The Many Shades of Bad Physics
What happens when you see bad physics in the world? Does it make you angry? Does it make you laugh? Do you have to hold back a tidal wave of "well, actuallys" because of the overwhelming wrongness? Some might feel […]
Story
Colleges Need Influencers, but Do Influencers Need College?
Among those called out by The New York Times earlier this week for allegedly scamming their kids' way into college were the parents of Olivia Jade Giannulli. Giannulli, as her 2 million YouTube followers know, has a successful career as […]
A Bomb Cyclone Brings Massive Flooding to New England—Again
Since early Friday morning, calls have been crackling across the Duxbury Fire Department dispatch center in a barrage of static. “Tree down on a house on Mayflower Street.” “Wires down on at Keene Street and Congress.” The seaside Massachusetts town […]
The Year of the Scammer: It’s Not Just Con Artists Anymore
Quran Preston considered it the “story of the century”—and in a way, it was. In late October, the college student proudly confessed to being a MAGA-obsessed black Republican who, as tweets detailed days later, had been disowned by her parents […]
With This DNA Dating App, You Swab, Then Swipe For Love
Christopher Plata doesn’t have time or patience for bad dates anymore. The 30 year-old nursing student has been trying for years to meet Mr. Right—first on Grindr and Compatible Partners (eHarmony’s queer subsidiary), and more recently on Bumble—and has yet […]
In 2018, Movies Finally Got the Internet Right—Well, Mostly
In a year full of gnarly horror movies—Hereditary, Halloween, Vice—no film prompted me to squirm away from the screen quite as frequently as the teen drama Eighth Grade. Bo Burnham's directorial debut follows the genial but despondent Kayla (Elsie Fisher) […]
The WIRED Guide to Robots
Modern robots are not unlike toddlers: It’s hilarious to watch them fall over, but deep down we know that if we laugh too hard, they might develop a complex and grow up to start World War III. None of humanity’s […]
While You Were Offline: Trump's 'Smocking' Gets a Mocking
Last week started with President Trump announcing that his chief of staff would be leaving by the end of the month, something that later became potentially untrue because no one wants the job. Apparently, it might end up being Jared […]
Enhance Your Day With the Perfect Workplace Distraction
If your workspace has seemed a bit shoutier than usual in the last few days, you might have Nicole He to blame. The Brooklyn-based programmer and technologist is the creator of ENHANCE.COMPUTER, an online “cyberpunk game” that recalls the futuristic […]
USC Wide Receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe's Crazy Floating Jump
Josh Imatorbhebhe is a wide receiver for the University of Southern California football team. And, um, he can jump crazy high. Take a close look at his vertical jump in the video above. What looks weird about it? It almost […]