Research & Development news

• The Download: Pelosi’s successor targets AI and data centers face power woes

  10-11-2026 14:10 via MIT Technology 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.Nancy Pelosi’s replacement is ready to regulate AI—Grace HuckinsAs a California state senator, Scott Wiener authored legislation aimed at curbing the risks of advanced AI. Now, after winning a tight congressional race for Nancy Pelosi’s open San Francisco seat, he could play a key role in setting federal AI policy.I spoke with Wiener only a few hours
  
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• Evolving metal extraction processes

  10-11-2026 14:00 via MIT Technology Review
  
  The metals industry has experienced transformational moments before: the Bessemer process, flash smelting, electric arc furnaces, and modern continuous casting all changed what was possible.Yet, for more than a century, most extraction processes rely on techniques and pathways that would be familiar to metallurgists from generations ago. Processes have become larger and control systems smarter, but the fundamental science behind separating metals from ores has changed less than many realize.Toda
  
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