The Download: growing Africa’s food, and deleting your 23andMe data

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.

Africa fights rising hunger by looking to foods of the past

After falling steadily for decades, the prevalence of global hunger is now on the rise—nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa.

Conflicts, economic fallout from the covid-19 pandemic, and extreme weather events linked to climate change have pushed the share of the population considered undernourished from 18% in 2015 to 23% in 2023.

Africa’s indigenous crops are often more nutritious and better suited to the hot and dry conditions that are becoming more prevalent, yet many have been neglected by science, which means they tend to be more vulnerable to diseases and pests and yield well below their theoretical potential.

Now the question is whether researchers, governments, and farmers can work together in a way that gets these crops onto plates and provides Africans from all walks of life with the energy and nutrition that they need to thrive, whatever climate change throws their way. Read the full story.

—Jonathan W. Rosen

This piece is from the next print issue of MIT Technology Review, which comes out next Wednesday and delves into the weird and wonderful world of food. If you don’t already, subscribe to receive a copy once it lands.

How to… delete your 23andMe data

Things aren’t looking good for 23andMe. The consumer DNA testing company recently parted ways with all its board members but CEO Anne Wojcicki over her plans to take the company private. It’s also still dealing with the fallout of a major security breach last October, which saw hackers access the personal data of around 5.5 million customers.

23andMe’s business is built on taking DNA samples from its customers to produce personalized genetic reports detailing a user’s unique health and ancestry. The uncertainty swirling around the company’s future and potential new ownership has prompted privacy campaigners to urge users to delete their data. Caveats apply… but here’s how you can do it. 

—Rhiannon Williams

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 SpaceX’s rocket test over the weekend was a success
But its launch system still faces plenty of challenges. (Bloomberg $)
+ A pair of mechanical arms grabbed the rocket in mid-air. (Ars Technica)
+ It was the first time such a feat has ever been pulled off. (Economist $)

2 Hurricane Helene has triggered a major IV fluids shortage
The storm took out a major producer, forcing doctors to delay elective surgeries. (Ars Technica)
+ Hurricane engineering won’t necessarily protect us in the future. (The Atlantic $)
+ How climate change can supercharge hurricanes. (MIT Technology Review)

3 China’s answer to Instagram is flourishing
It’s rapidly gaining popularity among young women in the country. (FT $)
+ Everyone’s a shopping influencer these days. (Rest of World)
+ Chinese platforms are cracking down on influencers selling AI lessons. (MIT Technology Review)

4 How Big Tech scuppered North Omaha’s plans to phase out coal
Meta and Google’s nearby data centers require power, and fast. (WP $)
+ The UK is done with coal. How’s the rest of the world doing? (MIT Technology Review)

5 OpenAI has gone to war with Open AI
A small space between letters can make all the difference. (Bloomberg $)

6 Europe could edge closer to becoming Silicon Valley
New Palo Alto, here we come. (Wired $)

7 Bacterial cells can sense the approach of cold weather
It suggests that an awareness of seasons is fundamental to life. (Quanta Magazine)
+ How some bacteria are cleaning up our messy water supply. (MIT Technology Review)

8 What Reddit can teach governments about how to handle crises
It’s one of the last bastions of well-moderated spaces left online. (NY Mag $)

9 The Internet Archive is back online
But it’s read-only following a series of cyberattacks. (The Verge)
+ Why a ruling against the Internet Archive threatens the future of America’s libraries. (MIT Technology Review)

10 Long-dead museum specimens are being given a voice
Thanks to the wonders of AI. (The Guardian)

Quote of the day

“You’re going to have to pardon my French, but that’s complete B.S.”

—AI researcher Yann LeCun tells the Wall Street Journal why he isn’t worried about the technology reaching the point where it poses a threat to humans any time soon.

The big story

Minneapolis police used fake social media profiles to surveil Black people

April 2022

The Minneapolis Police Department violated civil rights law through a pattern of racist policing practices, according to a damning report by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

The report found that officers stop, search, arrest, and use force against people of color at a much higher rate than white people, and covertly surveilled Black people not suspected of any crimes via social media.

The findings are consistent with MIT Technology Review’s investigation of Minnesota law enforcement agencies, which has revealed an extensive surveillance network that targeted activists in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Read the full story.

—Tate Ryan-Mosley and Sam Richards

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)

+ It’s just as Charli xcx intended: her hit 360 as played on handbells.
+ The annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year never disappoints. ($)
+ Silence of the Lambs is a horror classic. But 33 years on from its release, there are still plenty of hidden gems to uncover.
+ Why are the northern lights so visible all of a sudden? Blame solar maximum.