Track 13. Venture-Backed Geoengineering, iPhone Air, Declining Birth Rates

Bullet Train is your express route to the stories, products & concepts shaping our future. No short-term headlines, no fluff—just the innovations transforming the world and our place in it, curated by the team behind the Meco App.

It’s still August and we’re still bringing you the express version of Bullet Train — today’s read should take just about 3 minutes.

Hey Bullet Trainers,

Remember when we chatted about ’shrooms in medicine? Well, the FDA just rejected one lab’s bid to use ecstasy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. While we still think public perception is shifting toward psychedelic medicine, we might not see it in mainstream healthcare for a while.

Now for everything else that got us into a future-thinking mindset this week…

It’s August 14^th . Today’s stops include:

• What happens when venture money tackles climate change 💸 

• Is Apple nodding to the “dumb phone” movement? 📞 

• Governments are stressing about low birth rates 🧑‍🍼 

And don’t miss our #offtherails segment — not so future-focused, just a bit of fun

Weekly coverage of stories shaping the future — brought to you in streamlined bullet points

What happens when venture money tackles climate change

• What to know: many see geoengineering as a last resort for reversing climate change — but now, venture-backed capital is getting behind it

• Uncertain science: geoengineering innovations involve altering the natural climate to reverse man-made climate change, which is… risky

• Big money worries: current geoengineering regulations are a bit loose, and some worry that a surge of venture funding in this space could result in unintended and unpredictable environmental impacts

• An optimistic take: things could get worse for sure… OR maybe this pressure from Silicon Valley could force a more concerted global effort between governments, scientific research, and private wealth to find the most effective and beneficial climate solutions — we can hope!

For a deeper dive, we recommend this article

Is Apple nodding to the “dumb phone” movement?

• What to know: rumors suggest next year’s iPhone 17 lineup will feature a slimmer, lighter ‘iPhone Air’ — a very subtle nod to a more minimalistic vibe, but this decidedly won’t be a dumb phone

• Early praise: people seem to love the idea of an Air phone model, which should have a lower price point than a Pro, with a likely reduction in camera quality and performance, but all the AI bells and whistles

• A smart(phone) move: Apple hasn’t made a significant shape update in a while so it’s a good marketing move, and they’ll try and pack in as many features as possible into the thinner frame if it sells well

• The dumb phone movement: there are those wanting a more utilitarian and less addictive phone experience — and while Apple won’t ever be the one to deliver it — we think dumb phones will still be a quiet trend to keep your eyes on 👀 

A story that diverted us from our day job

Governments are stressing about low birth rates

• What to know: birth rates are dropping in developed countries, which could lead to economic slowdowns and unsustainable pressure on the workforce

• The numbers: to maintain a population, a country’s birth rate needs to be 2.1 children per woman (on average) — right now in the US that number is 1.62, in the UK it’s 1.49, and in South Korea it’s as low as 0.81

• Pushing policies: some countries have tried offering prospective parents baby bonuses, paid parental leave, and childcare subsidies — but it’s just not working to turn the numbers, and that’s making legislators nervous

• A lot to unpack: there are a lot of interesting implications and various rabbit holes to go down on this one, which is why we sidetracked hard… if you’re interested in a deeper read we recommend this article

A bit of fun to round out your ride

• Banksy is back: the artist left a series of enigmatic animal-themed murals painted across London over the last week and a half

• You can add chess to the list of high-risk sports, as a Russian player was just accused of trying to poison her rival by lacing their board with mercury

• Watch a Sony robot stitch up a microscopic incision on a corn kernel 

• “To understand the internet, you have to assume that everyone has a constant, low-level amount of horniness” — was the opening sentence in an article on AI chatbots that snagged our attention this week

Here’s what Bullet Train readers had to say about last week’s polar(izing) express topic:

Do you think social media platforms will ever change to support youth mental health?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 No, sadly (82%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, there's still hope! (18%)

Please mind the gap as you get off the train ✌️