Jul 12, 2018 2:48 AM

Thursday briefing: Alphabet's drone and balloon divisions become full companies

Two of Alphabet's experimental X projects are now companies in their own right, invasive rats are destroying coral reef ecosystems, exposure to herpes could contribute to Alzheimer’s disease

All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

Your WIRED daily briefing. Today, two of Alphabet's experimental X projects are now companies in their own right, invasive rats are destroying coral reef ecosystems, exposure to herpes could contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and more.

Get WIRED's daily briefing in your inbox. Sign up here

1. Alphabet's drone and balloon divisions become full companies

Two of Alphabet's experimental X moonshot projects have graduated to become fully-fledged companies (The Verge). Loon makes communications balloons that fly at the edge of space to relay high-speed mobile broadband to areas with poor internet connectivity and Wing builds delivery drones designed to work in both urban and remote environments. Their creation as full companies means that both now have new CEOs, with Project Loon lead Alastair Westgarth stepping up and Project Wing co-lead James Ryan Burgess taking the reins of the drone firm. Facebook, by comparison, recently announced the cancellation of its UK-developed Aquila solar-powered drone plane project, which was to have provided internet access to remote regions.

2. Invasive rats destroy coral reef ecosystems

New research has found that the presence of invasive rats on tropical islands with coral reefs has a major adverse effect on those reefs' health (BBC News). On islands were rats aren't present to predate them, huge populations of seabirds live, breed and drop guano on the island, which in turn leeches out to nourish nearby coral and the sea life that inhabits the reefs. The researchers advocate a programme of rat eradication projects to return infested islands and their reefs to their natural ecological balance

3. Exposure to herpes could contribute to Alzheimer’s

Evidence is growing for a once-dismissed theory that viral exposure could contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (Gizmodo). A new study has found that two herpesviruses – cold sore virus herpes simplex 1 and human herpesvirus 6, which causes roseola in young children – prompted the rapid development of amyloid beta brain plaques in experimental mice. In Alzheimer’s patients, these plaques gradually destroy the brain, but research now indicates that they may form as a defence against infections that travel to the brain, such as herpesviruses, which have been found more abundantly in the brains of people suffering the disease.

4. The UK is testing signs that detect when phones are used in cars

Weary of drivers still using their phones behind the wheel, one area of the UK is using tech in an attempt to stop people from picking up their handsets (WIRED). The technology, developed by Norfolk-based Westcotec, can detect phone usage in cars and will provide driver alerts similar to a speed indicator sign. It's hoped that the new signs will persuade motorists to change their behaviour. Westcotec’s system is made of two separate but linked parts. The first is an antenna which picks up various mobile signal standards – from 4G down to GPRS (2G). The second is the LED display, which is installed further down the road. When it detects a radio signal from the antenna assembly, the sign lights up with an image reminding drivers that they should be concentrating on the road, not their emails

5. Dolphins and coral reefs come to Minecraft

Mojang's latest Minecraft update adds a wealth of underwater life to the blocky construction game, complete with coral reefs, turtles, dolphins, axolotls and deep-sea trenches (Rock, Paper, Shotgun). The free Update Aquatic is out now for Windows 10, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile and VR devices and its trailer promises a beautiful new world to explore. It's also in pre-release for the original Java version of the game for Linux, MacOS and Windows, with a full official release expected by the end of the month.

Popular on WIRED

The story of human evolution has just been rewritten (again)

Technology has a history almost as old as humankind. When humans first lived in Africa, they began creating tools made of stone, which started the chain of events that led to the invention of the screen you are reading these words on today. Yet new evidence shows instead of a single group of people coming up with these tools, there were groups of humans living across Africa. The groups were kept separate by forests, rivers and deserts, and while they could not communicate with each other, they were separately inventing their own tools.

WIRED 07.18 – on sale now

WIRED 07.18 is out now. This month, we go inside WeWork, one of the most hyped startups in the world, to try and make sense of its lofty valuation. And we investigate the high-stakes lawsuit that could fundamentally change not just Uber, but the entire gig economy. Subscribe now and save.