The Download: unlocking lithium and controlling Ebola

《下载》：解锁锂资源与控制埃博拉疫情

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，为您提供每日科技界动态。

How a new extraction process could unlock the world’s lithium

一种新的提取工艺如何解锁全球锂资源

A new method for extracting lithium could cut costs and emissions from one of the world’s most important materials for EVs and energy storage. The technique uses a weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals. That frees not only the lithium but also other useful materials, including alumina and silica. “At scale, we believe this will be the lowest-cost way of sourcing lithium in the world,” says Yet-Ming Chiang, an MIT professor who co-authored a study of the process published yesterday in Science. Startup Rock Zero is already working to commercialize the research. Read the full story on a new way to unlock the world’s lithium. —Casey Crownhart 一种提取锂的新方法有望降低电动汽车和储能领域最重要材料之一的成本并减少排放。该技术使用弱酸溶解硅酸盐矿物，不仅能释放出锂，还能提取氧化铝和二氧化硅等其他有用材料。麻省理工学院教授蒋业明（Yet-Ming Chiang）是昨日发表在《科学》杂志上相关研究的合著者，他表示：“我们相信，在大规模应用下，这将成为全球成本最低的锂资源获取方式。”初创公司 Rock Zero 已经着手将该研究商业化。阅读关于解锁全球锂资源新方法的完整报道。——Casey Crownhart

The deadly Ebola outbreak is proving difficult to control

致命的埃博拉疫情正变得难以控制

The alert was raised on May 5. Four health-care workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had died from an unknown illness within four days. Tests in Kinshasa revealed the culprit: the Bundibugyo virus, one of the causes of Ebola. A couple of weeks ago, an outbreak of hantavirus erupted aboard a cruise ship. Three people died, but the outbreak was kept under control. The picture for Ebola is bleaker for several reasons, including the disease itself, the available treatments, and the local environment. Find out why the outbreak is causing alarm. —Jessica Hamzelou 5月5日，警报拉响。刚果民主共和国有四名医护人员在四天内死于一种不明疾病。金沙萨的检测结果揭示了罪魁祸首：本迪布焦病毒（Bundibugyo virus），这是导致埃博拉病毒的病原体之一。几周前，一艘游轮上爆发了汉坦病毒疫情，造成三人死亡，但疫情得到了控制。而埃博拉的情况则更为严峻，原因包括疾病本身的特性、现有治疗手段以及当地环境。了解为何此次疫情引发了恐慌。——Jessica Hamzelou

This story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. 本文摘自我们的每周简报《火花》（The Spark），为您提供生物技术领域的内幕消息。欢迎订阅，每周四准时发送至您的收件箱。

How the Pope’s Magnifica Humanitas offers a template for individuals to meet the AI moment

教皇的《Magnifica Humanitas》如何为个人应对人工智能时代提供范本

——Father Séamus Finn, a leader in faith-based and socially responsible investing with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and Sister Susan Francois, assistant congregation leader and treasurer of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace ——圣母无玷献主会（Oblates of Mary Immaculate）信仰驱动与社会责任投资负责人 Séamus Finn 神父，以及和平圣约瑟修女会（Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace）助理会长兼财务主管 Susan Francois 修女

Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical on artificial intelligence includes a statement that warrants serious attention from technologists and policymakers: “Technology is never neutral.” Magnifica Humanitas is a call to act with courage and solidarity as AI transforms human life, framing the choice ahead as one between the Tower of Babel and the rebuilding of our common humanity. It warns that corporations alone cannot set the direction of such a transformation. With governments slow to regulate AI, institutional investors are stepping into the gap. Here’s how they can build a better future. 教皇利奥十四世关于人工智能的新通谕中包含了一句值得技术专家和政策制定者高度重视的话：“技术绝非中立。”《Magnifica Humanitas》呼吁在人工智能改变人类生活之际，以勇气和团结行动起来，并将未来的选择定义为“巴别塔”与“重建共同人性”之间的抉择。它警告称，仅靠企业无法决定这种变革的方向。由于政府在监管人工智能方面行动迟缓，机构投资者正在填补这一空白。以下是他们如何构建更美好未来的建议。

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. 我为您搜罗了互联网上今日最有趣、最重要、最令人恐惧及最引人入胜的科技报道。

1. Anthropic is now valued higher than OpenAI: It hit a $965 billion valuation after a new funding round. (AP News) Anthropic 估值现已超过 OpenAI：在一轮新的融资后，其估值达到 9650 亿美元。（美联社）
2. A Blue Origin rocket has exploded in a setback to NASA’s Moon plans: New Glenn burst into flames during testing on a Florida launchpad. (CNBC) 蓝色起源火箭爆炸，NASA 登月计划受挫：New Glenn 火箭在佛罗里达发射台测试时起火。（CNBC）
3. Adversaries are tracking US troop locations via mobile phone data: The Pentagon has long ignored warnings of this exact threat. (Reuters) 敌对势力正通过手机数据追踪美军位置：五角大楼长期忽视了对此类威胁的警告。（路透社）
4. Anthropic plans a broad rollout of Mythos AI in the coming weeks: Despite concerns over its cybersecurity capabilities. (CNET) Anthropic 计划在未来几周内广泛推出 Mythos AI：尽管人们对其网络安全能力存有担忧。（CNET）
5. Grok oversaw a crime spree in an AI safety test: Models were tasked with governing a simulated society. (Fortune) Grok 在 AI 安全测试中引发犯罪狂潮：模型被要求管理一个模拟社会。（财富杂志）
6. Amazon has scrapped an AI leaderboard after worker gaming: Employees were artificially inflating usage scores. (FT) 亚马逊在员工“刷榜”后取消了 AI 排行榜：员工人为提高了使用评分。（金融时报）
7. Political spending by AI and crypto groups is shifting elections: They’ve pushed their preferred candidates closer to power. (Axios) AI 和加密货币团体的政治献金正在左右选举：他们将心仪的候选人推向了权力中心。（Axios）
8. China’s tech boom is fueling a new wave of industrial tourism: Visitors are touring AI labs and EV factories. (Rest of World) 中国的科技繁荣掀起了工业旅游新浪潮：游客们纷纷参观 AI 实验室和电动汽车工厂。（Rest of World）
9. Alibaba’s MuleRun aims to replicate the OpenClaw craze: The AI agent platform is positioned as a safer alternative. (SCMP) 阿里巴巴的 MuleRun 旨在复制 OpenClaw 的热潮：该 AI 代理平台被定位为更安全的替代方案。（南华早报）
10. Mysterious changes have emerged in the Sun’s magnetic field: They could reshape space weather forecasts. (404 Media) 太阳磁场出现神秘变化：这可能会重塑空间天气预报。（404 Media）

Quote of the day

今日金句

“What Peter Thiel is doing is terrible. His settling in Argentina is even worse.” —Elisa Lilita Carrió, an Argentine politician, writes on X that Peter Thiel’s relocation to her country has angered her even more than his leadership of Palantir. “彼得·蒂尔（Peter Thiel）所做的一切都很糟糕。他在阿根廷定居更是糟糕透顶。”——阿根廷政治家 Elisa Lilita Carrió 在 X 上写道，彼得·蒂尔移居她的国家让她感到愤怒，甚至超过了他领导 Palantir 公司带来的不满。

One More Thing

额外关注

How the James Webb Space Telescope broke the universe 詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜如何“打破”了宇宙

When the James Webb Space Telescope began full operations in 2022, astronomers were in awe of the flood of data that arrived. “Every hour we were looking at a galaxy or an exoplanet or star formation,” says NASA scientist Heidi Hammel. “It was like a firehose.” Since then, JWST has delivered nonstop discoveries, from distant galaxies to new planetary atmospheres. “We’re cracking open an entirely new window on the universe,” says Hammel. Discover how JWST has transformed astronomy. —Jonathan O’Callaghan 当詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜（JWST）于 2022 年全面投入运行时，天文学家们被涌入的海量数据所震撼。“我们每小时都在观测星系、系外行星或恒星形成，”NASA 科学家 Heidi Hammel 说，“这就像消防水龙喷出的水流一样。”自那时起，JWST 不断带来新发现，从遥远的星系到新的行星大气层。“我们正在开启一扇通往宇宙的全新窗口，”Hammel 说。了解 JWST 如何改变了天文学。——Jonathan O’Callaghan

We can still have nice things

我们依然可以拥有美好事物

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. 一个为您提供舒适、乐趣和消遣，点亮您一天的地方。

• Kubrick fans will love this Lego recreation of Dr Strangelove.
• 库布里克影迷一定会喜欢这个乐高复刻版的《奇爱博士》。
• Here’s a fascinating explanation of why seven landlocked countries have navies.
• 这里有一个引人入胜的解释：为什么七个内陆国家拥有海军。
• This mesmerizing 4K remaster of a super typhoon turns weather data into cinematic art.
• 这个令人着迷的 4K 超强台风重制版将气象数据变成了电影艺术。
• Go inside the genius of Queen with this track-by-track breakdown of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
• 通过对《波西米亚狂想曲》的逐轨解析，深入了解皇后乐队的天才之处。