The Download: climate tech companies to watch and AI’s discovery problem

The Download：值得关注的气候科技公司与人工智能的“发现”难题

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《The Download》，我们每日更新的简报，为您提供科技世界的最新动态。

Coming soon: our 2026 list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch. With the planet nearing 1.5 °C of warming, climate policies being unraveled, and Big Tech backpedaling on its climate ambitions, it can be tempting to give in to climate doom and defeatism. But despite the headwinds, the world has still made incredible progress. That’s why MIT Technology Review publishes its annual list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch. Once a year, we compile a list of 10 companies that we believe have done the most, or have the best chance, to make a real dent in emissions or improve public safety and health. We’ve now finalized our 2026 list and will publish it on October 6. It features companies making strides in energy storage, nuclear power, transportation and other areas despite today’s regressive climate politics. We hope you’ll enjoy the package and perhaps come away feeling a bit more hopeful about our climate’s future. Here’s what to expect. —James Temple 即将发布：我们 2026 年“值得关注的气候科技公司”榜单。随着地球升温接近 1.5°C，气候政策不断倒退，大型科技公司也在气候雄心上缩减投入，人们很容易陷入气候末日论和失败主义。但尽管面临逆风，世界依然取得了令人难以置信的进步。这就是《麻省理工科技评论》每年发布“值得关注的气候科技公司”榜单的原因。我们每年评选出 10 家公司，它们在减少排放或改善公共安全与健康方面做出了最大贡献，或最有潜力产生实质性影响。我们现已敲定 2026 年榜单，并将于 10 月 6 日发布。尽管当今气候政治环境倒退，但榜单中的公司在储能、核能、交通运输等领域均取得了长足进步。希望您能喜欢这份专题报道，并对气候的未来多一份希望。以下是内容前瞻。——James Temple

Subscribe to receive full access to this year’s list, and keep reading The Download to be among the first to see it. 订阅即可获取今年榜单的完整访问权限，并持续关注《The Download》，第一时间获取最新资讯。

When can we say AI made a scientific discovery? Last week, Anthropic announced that its new molecular biology lab had made its first discovery: its AI agents had flagged a previously uncatalogued pattern surrounding an enzyme, a pattern “reminiscent” of what led to the gene-editing technology CRISPR. But the claims angered biologists. Some questioned whether merely finding the pattern amounted to a discovery at all. Another said his team had already discovered the same pattern, raising questions about whether Anthropic’s system had learned from his conversations with Claude. It’s a reminder that what’s novel for AI may be routine, unsurprising or simply not that consequential to a biologist. And the grand claims could make real progress harder to recognize. Find out why AI companies may be setting the wrong bar for scientific discovery. —James O’Donnell 我们何时才能说人工智能做出了科学发现？上周，Anthropic 宣布其新的分子生物学实验室取得了首次发现：其 AI 智能体标记了一种围绕酶的、此前未被记录的模式，这种模式“令人联想到”导致基因编辑技术 CRISPR 诞生的发现。但这些声明激怒了生物学家。一些人质疑，仅仅发现这种模式是否能算作科学发现。另一位研究者表示，他的团队早已发现了同样的模式，这引发了人们对 Anthropic 的系统是否从他与 Claude 的对话中“学习”了该成果的质疑。这提醒我们，对 AI 而言的新颖事物，对生物学家来说可能只是常规、平淡无奇，甚至毫无意义。而这种夸大的声明可能会让真正的科学进步更难被识别。了解为什么 AI 公司可能为科学发现设定了错误的门槛。——James O’Donnell

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. 本文摘自我们的每周 AI 简报《The Algorithm》。订阅即可在每周一收到推送。

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. 我已为您搜罗了互联网上今日最有趣、最重要、最令人担忧及最引人入胜的科技新闻。

1 OpenAI has scrapped a new AI model over safety concerns. The company said GPT-6.1 Astra “didn’t quite meet the bar.” (BBC)

OpenAI 因安全顾虑放弃了一款新 AI 模型。该公司表示 GPT-6.1 Astra “未完全达到标准”。(BBC)

It’s also apologised for a “new kind of cyber incident” in Australia. (Guardian)
该公司还就澳大利亚发生的“新型网络事件”道歉。(卫报)
Anthropic’s IPO filing warns that AI could threaten humanity. (FT)
Anthropic 的 IPO 文件警告称 AI 可能威胁人类。(金融时报)
As the safety fears spiral, Trump is selling an AI “golden age.” (WP)
随着安全担忧加剧，特朗普正在兜售 AI 的“黄金时代”。(华盛顿邮报)
He’s meeting more AI leaders at the White House today. (Reuters)
他今天将在白宫会见更多 AI 行业领袖。(路透社)
Could AI really kill us all? (MIT Technology Review)
AI 真的会毁灭人类吗？(麻省理工科技评论)

2 SpaceX’s Starship rocket has reached orbit for the first time. It also deployed new Starlink satellites in the test flight. (AP) 2. SpaceX 的“星舰”火箭首次进入轨道。此次试飞还部署了新的星链卫星。(美联社)

But the flight was cut short after an engine failure. (Axios)
但由于引擎故障，飞行提前结束。(Axios)
We’re putting more stuff into space than ever. (MIT Technology Review)
我们向太空运送的物资比以往任何时候都多。(麻省理工科技评论)

3 The FBI told staff it assumes hackers have stolen data from every employee. An internal memo tells staff to prepare for potential attacks. (Gizmodo) 3. FBI 告知员工，假设黑客已窃取了每位员工的数据。一份内部备忘录要求员工为潜在攻击做好准备。(Gizmodo)

But the hackers say they won’t publish the stolen data. (404 Media)
但黑客表示他们不会公布窃取的数据。(404 Media)

4 Florida has asked a court to block OpenAI from developing new models. The state wants independent safety guardrails for new AI. (Politico) 4. 佛罗里达州请求法院阻止 OpenAI 开发新模型。该州要求为新 AI 建立独立的安全性护栏。(Politico)

It also aims to ban ChatGPT from acting like a person. (Verge)
该州还旨在禁止 ChatGPT 表现得像真人。(The Verge)
While Rep. Khanna has proposed banning self-improving AI. (CNBC)
同时，众议员 Khanna 提议禁止自我改进型 AI。(CNBC)

5 Meta’s AI agent invited a stranger to a user’s home without permission. Muse shared the address while negotiating a Marketplace sale. (Guardian) 5. Meta 的 AI 智能体未经许可邀请陌生人前往用户家中。Muse 在协商 Marketplace 交易时分享了地址。(卫报)

Who’s liable when AI agents go rogue? (MIT Technology Review)
当 AI 智能体失控时，谁该负责？(麻省理工科技评论)

6 Old hearts appear to get younger after transplantation. The finding could expand the pool of available donor organs. (Nature) 6. 老旧心脏在移植后似乎变得更年轻。这一发现可能扩大可用的捐赠器官库。(自然)

But young organs may not be a fountain of youth. (MIT Technology Review)
但年轻器官可能并非“青春之泉”。(麻省理工科技评论)

7 Trump has finalized a rule to make cars less fuel-efficient. The new rules sharply weaken Biden-era fuel economy standards. (Verge) 7. 特朗普敲定了一项降低汽车燃油效率的规定。新规大幅削弱了拜登时期的燃油经济性标准。(The Verge)

8 Mathematicians have cracked a 55-year-old problem using randomness. The solution completes a proof proposed in 1971. (Quanta) 8. 数学家利用随机性破解了一个 55 年前的难题。该方案补全了 1971 年提出的证明。(Quanta)

9 Space lasers are about to beam power between two spacecraft. Star Catcher will test the technology in orbit this week. (Wired) 9. 太空激光即将实现两艘航天器之间的电力传输。Star Catcher 本周将在轨道上测试该技术。(连线)

10 A tiny moon of Saturn could host alien life and be detected from space. Scientists found evidence that its ocean could support microbial life. (404 Media) 10. 土星的一颗微小卫星可能存在外星生命，且可从太空探测到。科学家发现其海洋可能支持微生物生命的证据。(404 Media)

Quote of the day 今日金句

“We may sound like children whose feelings are hurt, sure, but in our game, reputation is all that matters.” “我们听起来可能像受了委屈的孩子，没错，但在我们的游戏规则里，声誉就是一切。”

—The ShinyHunters hacking group tells The New York Times that they targeted the FBI to retaliate against an advisory warning about their activities. ——黑客组织 ShinyHunters 告诉《纽约时报》，他们攻击 FBI 是为了报复后者针对其活动发布的警告公告。

One more thing 最后一点

A plan to make drugs in orbit is going commercial. A startup called Varda Space Industries is betting that the future of pharmaceuticals lies in orbit. The company has signed a deal with United Therapeutics to test whether drugs crystallize differently in microgravity, potentially creating improved versions with new properties. The idea sounds futuristic, but falling launch costs and reusable rockets are making space-based manufacturing seem increasingly plausible. Varda says the partnership could mark an important step toward building products in orbit for use back on Earth. Discover how space could become the next frontier for drug development. —Antonio Regalado 在轨道上制造药物的计划正走向商业化。一家名为 Varda Space Industries 的初创公司押注制药业的未来在轨道上。该公司已与 United Therapeutics 签署协议，测试药物在微重力环境下是否会产生不同的结晶，从而可能创造出具有新特性的改良版本。这个想法听起来很科幻，但不断下降的发射成本和可重复使用的火箭正使太空制造变得越来越可行。Varda 表示，此次合作可能标志着在轨道上制造供地球使用的产品迈出了重要一步。探索太空如何成为药物研发的下一个前沿领域。——Antonio Regalado

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. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.) 一个为您提供舒适、乐趣和消遣，点亮您一天的地方。（有什么好点子？写信告诉我。）

A professor has turned her childhood Double Dutch idea into a real machine.
一位教授将她童年时关于“双绳跳”（Double Dutch）的想法变成了一台真正的机器。
These 11 beautiful underwater wildlife photos capture the wonder of life beneath the oceans.
这 11 张精美的水下野生动物照片捕捉到了海洋深处生命的奇迹。
See Earth from a rocket’s-eye view as this camera rides all the way from launch to a precision landing.
跟随这台摄像机从发射到精准着陆，以火箭的视角俯瞰地球。
A re-released 2000 BBC exhibition offers a fascinating glimpse at how people imagined the internet’s future.
重新发布的 2000 年 BBC 展览，带您一窥人们当年对互联网未来的想象。