Science

• NASA has produced oxygen on the surface of Mars for the first time
  The MOXIE experiment, which flew with NASA’s Perseverance rover to Mars, has turned some of the planet’s carbon dioxide atmosphere into clean, breathable oxygen
• The science of how lockdown messes with the way we grieve
  Lockdown is affecting how millions of people grieve. We need to be mindful of that when restrictions ease, says Dean Burnett

Space

• Mars Science Lab launch delayed two years
  NASA's launch of the Mars Science Laboratory -- hampered by technical difficulties and cost overruns -- has been delayed until the fall of 2011, NASA officials said at a news conference Thursday in Washington.
• iReporters watch planets, moon align
• Shuttle lands at California air base
  NASA officials Sunday waved off the first opportunity for space shuttle Endeavour to return to Earth, citing poor weather conditions.
• Inspiration for 'Contact' still listening
  From a remote valley in Northern California, Jill Tarter is listening to the universe.
• Indian lunar orbiter hit by heat rise
  Scientists have switched off several on-board instruments to halt rising temperatures inside India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft.

AI news

• Combining light, superconductors could boost AI capabilities
  As artificial intelligence has attracted interest, researchers are focused on understanding how the brain accomplishes cognition so they can construct systems with general intelligence comparable to humans' intelligence. Researchers propose an approach to AI that focuses on integrating photonic components with superconducting electronics; using light for communication and complex electronic circuits for computation could enable […]
• Researcher uses bat-inspired design to develop new approach to sound location
  Inspired by the workings of a bat's ear, a professor of mechanical engineering has created bio-inspired technology that determines the location of a sound's origin.
• Artificial Intelligence could 'crack the language of cancer and Alzheimer's'
  Powerful algorithms can 'predict' the biological language of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, scientists have found. Big data produced during decades of research was fed into a computer language model to see if artificial intelligence can make more advanced discoveries than humans.
• Robots can be more aware of human co-workers, with system that provides context
  A new context-aware system for robots is ready for implementation on the factory floor. A recent study shows the system is more efficient because it can recognize co-workers and their body shapes, and even predict their movements.
• Screening for skin disease on your laptop
  A biomedical engineer is reporting a new deep neural network architecture - to be used on a standard laptop - that provides early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare autoimmune disease marked by hardened or fibrous skin and internal organs.
• Deep learning networks prefer the human voice -- just like us
  A study proves that AI systems might reach higher levels of performance if they are programmed with sound files of human language rather than with numerical data labels. The researchers discovered that in a side-by-side comparison, a neural network whose 'training labels' consisted of sound files reached higher levels of performance in identifying objects in […]
• A robot that senses hidden objects
  RF Grasp is a picking robot that combines vision with radio frequency (RF) sensing to find and grasps objects, even if they're hidden from view. The technology could aid fulfillment in e-commerce warehouses.
• Even without a brain, metal-eating robots can search for food
  This 'metal-eating' robot can follow a metal path without using a computer or needing a battery. By wiring the power-supplying units to the wheels on the opposite side, the robot autonomously navigates towards aluminum surfaces and away from hazards that block its energy source.
• Scientists create next gen living robots
  Scientists up to create the next version of Xenobots - tiny biological robots that self-assemble, carry out tasks, and can repair themselves. Now they can move faster, and record information.
• New early warning system for self-driving cars
  A team of researchers has developed a new early warning system for vehicles that uses artificial intelligence to learn from thousands of real traffic situations. The results show that, if used in today's self-driving vehicles, it can warn seven seconds in advance against potentially critical situations that the cars cannot handle alone - with over […]
• Soft robotic dragonfly signals environmental disruptions
  Engineers have developed an electronics-free, entirely soft robot shaped like a dragonfly that can skim across the water and react to environmental conditions such as pH, temperature or the presence of oil. The proof-of-principle demonstration could be the precursor to more advanced, autonomous, long-range environmental sentinels for monitoring a wide range of potential telltale signs […]
• How tiny machines become capable of learning
  Living organisms, from bacteria to animals and humans, can perceive their environment and process, store and retrieve this information. They learn how to react to later situations using appropriate actions. A team of physicists have developed a method for giving tiny artificial microswimmers a certain ability to learn using machine learning algorithms.
• Researchers' algorithm designs soft robots that sense
  Researchers developed a deep learning neural network to aid the design of soft-bodied robots. The algorithm optimizes the arrangement of sensors on the robot, enabling it to complete tasks as efficiently as possible.
• Expressing some doubts about android faces
  Researchers used infrared motion capture technology to record the facial expressions of android faces. They identified ways in which the robot faces lacked the nuance of actual human movements, which can help improve upon the current state of robotics.
• System detects errors when medication is self-administered
  Researchers have developed a system that uses wireless radio signals and artificial intelligence to detect errors in patients' use of inhalers and insulin pens. The technology could reduce unnecessary hospital admissions caused by poor adherence to certain medication administration guidelines.
• Artificial neuron device could shrink energy use and size of neural network hardware
  Neural network training could one day require less computing power and hardware, thanks to a new nanodevice that can run neural network computations using 100 to 1000 times less energy and area than existing CMOS-based hardware.
• Nanotech scientists create world's smallest origami bird
  Researchers have created micron-sized shape memory actuators that enable atomically thin two-dimensional materials to fold themselves into 3D configurations. All they require is a quick jolt of voltage. And once the material is bent, it holds its shape - even after the voltage is removed.
• Researchers enhance quantum machine learning algorithms
  Researchers found a way to automatically infer parameters used in an important quantum Boltzmann machine algorithm for machine learning applications.
• Engineers combine AI and wearable cameras in self-walking robotic exoskeletons
  Robotics researchers are developing exoskeletons and prosthetic legs capable of thinking and moving on their own using sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
• How to make all headphones intelligent
  How do you turn 'dumb' headphones into smart ones? Engineers have invented a cheap and easy way by transforming headphones into sensors that can be plugged into smartphones, identify their users, monitor their heart rates and perform other services. Their invention, called HeadFi, is based on a small plug-in headphone adapter that turns a regular […]

Machine Learning

• Neural Network Models for Combined Classification and Regression
  Some prediction problems require predicting both numeric values and a class label for the same input. A simple approach is to develop both regression and classification predictive models on the same data and use the models sequentially. An alternative and often more effective approach is to develop a single neural network model that can predict […]
• Iterated Local Search From Scratch in Python
  Iterated Local Search is a stochastic global optimization algorithm. It involves the repeated application of a local search algorithm to modified versions of a good solution found previously. In this way, it is like a clever version of the stochastic hill climbing with random restarts algorithm. The intuition behind the algorithm is that random restarts […]
• Develop a Neural Network for Woods Mammography Dataset
  It can be challenging to develop a neural network predictive model for a new dataset. One approach is to first inspect the dataset and develop ideas for what models might work, then explore the learning dynamics of simple models on the dataset, then finally develop and tune a model for the dataset with a robust […]
• Tune XGBoost Performance With Learning Curves
  XGBoost is a powerful and effective implementation of the gradient boosting ensemble algorithm. It can be challenging to configure the hyperparameters of XGBoost models, which often leads to using large grid search experiments that are both time consuming and computationally expensive. An alternate approach to configuring XGBoost models is to evaluate the performance of the […]
• Two-Dimensional (2D) Test Functions for Function Optimization
  Function optimization is a field of study that seeks an input to a function that results in the maximum or minimum output of the function. There are a large number of optimization algorithms and it is important to study and develop intuitions for optimization algorithms on simple and easy-to-visualize test functions. Two-dimensional functions take two […]
• How to Manually Optimize Machine Learning Model Hyperparameters
  Machine learning algorithms have hyperparameters that allow the algorithms to be tailored to specific datasets. Although the impact of hyperparameters may be understood generally, their specific effect on a dataset and their interactions during learning may not be known. Therefore, it is important to tune the values of algorithm hyperparameters as part of a machine […]
• A Gentle Introduction to XGBoost Loss Functions
  XGBoost is a powerful and popular implementation of the gradient boosting ensemble algorithm. An important aspect in configuring XGBoost models is the choice of loss function that is minimized during the training of the model. The loss function must be matched to the predictive modeling problem type, in the same way we must choose appropriate […]
• Gradient Descent Optimization With Nadam From Scratch
  Gradient descent is an optimization algorithm that follows the negative gradient of an objective function in order to locate the minimum of the function. A limitation of gradient descent is that the progress of the search can slow down if the gradient becomes flat or large curvature. Momentum can be added to gradient descent that […]
• Gradient Descent With Nesterov Momentum From Scratch
  Gradient descent is an optimization algorithm that follows the negative gradient of an objective function in order to locate the minimum of the function. A limitation of gradient descent is that it can get stuck in flat areas or bounce around if the objective function returns noisy gradients. Momentum is an approach that accelerates the […]
• Develop a Neural Network for Banknote Authentication
  It can be challenging to develop a neural network predictive model for a new dataset. One approach is to first inspect the dataset and develop ideas for what models might work, then explore the learning dynamics of simple models on the dataset, then finally develop and tune a model for the dataset with a robust […]

Artificial Intelligence

• Reports of Death of Moore’s Law Are Greatly Exaggerated as AI Expands 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor  Moore’s Law is far from dead and in fact, we are entering a new era of innovation, thanks to a combination of newly-developed specialized chips combined with the march of AI and machine learning.  “These unprecedented and massive improvements in processing power combined with data and artificial intelligence […]
• Scientists Working on Continual Learning to Overcome ‘Catastrophic Forgetting’ 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor  Algorithms are trained on a dataset and may not be capable of learning new information without retraining, as opposed to the human brain, which learns constantly and builds on knowledge over time.  An artificial neural network that forgets previously learned information upon learning new information, is demonstrating what is called […]
• QScout Quantum Computer from Sandia Labs Open for Research Business 
  By AI Trends Staff  An open access quantum computing testbed from Sandia National Laboratories, called QScout, is now open to the public for research.   Funded by a Department of Energy grant, the quantum computer can be used by scientists whose research proposals have been accepted, for no charge, a spokesman for Sandia stated to AI Trends in an email.  Scientists from […]
• Ethics Leadership Continues to Churn at Google; Bengio Out, Dr. Croak is In 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   Ethicists continue to churn at Google with the departure of Samy Bengio, a Canadian computer scientist known for cofounding Google Brain, who had been leading a large group of researchers working in machine learning.   The impending departure was announced on April 6 in an account from Bloomberg. It follows the departure of several colleagues who […]
• Dealing With Stubbornness Of AI Autonomous Vehicles 
  By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider    You likely know the catchphrase “stubborn as a mule.” We all know people that are altogether inarguably stubborn and exercise mule-like behavior. Turns out, we often consider things to be stubborn-like too. For example, a car can seem to be just about as stubborn as a mule, perhaps being downright […]
• Autonomous Vehicle Safety Standards Evolving in US and Worldwide 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   The state of autonomous vehicle safety standard regulation in the US today is between two presidential administrations, with the Trump Administration-era regulations issued Jan. 14 likely to be soon superseded by policies of the Biden Administration.   The Trump Administration rules would allow self-driving vehicle manufacturers to skip certain […]
• Meteorologists Aim to Use AI To Get an Edge on Natural Hazards and Disasters 
  By AI Trends Staff  Meteorologists are aiming to use AI to help them get an edge in early detection and disaster relief in response to natural hazards and disasters, which according to scientists have become more frequent and unpredictable due to the impact of climate change.   In response, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) together with the […]
• Elite Math Students Found by Study to Come From Same Countries Over Time 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   Two Dartmouth College researchers studied the countries of origin for the Fields Medal, considered the Nobel Prize in mathematics, and found the recipients tend to come from the same group of countries since it was first awarded in 1936.  The idea was to see where elite math students […]
• Retailers Adopting AI and Cloud Computing More Aggressively  
  By AI Trends Staff  The increasing adoption of AI in retailing is helping the industry align its offerings with the expectations of customers for more personalized products and services in the digital era.  “The disruptive impact of artificial intelligence in retail is seen across the value chain and is emerging as a powerful tool for […]
• You Can Bet On The Bring Your Own Algorithm (BYOA) Trend, Including For AI Autonomous Cars 
  By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider  I’m sure that you are familiar with BYOB. Some say that BYOB stands for bring your own beverage. Alternatively, the popular saying refers to bring your own booze, or maybe bring your own beer, or ostensibly just alludes to bring your own bottle.  To each their own.    A less well-known acronym is BYOD. Have you heard that one? BYOD […]

daily news

• Can an App Help Change Your Personality?
  Want to be more sociable or less of a doormat? There's an (experimental) app for that.
• Could Bad Guys Actually Escape Falcon in a Wingsuit for Two?
  In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a villain straps a hostage to his wingsuit and leaps off a plane. Cue the action—and the fun physics.
• Hungry, Hungry Microbes in Tree Bark Gobble Up Methane
  Bad news: Trees emit methane, a greenhouse gas. Good news: Some are home to bacteria that can't get enough of it.
• NASA Lands Ingenuity, the First-Ever Mars Helicopter
  The copter safely whirled its way up and back down, demonstrating the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
• Want to Get Along With Robots? Pretend They’re Animals
  Robotics ethicist Kate Darling surveys our history with animals—in work, war, and companionship—to show how we might develop similar relationships with robots.
• Mathematicians Settle the Erdős Coloring Conjecture
  Fifty years ago, three mathematicians came up with a graph theory problem that they thought they might solve on the spot. A team has finally settled it.
• We’re Starting to See How Covid PPE Litter Affects Wildlife
  More than a year into the pandemic, scientists and environmentalists have the first data on where disposable gloves and masks are turning up in ecosystems.
• A Pause on J&J, Preparation for Booster Shots, and More News
  Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
• Archaeologists Unearth a ‘Lost Golden City’ in Egypt
  The Luxor finding has been called "the second most important archaeological discovery" since King Tut's tomb.
• What Octopus Dreams Tell Us About the Evolution of Sleep
  Understanding how other animals dream could help us figure out why it’s so important to the human brain, and why it may have been preserved throughout history.
• Pausing the J&J Vaccine Was Easy. Unpausing Will Be Hard
  Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine was supposed to be the uncomplicated one. But even with new data, getting people to trust it again will be tricky.
• The Humble Shrub That’s Predicting a Terrible Fire Season
  Chamise may not look (or smell) like much, but it's actually a kind of crystal ball for understanding how badly California might burn.
• Will Future Electric Vehicles Be Powered by Deep-Sea Metals?
  Mining companies and marine scientists want to know whether harvesting blobs of useful materials from the seafloor harms ocean life.
• Did This Scorching-Hot Planet Lose—and Regain—an Atmosphere?
  A veritable hellscape of an exoplanet is challenging researchers’ assumptions about what types of worlds host atmospheres.
• How Many Homes Could You Power With Free Doughnuts?
  Should you get a COVID vaccine? Yes, it will protect you AND protect others to help us move past this pandemic so we can get back to a more normal life. But wait! If you get vaccinated, you can also get a doughnut! At least that's the deal that Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is offering. Once […]
• Plastic Is Falling From the Sky. But Where’s It Coming From?
  At any given time, 1,100 tons of microplastic are floating over the western US. New modeling shows the surprising sources of the nefarious pollutant.
• 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.
• Pandemic Lockdowns Did Cut Air Pollution—but With a Catch
  Studies from all over the globe show short-term improvements in urban air quality, but experts are skeptical about how long they’ll last.
• This AI Could Help Wipe Out Colon Cancer
  Medtronic's GI Genius, recently cleared by the FDA, will help doctors identify precancerous polyps.
• A ‘Last Hope’ Experiment Finds Evidence for Unknown Particles
  Long-awaited news from Fermilab’s Muon g-2 team may resolve a tantalizing conflict between nature and theory. But a separate calculation clouds the picture.

Geek Culture

• Time Travel in Video Games Isn’t Really Cheating
  Games like Animal Crossing and Cozy Grove are meant to be played every day, but who’s got that kind of time?
• A Linguistic Guide to Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
  Ubisoft consulted with native Welsh speakers, 13th-century Icelandic texts, and Gaelic scholars to create the game's lingua-scape.
• How to Rank Up In Overwatch, According to the Pros
  Whether you are brand new to the game or have played every season, these strategies are worth trying.
• A Firmware Issue Threatens to Make PS4 Games Unplayable
  Without a fix to older PlayStations, it’s only a matter of time before older games are rendered obsolete.
• Let Lonely Mountains: Downhill Take Your Breath Away
  Unspoiled wilderness meets high-speed thrills in a meditative mountain biking game that's still picking up new fans.
• Turns Out, Spock Is Kinda Bad at Logic
  For her new book, Julia Galef cataloged the Vulcan's predictions and found events he describes as "impossible" actually happened 83 percent of the time.
• Can the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood Be Saved?
  Cinephiles have been mourning the news that the iconic movie theater won’t reopen. But there might still be hope for the Cinerama Dome.
• People Are Playing a Guessing Game in Google Maps
  For most people, GeoGuessr is a fun way to pass the time. For others, it’s a way into the record books.
• Respawn’s Apex Legends Is Just Getting Started
  From a surprise launch to a diverse cast, the Titanfall developer's live service game has a lot going for it, and even more coming.
• Choices Was the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Escape I Needed
  In the mobile game, I could be anyone I wanted—and my decisions reflected the bolder, braver person I aspired to be.
• Animated Movies Do Not Need to Be ‘Fun for the Whole Family’
  This year’s Oscar nominees for best animated feature are safe and childish. But The Willoughbys—not nominated—will mess you up.
• Scary Video Games Help Me Cope With My Fears About Reality
  From jump scares to terrifying monsters, games like Amnesia and Little Nightmares prepare me to handle a world filled with anxiety triggers.
• TikTok Duets Are Reviving the Exquisite Corpse
  Dances, duets, and other challenges differ greatly from the work of the Surrealists. But that doesn’t mean they’re not creating a new art form all their own.
• Outriders Is Grinning Through the Apocalypse
  The game bounces wildly between violence and wry humor, with some dark and harrowing commentary. And it's certainly worth your time.
• What Sci-Fi Can Teach You About Running a Business
  Entrepreneur James Altucher has used everything from Star Wars to Isaac Asimov's Foundation series in his work.
• Break Reality and Keep Marvel Weird
  The new trailer for Loki is a promise that the Disney+ streak will continue.
• Game Subscriptions Open Doors for Players With Disabilities
  Services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now allow users to easily see if a new title is accessible without having to buy it first.
• It’s Hard to Play a Character Who’s a Dick—but It’s Worth It
  In God of War, Kratos is kind of mean, but finishing his journey has its rewards.
• Olija Is an Indie Platformer With Love, Loss, and Harpoons
  While not perfect, it's a breezy action game that's unique—and a ton of fun.
• Watch Out—That 'Call of Duty: Warzone' Cheat Might Be Malware
  Players looking for a leg up are being duped into giving criminals a backdoor into their devices.

Latest News

BUSINESS

• Europe's Proposed Limits on AI Would Have Global Consequences
  The EU released draft laws that would regulate facial recognition and uses of algorithms. If it passes, the policy will impact companies in the US and China.
• Help! How Do I Plan a Virtual Work Hang That's Actually Fun?
  Online office events are never going to be a blast. But Megan has a few ideas for how to make them suck less.
• Need an Angel Investor? Just Open Up Clubhouse
  Consider it like 'Shark Tank' on your phone: Every week on Angelhouse, founders make a pitch to a panel of investors as hundreds of people listen in.
• How Face Recognition Can Destroy Anonymity
  Cameras are everywhere, and increasingly powerful software can pick an individual out of a crowd. Except sometimes algorithms get it wrong.
• A Fatal Crash Renews Concerns Over Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ Claim
  The company offers a feature called “Full Self-Driving Capability.” But it remains far from a self-driving car.
• Facebook Announces Live Audio Rooms, Its Clubhouse Clone
  Clubhouse is the latest startup to get cloned by Facebook, as the social media giant announces a suite of new audio features. Who will use them?
• Union Says Amazon Violated Labor Law in the Alabama Election
  Amazon defeated the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union’s bid to represent workers at one warehouse. The union claims the company fought dirty.
• Microsoft Is Big Tech’s Fifth Horseman
  Plus: Bill Gates’ departure, post-jab symptoms, and a new era for cryptocurrency.
• Help! Am I Oversharing With My Colleagues?
  How does a manager strike the balance between honesty and spilling too many secrets?
• Coinbase Makes Its Debut—and Bitcoin Arrives on Wall Street
  The big cryptocurrency exchange goes public through a direct listing, and it could make a bigger debut than Facebook.
• Is Silicon Valley Dead? Not According to Venture Dollars
  In a record quarter for VC funding, California still takes the cake—further evidence that reports of the region’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
• Microsoft Makes a $16 Billion Entry Into Health Care AI
  The company plans to buy Nuance, a speech-recognition firm that grasps the specialized language of medicine—tech that won’t be easy for others to replicate.
• AI Comes to Car Repair, and Body Shop Owners Aren’t Happy
  During the pandemic, insurers accelerated the use of automated tools to estimate repair costs. Garage operators say the numbers can be wildly inaccurate.
• BMW’s Virtual Factory Uses AI to Hone the Assembly Line
  The German automaker uses new software from chipmaker Nvidia to simulate train robots and human workers.
• Antitrust and Privacy Are on a Collision Course
  Facebook is being sued for weakening data protections. Google is being sued for strengthening them. Can that paradox be resolved?
• This AI Could Help Wipe Out Colon Cancer
  Medtronic's GI Genius, recently cleared by the FDA, will help doctors identify precancerous polyps.
• New Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Are Going Viral in Arabic
  Facebook has been criticized for failing to curb misinformation in English. But little attention has been paid to the scale of the problem in Arabic.
• Despite Union Setback, Amazon Workers Fight for Dignity
  Union supporters face a setback in Bessemer, Alabama, but indicate the fight isn’t over yet.
• The Clones Are Coming for Clubhouse
  Plus: MySpace's downfall, tech competition from China, and the particle going rogue.
• Help! My Colleague Is Taking Credit for My Work
  Why petty drama matters in the workplace, and other advice on office thievery.

IDEAS

• NFTs and AI Are Unsettling the Very Concept of History
  Non-fungible tokens and artificial intelligence make tracing the origins of a digital object more fragile. What are the world’s archivists to do?
• Hackers Used to Be Humans. Soon, AIs Will Hack Humanity
  Like crafty genies, AIs will grant our wishes, and then hack them, exploiting our social, political, and economic systems like never before.
• Nations Need Ambassadors to Big Tech
  Governments see that companies have country-like powers, but they can’t figure out how to deal with their un-country-like structures. Diplomats could help.
• The Pandemic Proved That Our Toilets Are Crap
  The core technologies for sewage systems were developed over a hundred years ago. It's time to get better, healthier updates in the pipeline.
• Everyone On Facebook’s Oversight Board Should Resign
  The committee's coming decision on banning Donald Trump from the platform is meaningless. Its existence only gets in the way of actually fixing Facebook.
• The FDA’s Decision to Pause J&J Could Help Defeat Covid-19
  A slower vaccine rollout isn’t ideal, but it’s more important that Americans know they can trust officials to address health concerns when they arise.
• Sorry, but ‘I Missed the Meeting’ Is No Longer an Excuse
  AI audio transcription is getting smarter—and it's taking notes on your work meetings.
• Who Let the Doge Out? The Cryptocurrency Is As Nutty As Ever
  The much wow Dogecoin has had its notable influencers—including, for a brief moment, me.
• Data Brokers Are a Threat to Democracy
  Unless the federal government steps up, the unchecked middlemen of surveillance capitalism will continue to harm our civil rights and national security.
• My Dream of the Great Unbundling
  We don’t need the next big thing. We need countless next little things.
• The Healing Power of JavaScript
  For some of us—isolates, happy in the dark—code is therapy, an escape and a path to hope in a troubled world.
• Polarization Isn't America's Biggest Problem—or Facebook's
  A debate is raging over the social media giant's role in dividing the country. But it's the US's deeply-rooted inequities that tech should focus on.
• Encryption Has Never Been More Essential—or Threatened
  As we communicate more digitally, governments encroach more on our privacy. End-to-end encryption cannot be taken for granted.
• Scientists Need to Admit What They Got Wrong About Covid
  Over the last year, the scientific community has been reluctant to openly discuss its missteps. But coming clean could help prevent the next pandemic.
• Portraits of a Neighborhood’s ‘Wood Wide Web’
  During quarantine, photographer Andres Gonzalez wandered his city and captured lone redwoods, trapped by human sprawl but linked by nature’s networks.
• Bed Tricks, Cod, and the Hidden History of Catfishing
  Intriguing, maddening deception can shake up our existence and sometimes—sometimes—set us free.
• Does It Matter That I Let My Car Park Itself?
  WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist on automation, productivity, and what it means to be human.
• The Roaring '20s Post-Pandemic Summer Terrifies Me
  If quarantine quashed my social anxiety, looming reemergence is sending it into overdrive. Coping means taking pressure off ourselves and everyone else.
• Actually, Covid Optimists and Pessimists Are Both Right
  Mild and dire forecasting models serve different purposes, and can be tricky to interpret. But when they appear similar, it may signal the end of the pandemic.
• How to Stop Misinformation Before It Gets Shared
  It's never been easier for mistruths to go viral, and content moderation is inadequate. What social media needs is some old-fashioned friction.