Science & Technology — June 17, 2026

SpaceX to acquire AI coding platform Cursor for $60 billion. The deal positions SpaceX to compete directly with Anthropic and OpenAI in enterprise software, the company announced Wednesday.

Ars Technica · Read more →

ALS patient works full-time job using brain-computer interface. Casey Harrell, paralyzed by ALS, has used a brain-computer interface — a device that translates neural signals into speech — for nearly three years, MIT Technology Review reports.

MIT Tech Review · Read more →

Sculpted surfaces dramatically boost superconductor performance. Swedish researchers found that subtly reshaping the surface beneath ultrathin superconducting materials significantly improves efficiency -- and could open the door to a new generation of ultra-efficient electronics.

Science Daily · Read more →

DOJ moves to block lawsuit over xAI's unpermitted gas turbines. The Trump administration is intervening against an NAACP Clean Air Act suit targeting xAI's Grok data center, arguing the military requires the AI for national security.

Ars Technica · Read more →

El Niño has formed in the tropical Pacific. Warmer-than-normal Pacific waters have triggered El Niño conditions; forecasters are now assessing how intense the pattern will become and which regions face heat and drought.

NPR News · Read more →