Technology
A New Survey Links Vaping to Higher Covid-19 Risk
A Stanford University report shows that teens and young adults who use e-cigarettes are five to seven times more likely to test positive...
Solve the Covid-19 Testing Crunch, Win $5 Million
For decades, governments and private organizations like Xprize have put up prizes to spur scientific innovation. But how much can...
San Francisco Was Uniquely Prepared for Covid-19
Why did an American city beset by inequality and dysfunction face the onset of the pandemic so well? Because history left it ready...
Why Do Solar Farms Kill Birds? Call in the AI Bird Watcher
Solar facilities kill tens of thousands of birds every year, and no one is quite sure why. An artificial-intelligence-powered birder...
Covid-19 Drug Research Is a Big Huge Mess
Scientists have been studying treatments for the disease for half a year. Lack of coordination and a broken system mean they still...
Bill Gates Is Still Optimistic
On the Get WIRED podcast, the philanthropist and Microsoft cofounder tackles everything from Covid-19 vaccine development to TikTok.
What If the Big Bang Was Actually a Big Bounce?
New computer simulations model an alternate way of thinking about the cosmos: as a cyclic universe that has no beginning or end.
A Satellite Spots 11 New Emperor Penguin Colonies
Good news! An orbiter saw signs of almost a dozen previously uncounted colonies in Antarctica, boosting known numbers for a threatened...
Yes, Emissions Have Fallen. That Won’t Fix Climate Change
The drop in carbon pollution will cool the planet only a tiny bit. So how about this: Revive the economy and the Earth by pouring...
The End Is Nearer for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Food Wrappers
Your takeout may come with a dose of chemicals known as PFAS—but the FDA’s push to get rid of some of them will take five years.
