3+ week, 5+ day ago (789+ words) In this episode, WIRED's executive editor Brian Barrett is joined by senior politics editor Leah Feiger to run through five stories that you need to know about this week'from the release of Grokipedia to real estate entering its AI slop era. Then, Brian and Leah dive into why the promise of a tech-forward school in Texas with software instead of teachers fell apart. Articles mentioned in this episode: You can follow Brian Barrett on Bluesky at @brbarrett and Leah Feiger on Bluesky at @leahfeiger. Write to us at [email protected]. If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts and search for "uncanny valley." We're on Spotify too. Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors. Brian Barrett: Welcome to…...

5+ day, 10+ hour ago (118+ words) This 12-inch wall clock is the perfect bit of candy-colored decor for the emoji fanatic in your circle. The curvy blue back mimics the sun's rays, and the red ring in the middle spins to indicate the hour. The yellow foremost disc, emblazoned with a smiley face, is the minute hand. The whole thing rotates once an hour, so you can tell what time it is by the angle of the grinning visage. The first radio signal from Comet 3I/Atlas ends the debate Big Story: How Gen Z toppled Nepal's leader If the US has to build data centers, here's where they should go $25 off $25+ DoorDash Promo Code for New Customers...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (443+ words) Zero power criticality is a reactor's first heartbeat, proof the physics holds," Valar founder Isaiah Taylor said in a statement. This moment marks the dawn of a new era in American nuclear engineering, one defined by speed, scale, and private-sector execution with closer federal partnership." Think of a long chain of dominoes," says Adam Stein, the director of the Nuclear Energy Innovation program at the Breakthrough Institute, an eco-modernist policy center. If you have those dominoes spaced out too far, a domino won't hit the next one. If they're spaced just right, then one hits the next, hits the next, and you have the reaction you're hoping for." There's a difference between the type of criticality Valar reached this week'what's known as cold criticality or zero-power criticality'and what's needed to actually create nuclear power. Nuclear reactors use heat to create…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (510+ words) Jamie would meticulously schedule his days around finding time alone to watch porn and masturbate'often up to five times a day. The 32-year-old Michigan engineer, who did not want to use his real name due to privacy concerns, first watched porn at the impressionable age of 12, but never realized he had a problem until just after his father's funeral three years ago. This past March, Jamie says his partner angrily confronted him over his compulsive porn consumption, accusing him of lying and committing adultery. This month, Relay has partnered with anti-porn advocacy nonprofit Fight the New Drug for "the November Project'a new initiative to encourage people to abstain from porn'with 28,000 sign-ups so far. Other chatbots already enable the creation of tailormade explicit videos, and with AI-powered sex toys and VR headsets set to make both porn and trysts with AI…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (526+ words) Here's a stat you probably didn't know: More than 75 percent of students use social media for learning. It turns out, if you can get quality educational content onto someone's For You feed, they'll want to learn with it. When TikTok launched its dedicated STEM feed in 2023, it created an opportunity for learning and discovering new interests. This corner of the platform serves up content on physics, coding, and engineering'all curated for accuracy and easy learning. Since its launch, more than 10 million STEM-related videos have been published globally. The feed is enabled by default for all US users, helping learners find new lessons and aha moments within their daily For You feed mix. At their best, educational resources like TikTok's STEM feed are extending the classroom in ways that haven't been as accessible before. And they're making it fun. Little Lessons for…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (413+ words) A provision in the federal spending bill that could end the US government shutdown would effectively destroy the hemp extracts industry by banning intoxicating hemp-based THC products, including gummies and drinks. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was the sole Republican to vote against the spending bill Monday after failing to amend the bill by striking the hemp ban from it. In September dozens of Kentucky hemp farmers sent a letter to fellow state Senator Mitch McConnell, who has been pushing for the ban, pleading with him to reconsider. The letter said the hemp-derived cannabinoid market "gave us'for the first time in decades'a new crop with real economic opportunity" and that a ban would result in "immediate and catastrophic consequences." According to a report from the Cannabis Business Times, sales for hemp-derived cannabinoids exceeded $2.7 billion in 2023. "This will ultimately devastate the industry…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (436+ words) As more robots start showing up in warehouses, offices, and even people's homes, the idea of large language models hacking into complex systems sounds like the stuff of sci-fi nightmares. So, naturally, Anthropic researchers were eager to see what would happen if Claude tried taking control of a robot'in this case, a robot dog. "We have the suspicion that the next step for AI models is to start reaching out into the world and affecting the world more broadly," Logan Graham, a member of Anthropic's red team, which studies models for potential risks, tells WIRED. "This will really require models to interface more with robots." It is still unclear why an AI model would decide to take control of a robot'let alone do something malevolent with it. But speculating about the worst-case scenario is part of Anthropic's brand, and it…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (386+ words) Small gadgets and handy techy gizmos work great as stocking stuffers or secret Santa gifts for friends, family, or coworkers. In fact, we've collected them in our comprehensive list of the Best 40 Techy Gifts under $100that should give you plenty to parse through. But this list is not that. These are the big tech products from 2025 that really got us amped up. They're more expensive than what you'd buy for an acquaintance, but if you're looking for a big reaction on Christmas morning from your kids, spouse, or significant other, one of these should do the trick. For more ideas on possible home office products that could work as gifts, check out our comprehensive guide to all the Best Work From Home Gear. There's a reason we call it the best iPad for most people. I would have never said this…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (471+ words) Corporate AI slop feels inescapable in 2025. From website banner ads to outdoor billboards, images generated by businesses using AI tools surround me. Hell, even the bar down the street posts happy hour flyers with that distinctly hazy, amber glow of some AI graphics. On Thursday, Google launched Nano Banana Pro, the company's latest image generating model. Many of the updates in this release are targeted at corporate adoption, from putting Nano Banana Pro in Google Slides for business presentations to integrating the new model with Google Ads for advertisers globally. This "Pro" release is an iteration on its Nano Banana model that dropped earlier this year. Nano Banana became a viral sensation after users started posting personalized action figures and other meme-able creations on social media. One specific improvement is going to be catnip for corporations in this release: text…...

2+ day, 10+ hour ago (208+ words) Today is finally Black Friday, the biggest and best shopping day of the year. The WIRED Reviews team is tracking trends and discounts live. Black Friday is the biggest and best shopping day of the year. It may have started as a humble year-end inventory clearance for retailers (and, OK, sure, continues as such to this day), but the kickoff to the holiday shopping season also features discounts on a scale that's unmatched on any of the other 364 days of the year. We don't blame you for finding it a bit gauche, but everyone is selling something, and today's the day when the greatest number of sellers are offering their lowest prices. The WIRED Reviews team spends all year thoroughly life-testing products to make your life a little easier and better, and so we get up early today to also…...