Uber Says Its UK Drivers Are ‘Workers,’ but Not Employees

The ride-hail giant shifts its stand following a court ruling, part of a global push for a “third category” of workers.

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Netflix’s Marriage or Mortgage Is Maddening

The streaming service's latest glossy reality show is so ill-suited to the present moment, you might find yourself yelling at the TV.

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People Who Text While Walking Actually Do Ruin Everything

Clever experiments demonstrate how having your face in your phone disrupts the flow of pedestrian traffic and makes life difficult for everyone.

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Apple Bent the Rules for Russia. Other Nations Will Take Note

Russian iPhone buyers will soon be prompted to install software developed in that country, setting a precedent that other authoritarian governments may follow.

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A New WeWork Documentary Relives Its Roller Coaster Story

WeWork: Or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn is a good crash course while you wait for the adaptation starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.

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Is Binge-Watching Bad for the Planet? Netflix Finally Answers

The company’s first report on its carbon footprint provides important data that could help it cut its emissions.

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The 6 Best Sunrise Alarms to Help You Rise and Shine

No bedroom window? No problem. These sun simulators just might make it easier to wake up and catch z's.

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Help! How Do I Find a Work Wife?

Also: What to do with clients who want to meet in person? Megan offers her advice.

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Russia’s Failure to Throttle Twitter Isn’t a Sign of Weakness

Widely cast as an indication of frailty, the Kremlin’s bungled crackdown shows the lengths it will go to to control the Russian internet.

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An Ultracold Plasma Models the Universe’s Most Extreme Places

The super cool, dense particle swarm gives physicists a way to study the insides of stars and gas giants—without ever leaving the lab.

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Want Carbon-Neutral Cows? Algae Isn’t the Answer

Recent headlines suggest that feeding seaweed to cattle could help reduce the methane in their burps. But the claims don’t hold up under scrutiny.

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The Backward-Looking Futurism of Stewart Brand

In a new documentary about his life, We Are As Gods, the famous tech prophet looks to his—and Earth’s—past.

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Amazon Has Made Rich Cities Richer—and Also More Dystopian

In a new book, Alec MacGillis explores the growing divide between winner-take-all cities and everywhere else, and the ecommerce giant at the heart of it.

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How to Pay Your Respects During a Virtual Funeral

The pandemic has forced many of our mourning rituals online. Here are some basic rules to make sure you’re not unintentionally causing offense.

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The Struggle to Vaccinate People in Jails and Prisons

One year later, Covid-19 is still impacting incarcerated people at a disproportionate rate. But efforts are under way to prioritize getting them vaccines.

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How to Host a Remote Board Game Night

If you and your friends can’t hang out at the same table, these tools can help bridge the gap.

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The Buzzy, Chatty, Out-of-Control Rise of Clubhouse

Paul Davison and Rohan Seth’s audio-only app is the tech crush of the pandemic. Now comes the hard part: hosting a global gabfest, without the toxicity.

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Foreign Meddling Flooded the 2020 Election—but Not Hackers

A new ODNI report shows how extensive Russian and Iranian influence operations were, but it doesn’t mention a single hack-and-leak incident.

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This Startup Wants to Take Your Blood Pressure With an iPhone

“Hey Siri, help me treat my hypertension."

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HyperX Is Having a Big Sale on Gaming Accessories

From headsets to a great mouse, take advantage of these deals if you're shopping for new hardware.

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Wikipedia Is Finally Asking Big Tech to Pay Up

The Big Four all lean on the encyclopedia at no cost. With the launch of Wikimedia Enterprise, the volunteer project will change that—and possibly itself, too.

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The Best Security Cameras for Inside Your Home

Cameras can offer peace of mind, but choose carefully when you’re inviting one into your home.

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Big Music Needs to Be Broken Up to Save the Industry

A year without live music has been a disaster. So has corporate power in streaming, recording, and ticketing. Antitrust may be the only solution.

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The Departure of 2 Google AI Researchers Spurs More Fallout

Two academics changed plans to attend an invite-only conference this week; a third says he’ll no longer accept funding from the company.

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Covid Meant a Year Without the Flu. That’s Not All Good News

The 2019–20 flu season basically didn’t happen. Same for a couple other respiratory viruses. But that could make future seasons worse.

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Fans Rally Around Blaseball, America’s Favorite Splort

You may not have heard of the Chicago Firefighters or the Breckenridge Jazz Hands. But on Discord, fans from around the world are building real city pride.

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As Digital Currency’s Popularity Rises, So Do Privacy Fears

Backers see a way to reach the unbanked. But any system could give the government a record of every dollar you spend.

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The Secret Auction That Set Off the Race for AI Supremacy

How the shape of deep learning—and the fate of the tech industry—went up for sale in Harrah's Room 731, on the shores of Lake Tahoe.

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This Fitness Band Is for Hardcore Athletes Only

The Whoop Strap 3.0 was developed by and for college-level athletes. For most casual exercise, it misses the mark.

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Watch a Shape-Shifting Robot Prowl the Big, Bad World

Meet DyRET, a doglike machine that can lengthen its four legs on the fly. That’s not to creep out humans, but to help ramblin’ robots of all stripes.

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The UK Is Secretly Testing a Controversial Web Snooping Tool

The country passed its Investigatory Powers Act in 2016. Now, it's building what could be the most powerful data collection system used by any democratic nation.

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This Asus Phone Got Me to Finally Enjoy Mobile Gaming

A lot of phones have tried, but the latest from Asus successfully levels up mobile gaming.

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NASA Gets a Quick Peek at a Mysterious Layer of the Sun

A new map of the chromosphere’s magnetic field could help us predict solar weather patterns—and anticipate flares that wreak havoc on the power grid.

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What You Need to Know About Roblox—and Why Kids Are Obsessed

The video game was just valued at a staggering $45 billion. It's also been a lifeline for my children since the start of lockdown.

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Researchers Blur Faces That Launched a Thousand Algorithms

Managers of the ImageNet data set paved the way for advances in deep learning. Now they’ve taken a big step to protect people’s privacy.

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How to Write a Living Will

When my dad passed away without a will, my family had so many unanswered questions. These resources can help make it easier for those you leave behind.

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How Pi Keeps Train Wheels on Track

Happy 3/14! Here's how this mathematical constant keeps train cars from flying off their tracks during turns.

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The 9 Best TVs (and Helpful Buying Tips)

From LCDs to fancy OLED models, these are our favorite televisions at every price point.

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The Best Veterinary Telemedicine Services for Your Pet

These days, your pet can get medical help without leaving home. These are our favorites televet services.

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A New Kind of Space Explosion Reveals the Birth of a Black Hole

A supernova-like explosion dubbed the Camel appears to be the result of a newborn black hole eating a star from the inside out.

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How You Can Use Google Maps Like a Social Network

The mapping app is about much more than simply getting from A to B. Here's how to get tailored updates, reviews, and local perspectives.

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Video Games Are Helping More People Process Death

Many are seeking solace and connection in-game during the pandemic, and learning to deal with loss at the same time.

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My Treadmill Desk Made Working From Home a Cakewalk

The first day, I logged 8 miles. I haven't looked back.

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Video Games Are Helping More People Process Death

Many are seeking solace and connection in-game during the pandemic, and learning to deal with loss at the same time.

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Indoor-Grown Weed Is Spewing Carbon Into the Atmosphere

Most legal marijuana is grown in a controlled environment. A study just quantified how much damage that's doing to the planet.

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Hackers Accessed Security Cameras Inside Tesla and Beyond

Plus: A Molson-Coors hack, Github controversy, and more of the week's top security news.

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How to Export Your Passwords From LastPass

The popular security service is severely limiting its free tier starting March 16. If you’d like to move your passwords to another manager, here’s how.

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How Far Should Humans Go to Help Species Adapt?

A project to teach threatened marsupials to avoid feral cats is among a host of "assisted evolution" efforts to help animals in the face of climate change.

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Democrats Are Getting Serious About Universal Broadband

After approving a $7 billion fund to help students get internet access, lawmakers on the left proposed a $94 billion package to deploy high-speed broadband nationwide.

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The 21 Best Weekend Deals on TVs, Cameras, and Outdoor Gear

Curl up with Netflix or gear up for spring with deals on rain jackets, televisions, Roku devices, barefoot trail shoes, and more.

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Smartphone Camera Tricks That Will Make Your Life Easier

Selfies are great—but have you ever tapped into the powers of AR, PDF scanning, and reverse image search?

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Netflix's Password-Sharing Crackdown Has a Silver Lining

The streaming service is making account owners enter two-factor codes in a limited test. That's … actually not so bad.

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The Pandemic Turns One, Vaccine Trials Adapt, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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A Bird-Feed Seller Beat a Chess Master. Then It Got Ugly

Twitch and YouTube chess star Levy Rozman has faced over a week of sustained harassment after calling out an alleged cheater.

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Social Media Reminds Us of the Year That Wasn’t

Technology is designed to conjure up warm, fond memories. But the anniversary of lockdown has brought on a period of mourning.

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Tim Wu and Lina Khan Can Now Put Antitrust Theories to Work

Plus: Facebook’s lobbying efforts, tech's information overload, and a bear of a story.

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What If the Afterlife Had In-App Purchases?

The Amazon series Upload shows a comedic—and probably more realistic—version of what would happen if humans could live online after they die.

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With Spectre Still Lurking, Google Looks to Protect the Web

To show how browsers can guard against the speculative execution bug, Google security researchers have shown how an attack would work.

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How to Turn Your Smartphone Into a Webcam

Using your phone (old or new) as a camera for your Zoom meetings is an easy and affordable way to be visibly present if you don't have a webcam on your laptop or PC.

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WTF Is an NFT?

This week we talk about non-fungible tokens, digital art collectors, and what it's like to sell one of your tweets.

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Ocean Acidification Could Make Tiny Fish Lose Their Hearing

Their inner ears turn wonky when they grow up in carbon-rich water, which could keep juveniles from finding their way to the reefs. That could mean trouble.

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The Science of Why Your Friends Shot You From an Airlock

The human brain is fallible. Which is exactly what gives social deduction games their voltage.

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You Need a Password Manager. Here Are the Best Ones

Keep your logins locked down with our favorite apps for PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, and web browsers.

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The Perplexing Psychology of Returning to ‘Normal’

For a year now, we’ve been living in constant fear of Covid-19. But when you get that vaccine in your arm, it’s not like your stress will magically melt away.

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So You Want to Prepare for Doomsday

There’s no cool gear with my method, but it has other advantages.

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A Genetic Curse, a Scared Mom, and the Quest to ‘Fix’ Embryos

Danielle Messer carried a mitochondrial mutation that left her son severely disabled. Before even daring another pregnancy, she tracked down an “egg specialist.”

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Raptor Boyfriend Proves Absurd Dating Sims Are Here to Stay

Following in the footsteps of visual novels like Hatoful Boyfriend and Dream Daddy, this cryptid romance subverts expectations for the genre.

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Meet the Climate Change Activists of TikTok

A crop of eco-creators is bent on educating their followers about the looming global disaster. Can their message translate into action?

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We Need More Covid-19 Data on the LGBTQ+ Community

The lack of sexual orientation and gender identity data captured in the health care system makes it difficult to develop treatments tailored to different needs.

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The 25 Best Deals From Outdoor Winter Clearance Sales

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

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Offshore Energy Gets a Second Wind Under Biden

New turbines proposed for a development off Cape Cod could provide green energy, but the science of how they might affect the environment is a bit murky.

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How to Find a Covid-19 Vaccine Appointment in Your Area

Vaccination rollout has been a challenge across the US. These tips should help you figure out when you’re eligible, where to go, and what to expect.

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The US Has 3 Covid Vaccines—Testing New Ones Is Complicated

Now that authorized versions are available, it’s tough to recruit volunteers for trials that might give them a placebo. But there are other options.

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The Pandemic Prompts Cities to Rethink the Parking Spot

Some urban designers have long wanted to reduce the area set aside for cars. Covid is giving them a chance.

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Could 'The Simpsons' Replace Its Voice Actors With AI?

Deepfake technology can make convincing replicas from a limited amount of data, and the show has thirty years worth of audio to work from.

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Sometimes It’s OK to Give Up

Just because you devoted 100 hours of your life to it, doesn't mean you have to finish a video game that now bores you.

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Help! I’m Drowning in Admin and Can’t Get My Actual Job Done

In this week’s Out of Office column, Megan explains how to stand up for yourself when you’re mired in extra work.

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The 15 Best Wireless Headphones for Everyone

Even if you’re on a budget, these wireless headphones sound like a million bucks.

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SpaceX Is Going All In on Its South Texas Starport

New documents show the company has grand plans for its Boca Chica launch site, providing more evidence that Elon Musk is bullish on SpaceX's future there.

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Could Time Loops Be the New Big Thing for Next-Gen Consoles?

New SSD technology helps developers bend space and time—and creativity.

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The Dire Possibility of Cyberattacks on Weapons Systems

Just because you don't hear about them doesn't mean no one's trying.

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This Fingertip for Robots Uses Magnets to ‘Feel’ Things

By sensing the subtle changes in the finger’s own magnetic field, this new technology could one day make for ultra-sensitive prosthetic hands.

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The Next Frontier of the NFT Gold Rush: Your Tweets

Crypto art is huge right now—and it’s moving far beyond digital images.

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It’s Open Season for Microsoft Exchange Hacks

A patch for the vulnerabilities China exploited has been released. Now, criminal groups are going to reverse engineer it—if they haven’t already.

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This Chip for AI Works Using Light, Not Electrons

Lightmatter says the computing and power demands of complex neural networks need new technologies like these to keep up.

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Good-bye Zoom. Hello Low-Key Ambient Snooping

If you are missing out on serendipity in your remote work, try ramping up your 2-D audio copresence.

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Biden Is Assembling a Big Tech Antitrust All-Star Team

Appointing Lina Khan to the FTC would add an anti-monopoly crusader to a crucial position—as does Tim Wu’s installment at the National Economic Council.

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All the Best Rokus Are On Sale Right Now

If you've been looking for a better TV setup, our favorite streaming devices are discounted.

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Sonos Wants Roam to Be Your Post-Pandemic Party Speaker

Sonos has stood out in the crowded speaker market by selling high-end WiFi speakers. Now it’s fully aboard the portable Bluetooth train.

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Bitcoin’s Greatest Feature Is Also Its Existential Threat

The cryptocurrency depends on the integrity of the blockchain. But China’s censors, the FBI, or powerful corporations could fragment it into oblivion.

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The Best Coffee Grinders to Amp Up Your Morning Brew

Get more joy from your java. These picks let you enjoy freshly ground whole beans in every cup.

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My Kids Struggle With Remote Learning. Here's What Could Help

Like many parents, I've had to constantly advocate for my children's education this year. These are the structural changes that parents actually want to see.

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The Shaky Ground Truths of Wikipedia

Now that it’s warping my portals to the outside world, Wikipedia has me more worried than ever.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla: A Trip to the Land of Ice and Fire

I was surprised at how readily a game could transport me back to my youth—and to a place I always wanted to return.

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'The Code Breaker' Is the Crispr Chronicle You Need to Read

Walter Isaacson’s account, out Tuesday, is a thrilling tale of scientific discovery. He talks about gene-editing tech—and the future of the human race.

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The Pandemic Can’t End While Wealthy Nations Hoard Shots

Eliminating Covid globally means navigating a minefield of competition, limited supply, and suspicion that some vaccines aren’t as good.

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Sci-Fi Writer or Prophet? The Hyperreal Life of Chen Qiufan

As China’s science fiction authors are elevated to the status of oracles, Qiufan’s career—and his genre’s place in society—have gone through the looking glass.

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5 Strategies for Coping With Grief During a Pandemic

There’s no “right” way to deal with loss, whether it’s the loss of a job or a loved one. Here are some resources and practices for managing the pain from home.

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‘Retaliation’ for Russia's SolarWinds Spying Isn't the Answer

It will be hard pointing to a specific line the Kremlin crossed that the US hasn't crossed as well.

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Klara and the Sun Imagines a Social Schism Driven By AI

The Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro talks to WIRED about AI, CRISPR, and his hopes for humanity.

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