The Energy Sector Must Prepare for More Extreme Weather

Energy plants, like those in Texas, don’t guard against events that are perceived to be exceedingly rare. That’s no longer an option.

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Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Is Now Armed—in the Name of Art

A group of meme-spinning pranksters attached a paintball gun to the dynamic robot to make a point about the automated future.

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The Mantis Shrimp Inspires a New Material—Made by Bacteria

By 3D-printing scaffolds and dipping them in microbe juice, scientists make robust structures that could one day lead to self-growing roads.

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Lenovo's X1 Carbon Shows Why Linux Is Great on ThinkPads

It’s not flawless, but the excellent hardware and software support make this a great laptop for Linux users.

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Cheese Actually Isn’t Bad for You

Don’t feel sheepish reaching for that manchego. Cheese doesn’t deserve its unhealthy reputation.

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Alexa Has No Place on Your Face. The Echo Frames Prove it

The tech giant’s new smart glasses are an innovative way to accomplish very little.

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The Pandemic Will End—but Covid-19 May Be Here to Stay

Some viruses became endemic over time, circulating constantly, perhaps in a less lethal form. We’ll need a new game plan if this one sticks around.

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China Hijacked an NSA Hacking Tool—and Used It for Years

The hackers used the agency’s EpMe exploit to attack Windows devices years before the Shadow Brokers leaked the agency’s zero-day arsenal online.

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Million-Year-Old DNA Rewrites Mammoths' Evolutionary Tree

The oldest DNA ever sequenced shows how the genus split off into new species.

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Sprinkle Some Fun Into Your Pandemic Home Cooking

Chaat is filled with recipes for making Indian-style snack foods, each a fireworks show of flavor.

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The Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Be Meaningful After All

By digging out signals hidden within the brain’s electrical chatter, scientists are getting new insights into sleep, aging, and more.

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7 Apps to Make the Most of Your Streaming Music Subscription

Do more with your library—find lost tracks, organize your collections, discover new tunes.

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The Best Loungewear for Working From Home in Comfort

No one has time to look professional anymore. Just toss on one of these hoodies, shirts, or sweatpants and bask in the snuggles.

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A Trippy Visualization Charts the Internet's Growth

In 2003, Barrett Lyon created a map of the internet. In 2021, he did it again—and showed just how quickly it's expanded.

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Sites Have a Sneaky New Way to Track You Across the Web

Plus: A LastPass rate change, Clubhouse concerns, and more of the week's top security news.

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The Best Posture Correctors to Put a Stop to Your Slouch

You're hunched over your desk and phone for hours. So we rounded up the gear to help you straighten up—including a DIY trick and yoga advice.

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Can Hamburger Buns Save Your Pipes from Freezing?

Water expands when it freezes, and that’s bad for plumbing. Insulation—any insulation—is better than nothing.

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Gamify Your Workouts With Ergatta's Rowing Machine

This internet-connected rower makes sweating fun by adding a layer of video game logic to your exercise routine.

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Why France’s New Tech ‘Repairability Index’ Is a Big Deal

Liberté, égalité, reparabilité.

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6 Clever Ways to Use the Windows Command Prompt

A rundown of things you can do faster, easier, and with less hassle, all just by peeking under the hood.

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The 18 Best Weekend Deals on Masks, Headphones, and MacBooks

If you’re looking to stay warm or just need a bit of self-care, check out these discounts.

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A Second AI Researcher Says She Was Fired by Google

Margaret Mitchell was the co-leader of a group investigating ethics in AI, alongside Timnit Gebru, who said she was fired in December.

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The UK Is the Latest Country to Tighten the Screws on Uber

The country's highest court ruled that the 25 drivers who filed a lawsuit should be considered workers and entitled to minimum wage and vacations.

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L.L.Bean's Extra Warm Bean Boots Are $140 Off Right Now

The limited-edition, Gore-Tex lined, insulated version of the classic duck boot is $129 at the moment.

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Storm Delays for Vaccines, Expanded Sequencing, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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What Would It Take to Actually Settle an Alien World?

David Gerrold's new novel Hella is about a low-gravity planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures—and it doesn't skip the logistical details of human habitation.

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Australia Is Fighting a Platform War on the Wrong Battlefield

Plus: Google’s ad software, the future of space travel, and the Texas governor’s weird tune.

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The Love Triangle Is a Sex Toy With a Pleasurable Price

This adorable little device is actually a powerful two-in-one suction toy and vibrator.

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The Mars Landing Was the Best Thing on TV This Week

Apologies to all other TV.

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It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Get a PlayStation 5

This week, we share our horror stories about trying to procure Sony’s elusive new gaming console. We also share tips for testing your own luck.

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When World of Warcraft Is an Escape—and a Memorial

As kids, my cousin Kano and I spent hours together in this fantastical world. During quarantine, and for the first time since his death, I logged in again.

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As Coronavirus Variants Spread, the US Struggles to Keep Up

The nation is a sequencing superpower. But without a federal strategy or enough funding, scientists can’t coordinate to track an evolving threat fast enough.

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Our 14 Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less

You can probably fill a football stadium with all the cheap headphones out there. We're here to help you pick the right pair.

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The AI Research Paper Was Real. The ‘Coauthor’ Wasn't

An MIT professor found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks."

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Apple Offers Its Closest Look Yet at iOS and MacOS Security

In its latest Platform Security Guide, Cupertino raised the curtain on the critical features that protect against hackers.

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NASA Lands the Perseverance Rover on Mars

The science mission will launch the first drone to fly on another planet, attempt making oxygen in space, and search for signs of ancient life.

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The Grim Consequences of a Misleading Study on Disinformation

An influential study relies too heavily on news media reporting—which has only recently acknowledged the social media manipulation problem at all.

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'Valheim' Is the Endless Survival Game You've Been Craving

After a few hours with Steam's newest Early Access success, which surpassed 2 million sales in less than two weeks, the game's allure becomes clear.

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4 Work-From-Home Tech Tricks I Learned From Twitch Streamers

They stay at their desks for hours at a time, communicate with the world, and look great in the process. Here's what they can teach us.

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Birders’ Tweets Are Causing an Online Flap

Sharing photos and location details of rare bird sightings is boosting the birdwatching community. But some worry that the exposure threatens the animals.

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Lenovo's Desktop PC Has Plenty of Beauty, Not Enough Brawn

This all-in-one desktop PC has a clever, eye-catching design, but its meager performance doesn't earn kudos.

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Online Meetups Are Sad, but What If You Were a Cute Animal?

A conference organizer's solution to virtual gatherings during the pandemic is equal parts audio chat, serendipity, and Animal Crossing.

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The Best Smart Bulbs to Light Up Your Home

They're the easiest way to start building a smarter home. From Nooie and Ikea bulbs to Phillips Hue and ambient lighting kits, here are our favorites.

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Feds Indict North Korean Hackers for Years of Heists

The three men are allegedly part of a group that tried to steal $1.3 billion in an extended—and ongoing—cybercrime spree.

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Parler Says It's Back

The platform was kicked off Amazon's servers. Now it says it's no longer relies on "Big Tech" for its infrastructure.

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Keep This Gear at Home In Case of Emergencies

From flashlights to water purifiers, these items can be of immense help in case of a natural disaster or power outage.

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Malware Is Now Targeting Apple’s New M1 Processor

Two distinct strains of malware have already adjusted to the new silicon just months after its debut.

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Researchers Are Studying These Worm Blobs to Build Robots

These crawlers form clumps to protect the collective. Understanding their movement gives engineers a model for shape-shifting robot swarms.

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The Pandemic Holds These Keys to a Better Education

First of all, shorten your lectures. Now is the time to rethink the way that schools should accommodate students and teachers from all backgrounds.

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How to Watch NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Landing

NASA’s biggest and boldest rover attempts a momentous landing on February 18. Here’s how to watch—and why you should.

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The LA Musician Who Designed a Microphone for Mars

How an obsession with space led to a partnership on the Perseverance rover—and the chance we could finally hear what our planetary neighbor sounds like.

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What My Dialup Youth Taught Me About Sex and the Internet

The first generation of girls to grow up on the internet are now parents themselves. That might mean a new approach to sex education.

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TV Characters Don’t Have Text History. This Is Not OK

You’ve seen it before: If a show includes a shot of a texting app, it looks like characters who are intimate have somehow never texted each other before.

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How to Get Started Making Bread at Home

Save some dough by baking your own. Here are our favorite tips, tools, and recipes to help your homemade loaf rise above.

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Nature Makes Wood. Could a Lab Make It Better?

For millennia, humans have been chopping down trees and harvesting plants. Lab-grown plant material might change that.

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How to Avoid Phishing Emails and Scams

It's is a bigger threat than ever. Here are some ways you can defend yourself.

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If Work Is Going Remote, Why Is Big Tech Still Building?

Google, Facebook, and others promise more flexibility to work from home. But they’re charging ahead with plans for more offices.

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2034, Part IV: The Spratly Islands Ambush

“In a thousand years America won’t be remembered as a country, but simply as a fleeting moment.”

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New From Lego: AR Llamas That Dance to Katy Perry

The company's latest learning platform incorporates coding elements, augmented reality, and a selection of kid-friendly pop tunes.

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France Ties Russia's Sandworm to a Multiyear Hacking Spree

A French security agency warns that the destructively minded group has exploited an IT monitoring tool from Centreon.

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How to Calculate the String Angle of a Kite vs. a Balloon

It's a beautiful day to go outside with a kite or a balloon, and compute how wind speed alters their flight.

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How to Use Your PS5 or Xbox Controller Everywhere Else

Want to play games on your phone, desktop, laptop, or tablet? If you own a console, you probably don't need a separate controller.

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Billionaires See VR as a Way to Avoid Radical Social Change

Tech oligarchs are encouraging the creation of virtual worlds as a cheap way to avoid problems in the real one.

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Underwater Meditation and the Therapeutic Benefits of VR

Virtual reality can be a supportive tool for people with disabilities or anxiety, or who just need help getting up and moving.

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A Case Against the Peeping Tom Theory of Privacy

Yes, it's creepy when companies can track your every move. But that's not the only problem.

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How Covid Gums Up the Court System

Videofeeds sometimes fail, defense attorneys can’t confer with clients, and witnesses have a hard time reviewing documents.

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Scientists Find Strange Critters Under a Half Mile of Ice

Researchers only drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf to sample sediment. Instead, they found animals that weren't supposed to be there.

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What Happens When You Swap a Human Gene With a Neanderthal’s?

Now that we’ve gotten a look at the genomes of archaic humans, researchers are trying to determine whether our differences are due to genetics.

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Authoritarian Regimes Could Exploit Cries of ‘Deepfake’

Identifying doctored videos is essential. But assuming everything is faked allows autocrats to cast doubt on real videos of their violence.

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Don’t Tell Einstein, but Black Holes Might Have ‘Hair’

The general theory of relativity states that black holes have only three observable properties; additional ones, or “hair,” do not exist. Or do they?

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How to Level Up Your At-Home Recording Studio

Ready to upgrade your USB microphone or headset to something better? Here’s how to make sense of pro(ish) audio gear.

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The Untold History of America’s Zero-Day Market

The lucrative business of dealing in code vulnerabilities is central to espionage and war planning, which is why brokers never spoke about it—until now.

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A Billion-Dollar Dark Web Crime Lord Calls It Quits

The “big hack” redux, riot planning on Facebook, and more of the week's top security news.

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Scientists Can Literally Become Allergic to Their Research

Researchers spend long periods of time around the organisms they study. Sometimes, that exposure has unintended—and potentially deadly—effects.

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19 Face Masks We Actually Like to Wear

Plus, updated tips on how to wear them most effectively—whether you're running, going to work, or just trying to stay safe and stylish.

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The Best Presidents' Day Deals for the Home, Phones, and More

Take advantage of the many sales going on this weekend and save on gear you might need.

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We Need a Global Outbreak Investigation Team—Now

The WHO’s fact-finding mission into the origins of Covid-19 was limited and late. But there are models to help prepare for the next crisis.

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A New Artificial Intelligence Makes Mistakes—on Purpose

A chess program that learns from human error might be better at working with people or negotiating with them.

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How to Have a Meaningful Video Chat … With Your Dog

Has the pandemic separated you from your four-legged friend? These tips will help you stay in touch.

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The Rot of Riot Games Culture Starts at the Top

CEO Nicolo Laurent continues to employ multiple top executives who have been accused of sexism and harassment—and is himself the subject of a complaint.

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Researchers Levitated a Small Tray Using Nothing but Light

One day a “magic carpet” based on this light-induced flow technology could carry climate sensors high in the atmosphere—wind permitting.

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Vaccine Progress, New Mask Guidelines, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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Mrs. Coulter Is One of the Best Villains on TV

Ruth Wilson's character is the highlight of HBO's His Dark Materials.

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The Crushing Disappointment of Fandom

Gina Carano, Joss Whedon—this week has been full of dispiriting news about people many fans admire.

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New York City’s Surveillance Battle Offers National Lessons

A lack of police transparency highlights how citizens need to remain vigilant to take back control over their privacy.

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Optimizely’s Founder Wants to Augment Your Memories

Plus: The Obama campaign’s data wiz, the limits of content moderation, and a video filter gone awry.

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Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro Are the Best Premium Earbuds

Samsung's AirPods Pro competitors have better battery life, better sound, and a more comfortable fit than Apple's buds.

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Hackers, Mason Jars, and the Science of DIY Shrooms

The history of home cultivation methods of Psilocybe is more connected to early internet culture than you'd think.

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Carjackings Are Up—and Gig Workers Are Getting Victimized

Drivers, often unfamiliar with a neighborhood, leave cars running while dropping off food. Opportunistic thieves lie in wait.

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The Wanting Mare Is the Most Visual Fantasy in Recent Memory

It asks you to dig into your past—with the help of some magic horses.

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This Cryptocurrency Is Really Burning a Hole in My Pocket

This week, we discuss crypto’s role in the future of shopping. When can we to use it to buy everything from Nikes to Teslas?

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If You Can Learn Twitch-Speak, You Can Learn a Language

If I could come to understand forsenCD and poggers, then teaching myself Mandarin Chinese didn't seem too far-fetched.

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Microsoft’s Big Win in Quantum Computing Was an ‘Error’

In a 2018 paper, researchers said they found evidence of an elusive theorized particle. A closer look now suggests otherwise.

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Our Picks From Outdoor Winter Clearance Sales Going on Now

The best time to buy is when the season is winding down. It's not just cold-weather picks, but backpacks, headlamps, sporks, and more.

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The Hollywood Tech Tricks Getting Film Crews Back On Set

Filmmakers really can’t WFH during a pandemic. These innovations help them shoot from a safe distance.

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The CDC Now Recommends Double-Masking. Here's How to Do It

The CDC has released a report showing that two masks are better than one for curbing transmission of the coronavirus. Here's the proper way to double up.

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Aurora Partners With Toyota on Self-Driving Sienna Taxis

The autonomous vehicle startup purchased Uber’s struggling self-driving technology division in December.

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As More Women Enter Science, It’s Time to Redefine Mentorship

In STEM fields, female students often can’t find an adviser who looks like them. It’s important to talk about what they need from a mentor.

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A Windows Defender Flaw Lurked Undetected for 12 Years

Microsoft has finally patched the bug in its antivirus program after researchers spotted it last fall.

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The Best Base Layers to Keep You Warm

Strip down to basics with our favorite blended, merino wool, and synthetic tops.

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