This is an area of research I’ve been fascinated by lately, so let’s take a look at the potential to capture the gas underground, as well as the questions that still linger, from how much is produced naturally to whether it can be effectively captured, moved, and stored.

Dive into why underground hydrogen could be the next 21st-century gold rush.

This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

The must-reads

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

1 Republicans fear anger over data centers will cost them in elections
They’ve warned AI companies to stem the backlash. (Axios)
+ And that it could cost Ohio’s Republican senator his seat. (WP $)
+ Voters are trying to recall officials due to data center controversies. (NYT $)
+ Could we just put data centers in space? (MIT Technology Review)

2 A personalised vaccine stopped skin cancer returning in a historic trial
The vaccine was developed by drug companies Merck and Moderna. (BBC)
+ Their shares soared on reports of the mRNA trial. (Axios)
+ But US agencies are abandoning mRNA vaccines. (MIT Technology Review)

3 A Chinese startup has landed a reusable rocket for the first time
LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reached orbit and recovered its first stage. (SCMP)
+ The milestone is a step towards challenging SpaceX’s launch costs. (NYT $)
 
4 A former Meta executive says Zuckerberg put growth ahead of child safety
He testified in a landmark child safety trial. (Reuters $)
+ And said Zuckerberg ignored warnings about harms to kids. (Guardian)
 
5 The US says hackers are targeting Siemens devices in water facilities
Water systems have faced suspected Iran-linked attacks. (CNBC)
+ Officials said attackers are using AI-generated exploitation scripts. (Register)

6 Indian workers are training AI robots to take over their jobs
Robotics companies are collecting videos of humans at work. (Bloomberg $)
+ Gig workers are training humanoids at home. (MIT Technology Review)
 
7 Coders have already found ways around Claude’s AI watermarks
Overrides have been published online. (Wired $)
+ Microsoft has other ideas for proving what’s real. (MIT Technology Review)

8 A new AI tool aims to spot commercially promising science earlier
It could aid investors, but researchers say it has flaws. (Nature)

9 Dinosaur stomach stones may explain how birds took flight
By shifting their centre of gravity for easier lift-off. (Economist $)

10 Some lifeforms can survive on “significant” parts of the Moon
Scientists found that Earth microbes could live for up to a week. (404 Media)

Quote of the day

“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice—and they will not go near the next one. This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle.“

—A memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Democrats have made data centers a “centerpiece” of their campaign to defeat Ohio Senator Jon Husted—and that it’s working.