Could Being Cold Actually Be Good for You?
Researchers are exploring the health benefits of literally chilling out.
Surprise! The Pandemic Has Made People More Science Literate
Despite rampant misinformation, Covid-19 has pushed science into the zeitgeist, as people have absorbed new words and how scientific discovery actually works.
An AI Finds Superbug-Killing Potential in Human Proteins
A team scoured the human proteome for antimicrobial molecules and found thousands, plus a surprise about how animals evolved to fight infections.
Researchers Want to Restore ‘Good Noise’ in Older Brains
Aging people lose variation in brain oxygen levels—a sign of declining cognitive flexibility. A new drug study probes whether that loss can be reversed.
RE:WIRED 2021: Neal Stephenson on Building and Fixing Worlds
The science fiction author spoke with WIRED senior correspondent Adam Rogers about climate change and big solutions.
RE:WIRED 2021: Timnit Gebru Says Artificial Intelligence Needs to Slow Down
The AI researcher, who left Google last year, says the incentives around AI research are all wrong.
Climate-Driven Extinction Made Mammals’ Teeth Less Weird
Fossils show how species diversity—and dental diversity—suddenly collapsed 30 million years ago, suggesting a link between climate, diet, and survival.
This Protein Predicts a Brain’s Future After Traumatic Injury
A blood test of “NfL” proteins answers questions about damage severity that doctors—and families—desperately need.
The Lost Tale of an 18th-Century Tsunami, as Told by Trees
Local evidence of the cataclysm has literally washed away over the years. But Oregon’s Douglas firs may have recorded clues deep in their tree rings.