This article is from The Checkup, our weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. 

What’s next for space exploration?  

Whether it’s the race to find life on Mars, the campaign to outsmart killer asteroids, or the quest to make the moon a permanent home to astronauts, scientists’ efforts in space can tell us more about where humanity is headed.

To learn more about the progress and possibilities ahead, our features editor Amanda Silverman sat down with Robin George Andrews, an award-winning science journalist and author, on Wednesday. If you missed their conversation, fear not—you can catch up and watch the video here. You’ll need to be a subscriber to access it, but the good news is subscriptions are discounted right now. Bag yours if you haven’t already! 

The must-reads 

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

1 The Pentagon’s ban on Anthropic has been halted 
A judge has paused its designation as a supply chain risk. (CBS News)  
+ She said the government was trying to “chill public debate.” (BBC) 
+ Sam Altman claimed he tried to “save” Anthropic in the clash. (Axios) 

2 Elon Musk has lost his lawsuit against an ad boycott on X 
A judge admonished the “fishing expedition.” (Ars Technica) 
+ Ad revenue fell by more than half as advertisers fled X after Musk took over. (BBC) 

3 OpenAI has put plans for an erotic chatbot on hold “indefinitely” 
Staff and investors had raised concerns. (The Information $) 
+ The company is making a sharp strategic pivot. (FT $) 
+ AI companions are the final stage of digital addiction. (MIT Technology Review)