Extreme Wildfires Have Doubled in Frequency and Intensity in the Past 20 Years
These findings align with other evidence that wildfires are getting worse—such as the total area burned each year ratcheting up.
https://www.wired.com/story/wild-fires-becoming-more-common-climate-change/
How the Brain Decides What to Remember
Electric ripples in the resting brain tag memories for storage and add credence to advice about the importance of rest.
The Supreme Court Doesn’t Want You to Have Clean Water and Safe Air
Four key rulings from the court will hamper the ability of the EPA and other agencies to write and enforce climate policies.
https://www.wired.com/story/supreme-court-clean-water-safe-air-epa-chevron-koch-brothers/
How to Run on the Moon
It’s hard to stay fit in low gravity. Here’s a simple solution, using Einsteinian physics and an old carnival stunt.
https://www.wired.com/story/running-on-the-moon-with-the-circle-of-death/
How a Group of Butterflies Managed to Fly 4,200 Kilometers Without Stopping
When butterflies not native to South America appeared on a beach in French Guiana, entomologists started sleuthing to prove where they came from—and how they might have got there.
Health Care Should Be Designed for the Extremes of Life
Much of health care is designed with the “comfortable middle” of society in mind, says designer Yves Behar, when it should be tailored to children, the elderly, and those with disabilities.
https://www.wired.com/story/wired-health-yves-behar-design-health-fuseproject-snoo-moxie/
US Government Awards Moderna $176 Million for mRNA Bird Flu Vaccine
As fears of a pandemic mount, the biotech company’s mRNA vaccine trial is set to release Phase 1/2 results later this year, with a larger Phase 3 trial expected to begin in 2025.
https://www.wired.com/story/moderna-mrna-vaccine-bird-flu-h5n1/
A Chinese Space Startup Launched Its New Rocket by Accident
Space Pioneer blamed a “structural failure” for the unintended blastoff.
https://www.wired.com/story/space-pioneer-rocket-launch-accident/
The UK’s NHS Going Digital Would Be Equivalent to Hiring Thousands of New Doctors
More than 30 million Brits have the NHS app. This represents an opportunity to transform the health service, which shadow health secretary Wes Streeting calls “an analog system in a digital age.”
https://www.wired.com/story/wired-health-wes-streeting-nhs-app/
Hurricane Beryl Isn’t a Freak Storm—It’s the Exact Nightmare Meteorologists Predicted
A hot ocean provides the energy hurricanes need to grow—and can limit the cooling that happens in their wake, making it likelier that the storms that follow will be powerful ones.
https://www.wired.com/story/hurricane-beryl-category-5-storm-extreme-weather-summer-2024/
The Hunt for the Most Efficient Heat Pump in the World
A new generation of engineers has realized they can push heat pumps to the limit, but just how much heat you can extract depends on your setup.
Sexist Myths Are a Danger to Health
To improve outcomes for female patients, all evidence needs to be considered—while outdated myths about the significance of sex differences need to be retired.
https://www.wired.com/story/wired-health-angela-saini-gender-health-gap-sexism/
Leading Lab-Grown Meat Company Cuts Dozens of Jobs
Upside Foods is slashing staff, citing legislative, regulatory, and funding headwinds.
Climate Change Has Fried Earth So Badly Trees Won’t Save You Today—But I Will
The people of Phoenix will suffer under extreme heat this summer. The city has workers for that.
Not Everyone Loses Weight on Ozempic
For many patients, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy lead to substantial weight loss. But some see much less benefit, and researchers are trying to figure out why.
https://www.wired.com/story/glp1-no-weight-loss-ozempic-wegovy-mounjaro-semaglutide-tirzepatide/
Cryptographers Are Discovering New Rules for Quantum Encryption
Researchers have proved that secure quantum encryption is possible in a world without hard problems, establishing a new foundation for what is needed to keep information secure.
https://www.wired.com/story/cryptographers-are-discovering-new-rules-for-quantum-encryption/
The US Wants to Integrate the Commercial Space Industry With Its Military to Prevent Cyber Attacks
As more and more infrastructure is deployed in space, the risk of cyber attacks increases. The US military wants to team up with the private sector to protect assets everyone relies on.
Extreme Hail Storms Are Wrecking Solar Farms—but Defending Them May Be Easier Than It Seems
Climate change is making hail storms more intense, so designers have to find novel solutions to protect panels from expensive damage.
If Betelgeuse Explodes, Just How Bright Will It Get?
This supergiant star is in our celestial neighborhood, and it’s threatening to go supernova. What would that look like from down here?
https://www.wired.com/story/if-betelgeuse-explodes-how-bright-will-it-get/
NASA Desperately Needs New Spacesuits. Private Firms Are Struggling to Make Them
Collins Aerospace is expected to back out of a contract with NASA, while high interest rates and a difficult supply chain environment have affected Axiom.
https://www.wired.com/story/nasas-commercial-spacesuit-program-just-hit-a-major-snag/