The Download: US WHO exit risks, and underground hydrogen

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.

This is what might happen if the US withdraws from the WHO

On January 20, his first day in office, US president Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization.

The US is the biggest donor to the WHO, and the loss of this income is likely to have a significant impact on the organization, which develops international health guidelines, investigates disease outbreaks, and acts as an information-sharing hub for member states. But the US will also lose out. Read the full story.

—Jessica Hamzelou

Why the next energy race is for underground hydrogen

It might sound like something straight out of the 19th century, but one of the most cutting-edge areas in energy today involves drilling deep underground to hunt for materials that can be burned for energy. The difference is that this time, instead of looking for fossil fuels, the race is on to find natural deposits of hydrogen.

In an age of lab-produced breakthroughs, it feels like something of a regression to go digging for resources. But looking underground could help meet energy demand while also addressing climate change. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.

Cattle burping remedies: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2025

Companies are finally making real progress on one of the trickiest problems for climate change: cow burps.

The world’s herds of cattle belch out methane as a by-product of digestion, as do sheep and goats. That powerful greenhouse gas makes up the single biggest source of livestock emissions, which together contribute 11% to 20% of the world’s total climate pollution, depending on the analysis.

Enter the cattle burping supplement. DSM-Firmenich, a Netherlands-based conglomerate, says its Bovaer food supplement significantly reduces the amount of methane that cattle belch—and it’s now available in dozens of countries. Read the full story.

—James Temple

Cattle burping remedies is one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025, MIT Technology Review’s annual list of tech to watch. Check out the rest of the list, and cast your vote for the honorary 11th breakthrough.

The must-reads

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

1 Tech leaders are squabbling over Trump’s new Stargate AI project
Musk says its backers don’t have enough money. Satya Nadella and Sam Altman disagree. (The Guardian)+ It’s far from the first time Musk and Altman have clashed. (Insider $)
+ The scrap could threaten Musk’s cordial relationship with Donald Trump. (FT $)

2 Trump has threatened to withhold aid from California
He falsely claimed the state’s officials have been refusing to fight the fires with water. (WP $)
+ A new fire broke out along the Ventura County border last night. (LA Times $)

3 Redditors are weighing up banning links to X
In response to Elon Musk’s salute. (404 Media)
+ Not everyone agrees that the boycott will have the desired effect, though. (NYT $)

4 How right-leaning male YouTubers helped to elect Trump
Young men are responding favorably to content painting them as powerless. (Bloomberg $)

5 Why the US isn’t handing out bird flu vaccines right now
It’s not currently being treated as a priority. (Wired $)
+ How the US is preparing for a potential bird flu pandemic. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Why you might be inadvertently following Trump on social media
And why it may take a while for Meta to honor requests to unfollow. (NYT $)
+ The company has denied secretly adding users to Trump’s followers list. (Insider $)+ Handily enough, Trump has ordered the US government to stop pressuring social media firms. (WP $)

7 Investors’ interest in weight-loss drugs is waning
A disappointing trial and falling sales spell bad news for the sector. (FT $)
+ Drugs like Ozempic now make up 5% of prescriptions in the US. (MIT Technology Review)

8 A software engineer is trolling OpenAI with a new domain name
Ananay Arora registered OGOpenAI.com to redirect to a Chinese AI lab. (TechCrunch)

9 Macbeth is being turned into an interactive video game
The Scottish play is being given a 21st century makeover. (The Verge)

10 Why measuring the quality of your sleep is so tough Read More