discussing more controversial practices, including adding nutrients to the ocean to stimulate macroalgae growth. Read full story.
— Temple of James
Things to read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about tech.
1 US defense company is considering buying Pegasus spyware
Capable of putting a spying tool so powerful that it is considered a weapon in the hands of the United States. (FT $)
+ NSO prepares to sell hacking tools to France. Now it is in crisis. (MIT . Technology Review)
2 Autopilot cars have crashed hundreds of times
Raises serious questions about the security of such systems and our reliance on them. (WP $)
+ The big new idea of creating self-driving cars that can go anywhere. (MIT . Technology Review)
+ Elon Musk thinks Tesla would be worth “basically zero” without its self-driving technology. (Insiders)
3 Inside Crypto’s Ugly Culture Wars
Employees claim that the boss of major crypto exchange Kraken has fostered a toxic work atmosphere. (NYT $)
+ The future of the C lending platform does not look bright. (Bloomberg $)
+ Cryptocurrencies are weathering a fierce storm. Some still hold dear life. (MIT . Technology Review)
4 Rural America waits for high-speed Internet with no signs of abating
Despite the government investing billions of dollars in upgrades. (WSJ $)
5 China’s radio telescope caught a mysterious signal
Which, while intriguing, is unlikely to be aliens. (Conversation)
+ Here’s how space factories might work. (Quartz)
6 Ukraine’s Internet is being redirected to Russia
Thus depends on its traffic to the country’s censorship regime. (Wired $)
+ The US wants to know how its electronic equipment is combined with Russian military equipment. (WP $)
7 The Internet has created a new way of working for the middle classes
However, making a lot of money is still a way of preserving the precious few. (New Yorkers $)
+ Why TikTok is undoing all of MTV’s hard work. (Atlantic $)
8 Ways eBay Shaped the Modern Internet
And become one of our first in the process. (Guardians)
9 Why Your Child’s Name Isn’t As Unique As You Think
We are all influenced by our cultural surroundings more than we realize. (Motherboard)
10 Catholic Domination Is Going Strong
However, that doesn’t mean more people go to church. (Vox)
Quote of the day
