The trial is a potential turning point for CRISPR, the editing tool they used. Since the technology was first programmed to edit genomes about a decade ago, we’ve seen CRISPR move from scientific labs to clinics. But the first experimental treatments have focused on rare genetic disorders. A high-cholesterol treatment has wider potential. Read the full story about how new forms of CRISPR could enable treatments for common diseases.
CRISPR for high cholesterol is one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies, which we’ve been showcasing in The Download every day. Take a look at the rest of the list, and vote in our poll to help us decide what our final 11th technology should be.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Twitter briefly verified accounts belonging to the Taliban
It’s yet another demonstration of the dangers of charging for verification. (The Guardian)
+ Twitter has lost more than 500 of its biggest advertisers. (The Information $)
+ The company’s office art and furniture is up for auction. (NYT $)
+ Elon Musk’s “hardcore” workplace sounds absolutely terrible. (The Verge)
2 Crypto is on a comeback tour
The industry wants to change influential minds. But are they buying it? (WP $)
+ Even crypto veterans are feeling the crunch. (WSJ $)
3 Meta’s advisory board wants to free the nipple
The company’s long-standing anti-nudity stance appears to be softening. (Engadget)
4 Quantum computing is still incredibly sensitive to noise
A new startup thinks it’s found a solution to block external sounds. (Wired $)
+ What’s next for quantum computing. (MIT Technology Review)
5 The US still really wants to ban TikTok
However, it would spark a sizable backlash from its millions of US users. (Vox)
6 The legal complaints against Tesla’s self-driving software are piling up
But Elon Musk continues to insist it’s safe. (NYT $)
7 How AI is helping to fight off crop diseases
From analyzing blight to making crops more resilient. (Knowable Magazine $)
+ There’s a colossal amount of money swirling around AI right now. (The Atlantic $)
+ How technology might finally start telling farmers things they didn’t already know. (MIT Technology Review)
8 How Messi and Ronaldo’s fans took over Instagram
And escalated football’s biggest grudge match in the process. (Rest of World)
9 How battle royale mode infiltrated video games
An all-out brawl is the perfect antidote to overly-scripted formulas. (New Yorker $)
10 Here come the propanefluencers
It’s the latest wave of fossil-fuel propaganda. (NY Mag $)
Quote of the day
“I had tears in my eyes. Something I had thought would be a reality in the future was a reality that day. We shouldn’t be reaching these temperatures – it would be impossible to without climate change.”