The Download: “reprogramming” aging, and the hidden sense of interoception

<p><em>This is today&#8217;s edition of </em><a href="https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/?_ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289"><em>The Download</em></a>,<em> our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what&#8217;s going on in the world of technology.</em><br></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why “reprogramming” is the buzziest approach to reversing aging right now</strong></h3> <p>Earlier this week, Life Biosciences, a biotech company focused on reversing age-related diseases, announced that it had dosed its first volunteer. A person with glaucoma has had an experimental treatment injected straight into their eyeball.</p> <p>The idea is to treat the disease by regenerating healthy nerves in the eye—but the company already hopes to go further. If the treatment can reverse glaucoma, similar treatments could reverse other diseases of aging. Maybe, just maybe, they could reverse aging altogether.</p> <p>The approach relies on “reprogramming” cells to a younger state. It’s one of many strategies being explored by biotech companies looking to slow and reverse aging. But of all of them, it seems to be the one that is truly taking off.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/12/1138829/reprogramming-buzziest-approach-reversing-aging-right-now/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">Read the full story on the pursuit of reprogramming for rejuvenation</a>.</p> <p><em>—Jessica Hamzelou</em></p> <p><strong>This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. </strong><a href="https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/biotech-the-checkup/?_ga=2.27955388.1879496638.1664182320-160041263.1657781451&amp;mc_cid=a40eac2491&amp;mc_eid=f221407621&amp;utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*"><strong>Sign up</strong></a><strong> to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.</strong></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Inside Interoception: The hidden sense of how you feel inside</strong></h3> <p>Scientists have a word for how we sense ourselves from the inside: interoception. Today, thanks to a 2021 Nobel Prize and new tools that can map internal signaling across the body, research into interoception is taking off.</p> <p>As researchers decode how signals move between body and brain, a clearer picture is starting to take shape—with implications for how we understand and treat conditions from obesity to chronic pain to anxiety.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/?p=1138833&amp;preview=true&amp;_thumbnail_id=1137352&amp;utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">Find out how it’s leading to a “new continent of awareness.”</a></p> <p><em>—Katherine W. Isaacs</em></p> <p><strong>This </strong><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/?p=1138833&amp;preview=true&amp;_thumbnail_id=1137352&amp;utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*"><strong>story</strong></a><strong> is part of MIT Technology Review Explains, our series untangling the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. </strong><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/tag/tech-review-explains/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*"><strong>You can read more from the series here</strong></a><strong>. </strong></p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The must-reads</strong></p> <p><em>I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.</em></p> <p><strong>1 SpaceX has officially delivered the largest IPO in history</strong><br>It’s raised a record $75 billion at a $1.77 trillion valuation. (<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/11/spacex-ipo-prices-75-billion">Axios</a>)<br><em>+ Making Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire (on paper). </em>(<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/spacex-ipo-makes-elon-musk-worlds-first-trillionaire-2026-06-11/">Reuters</a> $)<br><em>+ The IPO will now put his “extreme ownership” to the test.</em> (<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-is-now-a-public-company/">Wired</a> $)<br><em>+ While China attempts to build a Starlink rival. </em>(<a href="https://restofworld.org/2026/spacesail-spacex-starlink-competition-ipo/">Rest of World</a>)<br><em>+ And other challenges to SpaceX emerge.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/03/1114198/rivals-are-rising-to-challenge-the-dominance-of-spacex/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)</p> <p><strong>2 Jeff Bezos wants to build an “artificial general engineer”</strong><br>Through his new industrial AI startup, Prometheus. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/technology/bezos-prometheus-ai-engineer.html">NYT</a> $)<br><em>+ Which just raised $12 billion, valuing it at $41 billion. (</em><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/11/jeff-bezoss-prometheus-raises-12b-to-build-an-artificial-general-engineer-for-the-physical-world/">TechCrunch</a>)<br><em>+ Meanwhile, OpenAI is building a fully automated researcher.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/03/20/1134438/openai-is-throwing-everything-into-building-a-fully-automated-researcher/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)</p> <p><strong>3 Chinese regulators are dramatically intensifying tech enforcement</strong><br>A spell of relative restraint has ended. (<a href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3356909/not-crackdown-china-regulators-signal-more-neutral-enforcement-shift-2021?utm_source=feedly_feed">SCMP</a>)<br><em>+ Regulators have admonished e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com. </em>(<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/75c630a9-8d94-422c-ba0d-8f5fd37f3125">FT</a> $)<br><em>+ And blocked Meta’s acquisition of Chinese AI startup Manus. </em>(<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0v0gr2yz7o">BBC</a>)</p> <p><strong>4 Google says Chinese cybercriminals used Gemini to scam Americans</strong><br>It’s suing the network over the alleged AI-powered scams.(<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/technology/google-lawsuit-china-ai-scams.html">NYT</a> $)<br><em>+ “Supercharged scams” are one of our 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now. </em>(<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/21/1135647/supercharged-scams-ai-artificial-intelligence/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)</p> <p><strong>5 Ukraine&#8217;s defense AI chief predicts a “new paradigm” of warfare</strong><br>He expects AI systems to unify into a single battlefield network. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraines-defence-ai-chief-predicts-new-paradigm-warfare-2026-06-12/">Reuters</a> $)<br><em>+ AI chatbots could be used for targeting decisions. </em>(<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/03/12/1134243/defense-official-military-use-ai-chatbots-targeting-decisions/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)</p> <p><strong>6 Anthropic has rankled users with its safety-first Fable model</strong><br>Stringent safety rules and refusals to help have sparked a backlash. (<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/anthropic-rankles-users-safety-first-fable-release-rcna349702">NBC</a>)<br><em>+ Anthropic has backtracked on some policies. </em>(<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-responds-to-backlash-on-claudes-secret-sabotage-on-ai-research/">Wired</a> $)</p> <p><strong>7 Pokémon Go data trained AI that could assist military drones</strong><br>It could help them locate themselves in war zones. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/12/pokemon-go-data-trained-ai-that-could-assist-military-drones-in-war-zones">Guardian</a>)<br><em>+ Pokémon Go data is also training delivery robots.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/03/10/1134099/how-pokemon-go-is-helping-robots-deliver-pizza-on-time/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)</p> <p><strong>8 Orbital data centers are harder than Silicon Valley thinks</strong><br>Shedding heat in space requires ingenious new designs. (<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/orbital-data-centers-heat">IEEE Spectrum</a>)<br>+ We need a few things to put data centers in space. (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/03/1135073/four-things-wed-need-to-put-data-centers-in-space/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)</p> <p><strong>9 A toy universe shows time could be a quantum illusion</strong><br>It could emerge from quantum interactions, rather than just existing by default. (<a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2529957-toy-universe-shows-that-time-could-be-a-quantum-illusion/">New Scientist</a> $)</p> <p><strong>10 Chatbots keep telling stories about a lighthouse keeper called Ella<br></strong>And now we may finally know why. (<a href="https://www.404media.co/elias-thorne-chatbots-llms-chatgpt-lighthouse-keeper-story/">404 Media</a>)</p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Quote of the day</strong></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>“People are paying a trillion dollars for Elon.”&nbsp;</strong></h2> <p>—Ross Gerber, the CEO of Gerber Kawasaki, which owns SpaceX stock, tells <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/technology/spacex-valuation-skeptics.html">the New York Times</a> why he believes the company’s IPO is overvalued.</p> <p><strong>One More Thing</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="2186" height="1230" src="https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AIGaming_Full_1.jpg?w=2186" alt="a knight standing in a virtual space" class="wp-image-1093721" srcset="https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AIGaming_Full_1.jpg 2186w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AIGaming_Full_1.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AIGaming_Full_1.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AIGaming_Full_1.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AIGaming_Full_1.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2186px) 100vw, 2186px" /><div class="image-credit">GEORGE WYLESOL</div> </figure> </div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><br>How generative AI could reinvent what it means to play</strong></h4> <p>I was immediately attracted to open-world games, in which you’re free to explore a vast simulated world and choose what challenges to accept. To make them feel alive, these games are inhabited by crowds of “nonplayer characters” (NPCs). But the illusion starts to weaken when you spend enough time with them.</p> <p>It may not always be like that. Just as it’s upending other industries, generative AI is opening the door to entirely new kinds of in-game interactions that are open-ended, creative, and unexpected. The game may not always have to end.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/06/20/1093428/generative-ai-reinventing-video-games-immersive-npcs/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C">Discover how generative AI could make games—and other worlds—deeply immersive</a>.</p> <p><em>—Niall Firth</em></p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We can still have nice things</strong></p> <p><em>A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? </em><a href="mailto:[email protected]"><em>Drop me a line</em></a><em>.)</em></p> <p>+ My feet have fallen for the <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/crocs-x-super-mario-collection-coming-7-15/">Crocs x Super Mario</a> collection.<br>+ Denmark’s <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/06/08/front-desk-vibes-back-alley-dreams-feast-your-eyes-on-denmarks-2026-mullet-championship">2026 Mullet Championship</a> is the hottest hairdo contest of the year.<br>+ Hungry at half-time? Here are seven <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/jun/06/international-recipes-inspired-by-world-cup">mouth-watering international recipes</a> inspired by the World Cup.<br>+ Feast your eyes on a helicopter bound for Mars and a flowery Milky Way frame in <a href="https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-026-01609-2/index.html">Nature’s top images from last month</a>.</p>