Author: Wired Magazine

Meeting Sinéad O’Connor in a Cracker Barrel Parking Lot, 1998

Sinéad O’Connor was seated amongst the Amish folks. Whoever gave her that table most likely knew what they were doing. It was 1998, the suburbs of Indianapolis, and O’Connor was in town to perform at Lilith Fair music festival that night; many of the other patrons were in town to go to Lilith Fair. Everyone… Continue reading Meeting Sinéad O’Connor in a Cracker Barrel Parking Lot, 1998

Free Airline Miles, Hotel Points, and User Data Put at Risk by Flaws in Points Platform

Travel rewards programs like those offered by airlines and hotels tout the specific perks of joining their club over others. Under the hood, though, the digital infrastructure for many of these programs—including Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, Hilton Honors, and Marriott Bonvoy—is built on the same platform. The backend comes from the loyalty commerce company Points… Continue reading Free Airline Miles, Hotel Points, and User Data Put at Risk by Flaws in Points Platform

LK-99 Is Fueling a DIY Superconductivity Race

All that Andrew McCalip wanted for his 34th birthday was a shipment of red phosphorus. It was a tough request—the substance happens to be an ingredient for cooking meth and is controlled by the US Drug Enforcement Agency—but also an essential one, if McCalip was going to realize his dream of making a room-temperature superconductor,… Continue reading LK-99 Is Fueling a DIY Superconductivity Race

8 Best Language Learning Apps (2023): Online Courses and a Pocket Translator

Here are a few more services and apps that can work well as supplemental tools to your language learning efforts, though some I don’t like as much as the options above. Lingvist ($10 per month): With a heavy focus on flashcards, Lingvist can help you build your vocabulary quickly, and the makers claim it will… Continue reading 8 Best Language Learning Apps (2023): Online Courses and a Pocket Translator

The First Pill for Postpartum Depression Is Almost Here

About one in eight women in the United States experiences postpartum depression after giving birth. Soon, there may finally be a convenient, fast-acting medication to treat it—if the Food and Drug Administration gives it the green light. The pill, called zuranolone, is taken over the course of 14 days and works to relieve depressive symptoms… Continue reading The First Pill for Postpartum Depression Is Almost Here

‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’ Players Hit With Worm Malware

According to TechCrunch it is unclear why the malware is spreading or what exactly the impact is on gamers. Valve, the owner of Steam, did not comment on the issue, according to the news website. Public companies in the United States will soon have to report data breaches and hacking incidents four days after they… Continue reading ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’ Players Hit With Worm Malware

‘Talk to Me’ Is Horror Made by and for the Internet Generation

Kids are going to do stupid stuff. But what does being terminally online do to IRL relationships when the entire internet is in the palm of your hand? In that world, what does real connection even look like? These were some of the many questions posed by Talk to Me, the new horror film from… Continue reading ‘Talk to Me’ Is Horror Made by and for the Internet Generation

Uber’s Fatal Self-Driving Car Crash Saga Ends With the Operator Avoiding Prison

While Vasquez and Uber may find some closure in the plea deal, self-driving expert Bryant Walker Smith says the NTSB should revisit the Slack issue to find the truth. “I don’t want the story of the first automated vehicle fatality to be a lie. Or be a matter of disputes,” says Walker Smith, a law… Continue reading Uber’s Fatal Self-Driving Car Crash Saga Ends With the Operator Avoiding Prison

When You Drop a Rock Overboard, What Happens to the Water Level?

Physics questions are the most fun when people don’t immediately agree on the answer. What feels intuitive or obvious—sometimes isn’t. We can argue over the solution for hours of entertainment, and we might even learn something in the end. Here’s one of these seemingly obvious questions that’s been around a long time: Suppose a large… Continue reading When You Drop a Rock Overboard, What Happens to the Water Level?