Good morning. It's Tuesday, March 24, and welcome to this week's Science & Technology newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
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Earlier this month, the clash between Anthropic and the Pentagon over the military's use of its artificial intelligence tools led to the company being designated a supply chain risk to America's national security. Recognizing it's sure to stay in the news amid ongoing legal challenges over this labeling, we decided to explore Anthropic to better understand how this controversy came about. Then, we'll dive into the history of quantum mechanics before shedding light on bioluminescence.
Let us know what you think! Whether it's feedback on our email format, a comment on this week's topics, suggestions for future coverage, or something else, we're happy to hear from readers. You can get in touch by simply replying to this email.
—Marco Daniel Machado, 1440 Science & Technology Section Editor
Editor's note: A special thanks to readers who've submitted suggestions since the newsletter's launch on how to make it more accessible. For those that welcome audio/visual support, we encourage you to check out the first link in each of our write-ups, which often feature a video explainer to help learn about the topic. |
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What is Anthropic?
Anthropic is an artificial intelligence company and the developer of Claude, a set of large language models powering the company's AI chatbot of the same name (learn how LLMs work). In 2021, wanting to be more safety-oriented and better understand how models make decisions, siblings Daniela and Dario Amodei left OpenAI to co-found Anthropic alongside five other former employees. As a public benefit corporation, it has promoted the responsible development of AI for the long-term good of humanity (learn more).
Rather than relying solely on human feedback to improve Claude, Anthropic introduced constitutional AI. This approach enables AI systems to self-critique and revise their outputs in accordance with a codified set of principles to reduce potential harm. The company also invented the Model Context Protocol, a standardized method for connecting LLMs to external data and tools, enhancing these models' capabilities and helping clear the way for AI agents (watch explainer).
As of early 2026, Anthropic's partnerships with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have made Claude the only advanced, large-scale LLM natively available across all three cloud service providers. Despite controversies over its use of copyrighted material to train AI, Claude's use in cyberattacks, and disputes with the Pentagon over mass surveillance, these partnerships and additional enterprise adoption have brought Anthropic's valuation to $380B as of February 2026.
Learn even more by exploring all our findings on Anthropic here.
Here's a sample of what we found ...
> The Anthropic Economic Index shows AI adoption is highest in computer science roles. (Explore)
> Scaled for each country's working-age population, Israel uses Claude AI the most worldwide. (View)
> How does Anthropic's staff philosopher teach Claude human ethics? (Watch)
> Asking Claude to run a vending machine went terribly wrong. (Watch) |
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Quantum Mechanics, explained
Quantum mechanics is the mathematical foundation of quantum physics, the branch of science that describes the behavior of systems at atomic and subatomic scales. While Newton's laws form the basis of classical mechanics—which explains how bridges, planes, and other everyday objects work—quantum mechanics abandons the precise results of those laws for a system based on probability.
This feature arose from attempts to resolve the prediction from classical mechanics that any object at a nonzero temperature should radiate an infinite amount of energy (watch explainer). The solution—quantization—set discrete minimum thresholds for energy and other properties that objects could have. Unable to reach those thresholds, quantization predicted a lower, finite amount of radiated energy that matched observations.
Applying quantization to experiments involving light led to the wave-particle duality, in which light could be modeled as either discrete particles or electromagnetic waves. After electrons in atoms were identified as existing in discrete (quantized) energy levels, all matter began to be mathematically modeled as both extended waves and localized particles.
Although this "fuzziness" introduced uncertainty into experimental outcomes—scientists can only predict the probability of outcomes rather than determine definitive results—quantum mechanics has been thoroughly experimentally verified, accurately modeling atoms and predicting the existence of antimatter four years before its discovery (watch explainer).
Learn even more by exploring all our findings on quantum mechanics here.
Here's a sample of what we found ...
> Schrödinger's cat helps explain the blur of probability in quantum mechanics. (Watch)
> Quantum mechanics says human teleportation is possible, if you're willing to die in the process. (Listen)
> Does quantum mechanics influence our conscious experience? (Watch)
> Explore quantum field theory, the next level beyond quantum mechanics. (Listen) |
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Bioluminescence, 101
Bioluminescence is the process by which an organism produces its own light due to a chemical reaction. It is sometimes mistaken for biofluorescence, the re-emission of absorbed light in a new color.
Though commonly associated with fireflies and glowworms, the phenomenon is rare in land species. By contrast, an estimated 75% of all ocean animals exhibit this ability themselves or through a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria, which they use for self-defense, hunting prey, mating, and communication (watch explainer).
The steady bioluminescent glow comes from binding oxygen to one of several molecules called luciferin. The chemical reaction produces oxyluciferin, an unstable molecule that emits light (watch explainer). Different species possess different types of luciferin, each of which produces a different oxyluciferin product in the reaction. The variety of oxyluciferin results in the range of observed bioluminescent colors.
Scientists have used bioluminescent proteins to develop tools that enable the observation of cellular biological activity and the identification of biochemical signals within cells. This has enabled drug discovery by allowing monitoring of protein production, cellular movement, and viral spread (learn more).
Learn even more by exploring all our findings on bioluminescence here.
Here's a sample of what we found ...
> See shrimp escape being eaten by releasing bioluminescent chemicals. (Watch)
> Some female fireflies mimic the signals of other species to lure in and eat them. (Watch)
> What makes some ocean tides glow at night? (Watch)
> Check out the bioluminescent tree of life. (View) |
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Like all great scientists, we love spending time researching the latest scientific breakthroughs, tech releases, engaging explainers, and the connections between science and society that are making headlines. Here's what we found this week.
> The White House's review of spending plans is delaying NSF and NIH funding
Science | Jeffrey Mervis. Although most scientists assumed grant money would start to flow soon after federal research agencies received their annual appropriation from Congress in late January, the Office of Management and Budget may be holding agencies to levels requested in May 2025, rather than the more generous amounts Congress approved, prompting fears of insufficient agency funding. (Read)
> Blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has driven chemical shortages across industries
The Economist | Staff. The regional conflict has created a chokepoint for the distribution of, among other substances, 24% of the world's aluminum, 45% of its sulphur—critical for copper and nickel processing—and a third of its helium, which is essential for cooling the supermagnets used to make semiconductors. (Read) | Learn about microchips by exploring our write-up and findings here.
> Ig Nobels move to Europe with no plans for US return
Associated Press | Michael Casey. The satirical awards for scientific achievement are shifting from the US for the first time due to concerns about international guests and journalists obtaining visas. Moving forward, the ceremony will alternate between Zurich and another European city each year. (Read) | Learn about the Ig Nobel's non-satirical sibling, the Nobel Prize, by exploring our write-up and findings here.
> Nvidia CEO responds to backlash over DLSS 5 concerns
Video Games Chronicle | Andy Robinson. Last week's video announcement of the tech giant's new AI-driven upscaling software appeared to show it altering the art direction of supported games rather than solely improving resolution or frame rate. In response, Jensen Huang explained that while DLSS 5 adds generative capability to existing geometry, it can be fine-tuned to match a game's visual art style. (Read) | Learn about NVIDIA by exploring our write-up and findings here.
> Anthropic: How does the Claude Code AI assistant write computer code? (More) |
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We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of science and technology.
Read:
> Simulations suggest Mars' gravity influences the climate cycles on Earth.
> The world's first barcode was a bullseye.
> What it's like to live and work on an Antarctic glacier.
> Learn about the "lighthouse of the Mediterranean," a volcano that's been erupting for over 2,000 years.
> How a 1960s project led three students to design an atomic bomb.
Listen:
> According to new research, what makes ice slippery?
> What psychology and neuroscience can teach us about developing patience.
Watch:
> TIGR-Tas: A potential successor to CRISPR gene editing.
> Where does wind come from?
> Why being near a lightning strike can be more fatal than a direct strike.
Thank you to Marty A. and Heidi M. for inspiring us with their questions! Curious about something in science and technology? Tell us here.
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"To be clear, I believe if we act decisively and carefully, the risks can be overcome—I would even say our odds are good. And there's a hugely better world on the other side of it. But we need to understand that this is a serious civilizational challenge." |
—Dario Amodei, Anthropic CEO |
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