Plus: OpenAI agents hijacked a German website before the Hugging Face hack.September 7, 2026 This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How much hydrogen awaits us underground? A flurry of exploration efforts is searching for underground stores of hydrogen gas, which could provide a valuable source of zero-carbon fuel. The hunt has spread all over the world and engaged dozens of startups, including the Bill Gates–backed Koloma, which has been poking around the US Midwest to reach ancient oceanic rocks associated with hydrogen production. But the search so far has come up short. No one has yet reported finding a commercially viable reservoir of the gas, and public data on what has been found remains in short supply. Yet researchers estimate that trillions of tons of H₂ are produced within Earth’s crust. If a small fraction could be recovered, it could meet global hydrogen demand for centuries.
Follow the global race to find hydrogen underground. —James Dinneen
This story is from our latest print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to receive every issue when it lands. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 OpenAI agents hijacked a German website before the Hugging Face hackThe agents turned DseWiki into their own bulletin board. (Reuters $)+ They shared tips on avoiding detection and made over 15,000 edits. (BBC)+ OpenAI’s safety issues suggest it has a company culture problem. (MIT Technology Review) 2 The US military has disabled ad trackers due to Middle East targeting fearsCommercial location data has reportedly been used to target troops. (Reuters $) + It can be sold by data brokers and used to track personnel. (Gizmodo)+ The military is increasing restrictions on phone use overall. (Guardian)3 A company claims its AI-designed drug can reverse aging markersPatients’ average biological age fell by as much as six years in a clinical trial. (NYT $)+ Insilico Medicine developed the drug, called rentosertib. (Bloomberg $)+ Who gets the credit for AI-designed drugs? (MIT Technology Review) 4 Elon Musk’s xAI has lost its bid to block an AI-nudification banThe Minnesota law aims to curb nonconsensual sexual images and CSAM. (Politico)+ xAI argues the measure restricts free speech. (Reuters $)+ Deepfakes are being weaponized. (MIT Technology Review) 5 The US is investigating Tesla’s rollout of Cybercab robotaxisRegulators are probing how Tesla self-certified the unusual vehicle. (TechCrunch)+ The robotaxi lacks a steering wheel and pedals. (Politico)+ But Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not known to wait for regulations. (Reuters $) 6 Europe has its first commercial orbital rocketThe Spectrum is the first rocket to reach orbit from mainland Europe. (Verge)+ German startup Isar Aerospace launched it from Norway. (Guardian)+ Here’s what else we’re putting in space. (MIT Technology Review)
