The Download: reviving frozen pig kidneys and boosting nuclear power

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Pig kidneys that were cooled to -150 °C and stored in a freezer for months have been successfully rewarmed and shown to work again for the first time, say scientists. The kidneys, which are similar in size to human ones, were left in a glass-like state, in one case for over a year. Once they had been rewarmed, tested in machines, and transplanted into pigs, the kidneys regained their color and made urine—key signs they were working. The results are a big milestone. But the team still needs to establish whether the approach could work for humans. Dissect what the breakthrough means for organ transplantation. In this age of rising electricity demand, people are trying to squeeze every last bit of power out of every power plant. Over the past few weeks, there’s been big news about the nuclear industry trying to do just that. Constellation, the largest nuclear operator in the US, announced plans to add nearly a gigawatt of new capacity across 11 existing nuclear reactors at six plants. On October 5, the Department of Energy awarded Vistra a $4.2 billion loan to upgrade three plants. Pushing existing reactors to produce more could quickly provide more clean power for data centers. But just how much additional power can we count on? Thisstoryis from The Checkup, our weekly climate and energy tech newsletter.Sign upto receive it in your inbox every Thursday. BasiGo is one ofMIT Technology Review’s10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch 2026, availableexclusively to subscribers. BasiGo aims to replace the tens of thousands of diesel-powered buses on sub-Saharan African roads with electric ones that generate far fewer emissions. Its pay-as-you-drive business model helps make EVs more attainable for private bus operators, while the company provides leasing, maintenance, insurance and charging infrastructure. The company has more than 150 electric buses on the road in Kenya and Rwanda, with a reservation list of 1,200 customers. Now it’s targeting another major source of pollution on the roads: trucks. Here’s how BasiGo is working to electrify public transport in Africa. Subscriberscan now access the full10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch, spanningeverything fromsmart turbinestosemi-solid-state batteries. I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Ukraine says sudden Starlink speed limits disrupted key drone missionsStarshield, the military version of Starlink, capped speeds at 100mph. (BI)+ Elon Musk said the US government determines any of its speed limits.(AFP)+ Ukraine suspects the restrictions are political retaliation.(Axios)+ Starshield offers the Pentagon more than satellite internet.(Reuters$)+ NATO may move anti-drone defences to the Black Sea.(Ars Technica) 2 The OpenAI bugging suspect had advised Saudi agenciesHe was also listed as a venture partner of a Saudi prince. (NYT$)+ Silicon Valley is on AI espionage alert.(WSJ$) 3 Tesla’s new Roadster has finally arrived—in a very different EV marketTesla is betting wealthy drivers will embrace high-priced EVs. (NYT$)+ But the market has grown skeptical of electric hypercars.(Wired$)+ Musk has called the Roadster Tesla’s last human-driven car.(Verge)+ What's next for EV batteries?(MIT Technology Review) 4 A German teen allegedly used a robot to harass womenThe $5,000 Unitree R1 featured in livestreams filmed for clout. (Gizmodo)+ German police are investigating the alleged assault.(404 Media)+ Online harassment is entering its AI era.(MIT Technology Review) 5 Smartphone shipments plunged 22$) 6 Apple has joined Nvidia in the $5 trillion clubThe landmark valuation caps Tim Cook’s 15-year run as CEO. (WSJ$) 7 Microsoft has dismantled a network behind a billion scam messagesJapan’s National Police Agency helped investigate the operation. (Verge) 8 NASA has new launch targets for its Venus missionsDAVINCI is set to take off in 2030 and probe Venus in 2032. (Ars Technica) 9 America's not ready for space warAn outbreak could batter the global economy and US military. (Axios)+ What would it take to build a city on the moon?(MIT Technology Review) 10 Mini organs are heading to the ISS for an aging studyThe findings could also aid treatments for brain diseases. (ABC News) —Rhea, an AI agent that hosts a podcast, pitches other bots at an online dinner party held while their human owners ate,the New York Timesreports. OpenAI has a new grand challenge: building an AI researcher—a fully automated agent-based system capable of tackling large, complex problems by itself. The San Francisco firm said the new goal will be its “north star” for the next few years. The company plans to build “an autonomous AI research intern” that can take on a small number of specific research problems. The intern will be the precursor to the fully automated multi-agent system, which is slated to debut in 2028. In an exclusive interview, OpenAI’s chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, talked me through the plans.Find out what I discovered. A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas?Drop me a line.) + Judge a book by its first pages, not its cover, atUncovered.+Reading Mapsplots the real-world journeys taken by characters in books and films.+ Aerospace engineer Tom Stanton hasbuilt a supersonic trebuchetin his backyard.+ Take an etymological tour of Europe withthis video tracing the namesof every country on the continent. Plus: 22 nations have called for a new global body to oversee AI. Plus: OpenAI has paused some model work over safety concerns. Plus: Meta will pay up to $18 billion to settle a landmark child-safety case. Plus: OpenAI has released 377 new math findings, further rattling the field. Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.