mit technology review today introduces its 35 innovators under 35 list for 2025, a global selection of scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs who are under the age of 35. the profiles highlight people working across academia and industry, from founders launching companies to researchers in university labs. the package includes a designated 2025 innovator of the year and aims to showcase work that addresses climate change, accelerates scientific progress, and alleviates human suffering from disease.
the honorees were chosen from hundreds of nominees by expert judges and the newsroom staff. the newsletter also carries a viewpoint from julia r. greer, a materials scientist at the california institute of technology and a former honoree, arguing for stronger investment in basic science. greer warns that proposed federal budget cuts are forcing universities to freeze graduate admissions, cancel internships, and scale back summer research, making it harder for young people to pursue scientific and engineering careers. she emphasizes that long-horizon research with applications that may emerge decades later is essential to future technological infrastructure.
the edition rounds up the day’s must-reads, including stories about proposed annual chip supply permits in china affecting south korean firms, america’s first recorded case of screwworm in over 50 years, the heavy use of drones on ukraine’s frontline, and OpenAI’s internal work on why chatbots hallucinate. other highlights cover a data center boom linking silicon valley to the middle east’s Artificial Intelligence expansion, an OpenAI-backed animated film called Critterz, billionaire efforts to extend lifespan, and tesla’s shift toward humanoid robots. a longer dispatch examines Puerto Rico’s lone coal-fired power station in guayama, owned by AES, linking the plant to rising local cancer counts from just over 103 cases per year before the plant opened to 209 cases in 2022. the newsletter closes with a light section for diversion and practical tips for readers.
