Just over a week ago, an employee at a water treatment treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida noticed that the mouse on his screen started moving seemingly on its own. Soon it was clicking through controls, raising the supply of lye in the water supply from 100 parts per million to 1,100ppm, enough to cause serious… Continue reading A Billion-Dollar Dark Web Crime Lord Calls It Quits
Author: Wired Magazine
Scientists Can Literally Become Allergic to Their Research
This story originally appeared on Undark and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Bryan Fry’s heart was pounding as he stepped back from the snake enclosure and examined the bite marks on his hand. He had just been bitten by a death adder, one of Australia’s most venomous snakes. Its neurotoxin-laced bite could cause… Continue reading Scientists Can Literally Become Allergic to Their Research
The Rot of Riot Games Culture Starts at the Top
In 2014, Riot Games’ then-executive assistant Melanie McCracken began to notice that her supervisor, Jin Oh, didn’t seem to hire women into senior leadership vacancies. Women were generally brought on as assistants, she said in a 2018 civil complaint alleging widespread gender discrimination at the League of Legends publisher. Oh, an executive at the company,… Continue reading The Rot of Riot Games Culture Starts at the Top
Researchers Levitated a Small Tray Using Nothing but Light
Their simulations estimated that a 6-centimeter plate could carry 10 milligrams of cargo in the mesosphere under natural sunlight. Ten milligrams may not sound like much; a drop of water weighs five times as much. But engineering advances have shrunk silicon chips into dust-sized sensors far smaller than that. These “smart dust” systems can fit… Continue reading Researchers Levitated a Small Tray Using Nothing but Light
Vaccine Progress, New Mask Guidelines, and More News
America makes deals for more vaccines, the CDC refines mask guidance, and school districts begin reopening. Here’s what you should know: Want to receive this weekly roundup and other coronavirus news? Sign up here! Headlines The US finalizes deals to secure enough vaccines for all eligible Americans by the end of July On Thursday, President… Continue reading Vaccine Progress, New Mask Guidelines, and More News
The Hollywood Tech Tricks Getting Film Crews Back On Set
It’s not surprising that Hollywood has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. After all, movie sets typically require hundreds of people coming together from all around the world to work in close proximity to one another. Early in the spring of 2020, production effectively shut down until further notice. But slowly, quietly, new movies—movies… Continue reading The Hollywood Tech Tricks Getting Film Crews Back On Set
16 Valentine’s Day Deals for Your Sweetheart (or Yourself)
Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set for $118 ($20 off) With Code SAVE15 We haven’t tried these sheets, but we’ve heard great things about them and the brand in general. They come in a few snazzy prints, and they have a year-long return policy. Brooklinen is having a sitewide 15-percent-off sale if you’re looking for something… Continue reading 16 Valentine’s Day Deals for Your Sweetheart (or Yourself)
Listen to an 18,000-Year-Old Instrument Sing Once More
We also know that life must not have been too terrible, since people had the time and energy to make music. And after all, they didn’t need an instrument to make music in the first place. “With a voice, you can make music,” says archaeologist Carole Fritz of the University of Toulouse, a corresponding author… Continue reading Listen to an 18,000-Year-Old Instrument Sing Once More
A Hacker Tried to Poison a Florida City’s Water Supply
Around 8 am on Friday morning, an employee of a water treatment plant in the 15,000-person city of Oldsmar, Florida, noticed that his mouse cursor was moving strangely on his computer screen, out of his control, as local police would later tell it. Initially, he wasn’t concerned; the plant used the remote-access software TeamViewer to… Continue reading A Hacker Tried to Poison a Florida City’s Water Supply
A Silicon Chip Shortage Is Causing Big Issues for Automakers
You may have noticed that it’s difficult to get ahold of new high-end graphics cards and game consoles these days. In large part, that’s due to an ongoing global shortage affecting semiconductor foundries. As it turns out, the problem is even more pronounced in the auto industry. In fact, it’s getting so bad that a… Continue reading A Silicon Chip Shortage Is Causing Big Issues for Automakers