Fears about AI data centers’ water use have exploded. Experts say the reality is far more complicated than people think.

An online marketplace is selling code modules that simulate the effects of cannabis, ketamine, cocaine, ayahuasca, and alcohol when they are uploaded to ChatGPT.

The head of Amazon Web Services has big plans to offer AI tools to businesses but says that replacing coders with AI is “a nonstarter for anyone who’s trying to build a long-term company.”

Hannah Wong told staff she is moving on to her “next chapter.” The company will be running an executive search to find a replacement, according to a memo.

Retatrutide, originally developed by Eli Lilly, has found a loyal fan base—even though clinical trials of the drug still haven’t finished.

The leading approach to the simplex method, a widely used technique for balancing complex logistical constraints, can’t get any better. www.wired.com/story/resear...

The Mac Mini is a fantastic little computer, but you'll need one of these great monitors to complete the setup. www.wired.com/gallery/best...

Lossless audio is the first step toward audio nirvana. But what is it, does it really make a difference, and how can you get it? Here’s what to know. www.wired.com/story/what-i...

The latest photo dump from Democrats in the House Oversight Committee includes more famous men and upsetting Lolita quotes written on a woman's body.

I’m a Black staffer at WIRED. My position feels more precarious than ever. There’s a reason for that.

New ideas about chronic illness could revolutionize treatment, if we take the research seriously.

Is the latest iPhone operating system aesthetically appealing? No. But is it useful? Also no. At least I have company among the disgruntled.

Yale epidemiologist Harvey Risch, who has entertained a connection between Covid vaccines and “turbo cancer” and promoted ivermectin, says he'll chair the President's Cancer Panel.

The administration’s pro-industry tilt—across three executive agencies—is feeding the MAHA movement’s growing discontent. www.wired.com/story/trumps...

ICYMI: The United States Department of Justice on Friday published the first of an unknown number of releases of documents related to infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The nearly 4,000 files contain a hodgepodge of photos, handwritten notes, and more.

You've still got a little time. Super Saturday means a ton of last-minute deals on WIRED-tested gear. www.wired.com/story/amazon...

Plus: Cisco discloses a zero-day with no available patch, Venezuela accuses the US of a cyberattack, and more. www.wired.com/story/securi...

Our public spaces are now awash with wireless internet. Make sure you’re getting the most out of every connection. www.wired.com/story/7-usef...

Plus: Samsung also announces new Micro RGB TVs, and a looming global memory crunch might make Nvidia reduce its supply of graphics cards. www.wired.com/story/gear-n...

Today was the deadline for the DOJ to release documents in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. @wired.com took a look in case you wanted to enjoy your Friday instead: www.wired.com/story/epstei...

Some news on the "Uncanny Valley" podcast this week. After years and years as cohosts, Lauren Goode and I are turning over the mics to three new hosts: Zoë Schiffer, Leah Feiger, and Brian Barrett. Keeping the rotation fresh! Here's our last episode as the copilots: www.wired.com/story/uncann...

NEW: @wired.com went through the Epstein doc dump so you don't have to spend your Friday night looking at "sexy" soap and pics of Bill Clinton in a weird swimming pool. www.wired.com/story/epstei...

NEW: We all stuck around to pore over the Epstein files so you don't have to. To sum up: "curious but far from revelatory"

The latest Epstein drop was today, so @regret.bsky.social + @dell.bsky.social + I took a look. Tl;dr, there’s a lot there, & Bill Clinton makes many appearances. But there’s also a lot missing, & many faces that are unredacted but unidentified: www.wired.com/story/epstei...

From photos of former president Bill Clinton to images of strange scrapbooks, the Justice Department’s release is curious but far from revelatory. www.wired.com/story/epstei...

NEW: Here's what's actually in the DOJ's Epstein dump, which at a first pass is more notable for what's not in it than for what is.

From photos of former President Bill Clinton to images of strange scrapbooks, the Justice Department’s release is curious but far from revelatory. Here's what's in it—and what's not.

In today’s episode of “Uncanny Valley,” we dive into five stories—from AI to DOGE—that encapsulate the year and give us clues as to what might unfold in 2026. www.wired.com/story/uncann...

We previously examined metadata revealing that nearly three minutes of footage were cut from what the DOJ and FBI described as the “full raw” surveillance video from the only functioning camera near Epstein’s cell the night before he died. www.wired.com/story/the-fb...

In November, we reported on texts showing Epstein presenting himself to a Bill Gates associate as plugged into the Trump White House in 2017, despite Trump’s claims they had broken off contact in 2004. www.wired.com/story/jeffre...

Forced by an act of Congress, the Justice Department has released “hundreds of thousands” of pages of documents related to Epstein—but not everything, as is required by law. www.wired.com/story/the-do...

Friday news dump from hell

In this episode, we look back at 2025 and look ahead to what's happening in 2026—including what’s in store for “Uncanny Valley.” www.wired.com/story/uncann...

NEW: Theeeeeyyrreeee heeeerrrreeee @regret.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/the-do...

NEW: The Epstein files are out. Read @regret.bsky.social for context on what this is about, and check back for updates as we make sense of this latest release.

Happy "EOD Friday before a major holiday" to all who celebrate:

Forced by an act of Congress, the Justice Department has released “hundreds of thousands” of pages of documents related to Epstein—but not everything, as is required by law. www.wired.com/story/the-do...

I'm very proud of all the work my colleagues did at WIRED this year. Selfishly I want to highlight a blog I worked on with @dmehro.bsky.social, @leahfeiger.bsky.social, and @couts.bsky.social:

“In America, one can never escape the inevitability of race. It’s happening now, as you read this—that inevitability, the one built on old power imbalances and a racial hierarchy, is pushing industries to the brink” reckoning with the reality of DEI for @wired.com www.wired.com/story/dei-di...

From dead crabs to shredded bed sheets, fraudsters are using fake photos and videos to get their money back from ecommerce sites. www.wired.com/story/scamme...

NEW: Sam Altman's new brain-computer interface startup will be spun out from Forest Neurotech, an LA-based nonprofit; it will seek to read the brain using ultrasound. @emilymullin.bsky.social has the scoop!

Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup that seeks to read brain activity using ultrasound, is being spun out of Forest Neurotech, a Los Angeles nonprofit. www.wired.com/story/sam-al...

George Foote, who served as the outside general counsel to the US Institute of Peace, said at WIRED’s Big Interview event that DOGE operatives arrived like a “strike team.” Read more: wrd.cm/4p2eIVy

The JBL Flip 7 is our top tried-and-tested Bluetooth speaker, and this is the best deal we've tracked. www.wired.com/story/jbl-fl...

Could the AI industry be on the verge of its first major layoffs? Will China spread propaganda to slow the US data-center building boom? Where are AI agents headed? www.wired.com/story/backch...

Build a watchlist of all the movies and shows you want to watch, no matter where they’re streaming. www.wired.com/story/how-to...

The world champion adaptive snowboard cross athlete repairs his own prostheses before a competition. www.wired.com/story/mike-s...

See the new movie ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ if you’d like. But if you really want to experience the big blue world of Pandora, the video game is where it’s at. www.wired.com/story/the-av...

“I didn't expect this book to be analyzed like ‘The Great Gatsby,’” hockey smut author Rachel Reid tells WIRED. www.wired.com/story/heated...

Polling shows that nearly half of Americans now believe aliens have visited this planet—and that the number who aren't sure has dropped by two-thirds. The reasons why, experts say, are complicated. www.wired.com/story/americ...