An underreported phenomenon in modern culture is the slow degradation of our collective optimism about the future. Look no further than the delta between the 1962 Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Jetsons—which predicted a space-age utopia replete with flying cars, automated kitchens, and robot maids—and Ridley Scott’s 1982 dystopian sci-fi hallmark Blade Runner, which portrays Los Angeles…
A Reddit post about a bride who demands a wedding guest wear a specific, unflattering shade is sure to provoke rage, let alone one about a bridesmaid or mother of the groom who wants to wear white. A scenario where a parent asks someone on an airplane to switch seats so they can sit next…
Like cold plunging, sauna use isn’t suitable for everyone, however. If you have any heart, kidney, blood pressure, or respiratory concerns or are pregnant, you should avoid the sauna, for example. If you are unsure, you should always consult your doctor before use. And regardless of your level of sauna experience, if you feel lightheaded,…
An AI image generator startup left more than 1 million images and videos created with its systems exposed and accessible to anyone online, according to new research reviewed by WIRED. The “overwhelming majority” of the images involved nudity and were “depicted adult content,” according to the researcher who uncovered the exposed trove of data, with…
A leader in almost everything tech and home-office related for over 40 years, Swiss-founded Logitech offers a vast array of products, including keyboards, consoles, webcams, and tech gear made especially for education, business, and gaming. We at WIRED know the company’s wares well (obviously), so we’ve found the latest Logitech promo codes and deals to…
AI chatbots may have the power to influence voters’ opinions Enrique Shore / Alamy Does the persuasive power of AI chatbots spell the beginning of the end for democracy? In one of the largest surveys to date exploring how these tools can influence voter attitudes, AI chatbots were more persuasive than traditional political campaign tools…
A machine making semiconductor chips David Talukdar / Alamy The latest commodity coveted by the AI industry is computer memory, and the sector is signing deals directly with manufacturers for billions of dollars worth of chips – the very same chips that consumers use in smartphones, laptops and games consoles. At best, this is driving…
The bubonic plague arrived in Europe in the late 1340s CPA Media / Alamy The Black Death, a bubonic plague outbreak that killed up to 60 per cent of the population of medieval Europe, may have been set in motion by volcanic activity around 1345. The plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, is spread by fleas feeding…
Michael Benson’s shot of a robber fly. The flower and fly together are slightly wider than 1 centimetre across © 2025 Michael Benson A butterfly net, tweezers and a drawstring bag brimming with small plastic vials: it is an unusual toolkit for a photographer, but not for Michael Benson. Over six years, he gathered specimens…
Spider silk threads Martin J. Ramirez/Royal Society Publishing These twisting threads wrapped in thinner, looping strands are the silk of an Australian net-casting spider (Asianopis subrufa), a consummate ambush predator. Instead of building a web and waiting for prey to fall into it, this spider holds its net in its front four legs and throws…