On January 1, Mike Neville gave Midjourney the following prompt: “Steamboat Willie drawn in a vintage Disney style, black and white. He is dripping all over with white gel.” There’s no polite way to describe what this prompt conjured from the AI image generator. It looks, very much, like Mickey Mouse is drenched in ejaculate.… Continue reading Sex, Drugs, and AI Mickey Mouse
Author: Wired Magazine
Women in the US Are Now Stockpiling Abortion Pills
When access to reproductive health care is threatened in the United States, a growing number of women stock up on abortion medications to keep on hand in case they need the pills in the future, new research shows. A study analyzed 48,404 requests for “advance provision” abortion medications made to Aid Access, an Austria-based nonprofit… Continue reading Women in the US Are Now Stockpiling Abortion Pills
To Own the Future, Read Shakespeare
many times a year, as if on a hidden schedule, some tech person, often venture-capital-adjacent, types out a thought on social media like “The only thing liberal arts majors are good for is scrubbing floors while I punch them” and hits Send. Then the poetry people respond—often a little late, in need of haircuts—with earnest… Continue reading To Own the Future, Read Shakespeare
These Rogue Worlds Upend the Theory of How Planets Form
“We know from direct imaging searches of young stars that very few stars have giant planets in [wide] orbits,” Bate said. “It is difficult to accept that there were many large planetary systems in Orion to disrupt.” Rogue Objects Abound At this point, many researchers suspect there’s more than one way to make these strange in-between… Continue reading These Rogue Worlds Upend the Theory of How Planets Form
20 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2023
It’s been hard recently to think about anything other than the wars and humanitarian crises raging around the world. Climate change has left its mark in what was almost certainly the hottest year in human history—there were unprecedented heat waves, intensified forest fires, torrential rain, and floods like those in Libya that caused devastation after… Continue reading 20 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2023
CES 2024 Preview: Get Ready for a ‘Tsunami’ of AI
If you’re waiting for the hubbub over generative AI to die down, maybe pull up a chair. The buzz around artificial intelligence shows no signs of quieting—a fact that will become all too obvious at this year’s CES. CES, the consumer electronics industry’s largest annual gathering in the US, is returning to Las Vegas on… Continue reading CES 2024 Preview: Get Ready for a ‘Tsunami’ of AI
Best Slow Cookers (2023) for Soups, Stews and Casseroles
Slow, low-heat cooking is perfect for delicious one-pot dishes and getting the best flavor from cheaper cuts of meat such as lamb shoulder or chicken thighs. With intuitive control panels, the best appliances allow you to throw all the ingredients into the pot, turn it on, and get on with your day while your food… Continue reading Best Slow Cookers (2023) for Soups, Stews and Casseroles
The Most Dangerous People on the Internet in 2023
In 2023, the world has felt like it was balanced on a precipice. A United States presidential election looms, with a resurgent candidate that threatens to bring with him all the chaos of 2016 and 2020. Artificial intelligence developed so quickly that it seemed to have suddenly sprung into being, heralding vast societal promise and… Continue reading The Most Dangerous People on the Internet in 2023
Video Game Adaptations Could Keep Beating Marvel at the Box Office in 2024
Mario’s success will lead to a “deluge” of video game adaptations, argues Joost van Druenen, a New York University business professor and author of One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games. Van Dreunen reckons that superheroes are “going the way of the cowboy,” referring to the shifts in Hollywood’s dominant genres… Continue reading Video Game Adaptations Could Keep Beating Marvel at the Box Office in 2024
5 Best Food Processors and Choppers (2023)
If you’ve already got a blender, stand mixer, or juicer, you may feel like you’re all set for prepping for meals, but—as the best chefs will agree—no kitchen should be without a decent food processor. The perfect multitasking tool for slicing, dicing, chopping, and more, with a good food processor you’ll always feel like you’ve… Continue reading 5 Best Food Processors and Choppers (2023)