The Download: introducing the Nature issue

《下载》：隆重推出“自然”特刊

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. 这是今日份的《下载》，我们平日更新的简报，为您提供每日科技世界的动态。

Introducing: the Nature issue. When we talk about “nature,” we usually mean something untouched by humans. But little of that world exists today. From microplastics in rainforest wildlife to artificial light in the Arctic Ocean, human influence now reaches every corner of Earth. In this context, what even is nature? And should we employ technology to try to make the world more “natural”? 隆重推出：“自然”特刊。当我们谈论“自然”时，通常指的是未受人类影响的事物。但如今，这样的世界已所剩无几。从雨林野生动物体内的微塑料，到北冰洋的人造光，人类的影响力已触及地球的每一个角落。在这种背景下，究竟什么是自然？我们是否应该利用技术来尝试让世界变得更“自然”？

In our new Nature issue, MIT Technology Review grapples with these questions. We investigate birds that can’t sing, wolves that aren’t wolves, and grass that isn’t grass. We look for the meaning of life under Arctic ice, within ourselves, and in the far future on a distant world, courtesy of new fiction by the renowned author Jeff VanderMeer. Together, these stories examine how technology has altered our planet—and how it might be used to repair it. Subscribe now to read the full print issue. 在全新的“自然”特刊中，《麻省理工科技评论》深入探讨了这些问题。我们调查了不会鸣叫的鸟类、并非狼的“狼”，以及并非草的“草”。我们从著名作家杰夫·范德米尔（Jeff VanderMeer）的新小说中，寻找北极冰层之下、我们内心深处以及遥远未来异星世界中生命的意义。这些故事共同审视了技术如何改变了我们的星球，以及它又将如何被用于修复地球。立即订阅，阅读完整印刷版特刊。

What’s next for large language models? After ChatGPT launched in late 2022, the OpenAI chatbot became an everyday everything app for hundreds of millions of people. It led to LLMs being heralded as the new future. The entire tech industry was consumed by the inferno, with companies racing to spin up rival products. But what’s the next big thing after LLMs? More LLMs—but better. Let’s call them LLMs+. Find out how they’re set to become cheaper, more efficient, and more powerful. —Will Douglas Heaven 大型语言模型的下一步是什么？2022年底 ChatGPT 发布后，这款 OpenAI 的聊天机器人成为了数亿人日常生活中无所不能的应用程序。它使大语言模型（LLM）被誉为新的未来。整个科技行业都被这股热潮所席卷，各大公司竞相推出竞争产品。但在大语言模型之后，下一个重大突破是什么？是更多的大语言模型——但性能更强。我们称之为“LLMs+”。了解它们将如何变得更便宜、更高效、更强大。——Will Douglas Heaven

LLMs+ is on our list of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, MIT Technology Review’s guide to what’s really worth your attention in the busy, buzzy world of AI. We’ll be unpacking one item from the list each day here in The Download, so stay tuned. “LLMs+”位列我们“当前人工智能领域最重要的10件事”名单之中，这是《麻省理工科技评论》为读者提供的指南，旨在帮助您在繁忙且喧嚣的 AI 世界中关注真正值得注意的事物。我们将在《下载》中每天为您解读名单中的一项，敬请关注。

Will fusion power get cheap? Don’t count on it. Fusion power could provide a steady, zero-emissions source of electricity in the future—if companies can get plants built and running. But a new study published in Nature Energy suggests that even if that future arrives, it might not come cheap. The research team aimed to improve predictions of fusion’s future price by estimating the technology’s experience rate—the percentage by which its cost declines every time capacity doubles. Their findings offer new clues on the technology’s path to deployment. Read the full story. —Casey Crownhart 核聚变能源会变得便宜吗？别指望了。如果公司能够建成并运营核聚变电站，它未来或许能提供一种稳定的零排放电力来源。但发表在《自然-能源》（Nature Energy）上的一项新研究表明，即使未来真的到来，成本可能也不会低。研究团队通过估算该技术的“经验率”（即产能每翻一番时成本下降的百分比），旨在改进对核聚变未来价格的预测。他们的发现为该技术的部署路径提供了新的线索。阅读完整报道。——Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday. 本文摘自我们的每周气候简报《火花》（The Spark）。注册即可在每周三收到邮件。

The must-reads / 必读内容

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 我已为您梳理了互联网，找出了今天关于科技最有趣、最重要、最令人担忧以及最引人入胜的故事。

1. Trump signaled he’s open to reversing the Anthropic ban. What that really means in practice remains to be seen. (Reuters) 特朗普暗示他愿意撤销对 Anthropic 的禁令。 这在实践中究竟意味着什么还有待观察。（路透社）
2. SpaceX plans to manufacture its own GPUs. To support the company’s growing AI ambitions. (Reuters) SpaceX 计划制造自己的 GPU。 以支持该公司日益增长的 AI 野心。（路透社）
3. Chinese tech giant Tencent has unveiled its first flagship AI model. A former OpenAI researcher is at the helm. (SCMP) 中国科技巨头腾讯发布了其首个旗舰 AI 模型。 由一名前 OpenAI 研究员掌舵。（南华早报）
4. High earners are racing ahead on AI, deepening workplace divides. The division in adoption risks widening inequality. (FT) 高收入者在 AI 领域遥遥领先，加剧了职场鸿沟。 采用率上的差异可能会加剧不平等。（金融时报）
5. Thousands of Samsung workers are demanding a new share of AI profits. Chip-division employees want 15% of the operating profit. (Bloomberg) 数千名三星员工要求分享 AI 利润。 芯片部门员工要求获得 15% 的营业利润。（彭博社）
6. AI is helping mediocre Korean hackers steal millions. They’re vibe coding their malware. (Wired) AI 正在帮助平庸的韩国黑客窃取数百万美元。 他们正在通过“直觉编程”（vibe coding）来编写恶意软件。（连线杂志）
7. Kalshi suspended three political candidates for betting on their own races. Including a Democrat and a Republican running for Congress. (CNN) Kalshi 暂停了三名候选人的账户，因为他们押注自己的竞选结果。 包括一名竞选国会议员的民主党人和一名共和党人。（CNN）
8. A ping-pong robot is beating elite human players for the first time. The Sony AI system was trained with reinforcement learning. (New Scientist) 乒乓球机器人首次击败人类精英选手。 该索尼 AI 系统通过强化学习进行训练。（新科学家）
9. Crypto scammers are luring ships into the Strait of Hormuz. By falsely promising safe passage. (Ars Technica) 加密货币诈骗者诱骗船只进入霍尔木兹海峡。 通过虚假承诺提供安全通行。（Ars Technica）
10. ‘Age tech’ could help us grow old comfortably at home. Apps, wearables, and remote monitoring could fill caregiving gaps. (NYT) “适老科技”（Age tech）可以帮助我们舒适地居家养老。 应用程序、可穿戴设备和远程监控可以填补护理缺口。（纽约时报）

Quote of the day / 今日金句

“It’s a hallucinogenic business plan.” —Ross Gerber, the chief executive of Gerber Kawasaki, an investment firm that owns SpaceX shares, tells the New York Times that he’s unimpressed by Musk’s changing goals for the aerospace company. “这是一个产生幻觉的商业计划。”——拥有 SpaceX 股份的投资公司 Gerber Kawasaki 的首席执行官罗斯·格伯（Ross Gerber）告诉《纽约时报》，他对马斯克不断变化的航天公司目标并不买账。

One More Thing / 更多内容

This grim but revolutionary DNA technology is changing how we respond to mass disasters. After hundreds went missing in Maui’s deadly fires, victims were identified with rapid DNA analysis—an increasingly vital tool for putting names to the dead in mass-casualty events. The technology helped identify victims within just a few hours and bring families some closure more quickly than ever before. But it also previews a dark future marked by the rising frequency of catastrophic events. Find out how this forensic breakthrough is preparing us for a more volatile world. —Erika Hayasaki 这项残酷但具有革命性的 DNA 技术正在改变我们应对大规模灾难的方式。 在毛伊岛致命火灾导致数百人失踪后，受害者通过快速 DNA 分析被识别出来——这已成为在大规模伤亡事件中确认死者身份日益重要的工具。该技术在短短几小时内就帮助识别了受害者，并比以往任何时候都更快地为家庭带来了慰藉。但它也预示了一个灾难性事件发生频率不断上升的黑暗未来。了解这一法医领域的突破如何让我们为更动荡的世界做好准备。——Erika Hayasaki

We can still have nice things. A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. 我们依然可以拥有美好的事物。 一个为您提供舒适、乐趣和消遣，点亮您一天的地方。