The GeekDads Episode #124: This Year I'm Going to Earn My Griswold Title
Ken, Jonathan, and Matt chat about the rumored NASA Mars announcement, going crazy with holiday lights, the season's best movies, and more. Enjoy!
Design by Nathan Barry
The US Approves Launch of Mirror Satellite That Can Reflect Sunlight and Illuminate the Earth at Night
The FCC authorized Reflect Orbital to launch the mirror satellite Eärendil-1. “For optical astronomy, this poses an existential threat,” the European Southern Observatory said.
Javier Carbajal
What’s Worse Than Romance Scams? Adoption Scams
This week in WIRED Book Club, we recap the final chapters of The Yahoo Boys.
Kate Knibbs
One of NASA’s Most Important Deep Space Observatories Hit by Spanish Wildfires
Flames burned through the Deep Space Communications Complex near Madrid, but NASA has been unable to assess the damage as a wildfire emergency grips the region.
Brian Kahn
An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined
Scientists have long assumed that there’s an upper limit to the intensity of the solar winds that reach Earth. New research suggests there’s not—and the implications are alarming.
Javier Carbajal
Astronomers Have Found a Sugar Molecule in Deep Space for the First Time Ever
Researchers identified traces of erythrulose, a monosaccharide, thousands of light-years away.
Jorge Garay
Sotheby’s Big T. Rex Auction Raises Concerns Hype and Wealth Are Upending Science
Private buyers are increasingly outbidding museums for fossils. That’s making it difficult—or even impossible—for researchers to improve our understanding of the past.
Kate Wong
New York Governor Signs First Statewide Data Center Moratorium
“We have no choice but to address the challenges created by these massive facilities,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said. The executive order will pause construction for one year.
Molly Taft
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon—and It Could Be Visible From Earth
The impact will kick up a plume of debris so high, it’ll likely be visible through some telescopes. Astronomers will be watching.
Nathaniel Janowitz
Plex Keeps Getting Worse. Is Jellyfin a Decent Replacement?
If you want to stream local media, this free and open source media server is just as good as Plex. But if you rely on remote access or live TV, prepare to tinker.
Justin Pot
A Leaked Memo Ties Cyberattacks on Minnesota Water Utilities to Iran
A memo obtained by WIRED, issued by the water utilities information sharing group WaterISAC, links dozens of cyberattacks against Minnesota water utilities to Tehran.
Andy Greenberg
Sam Neill Inspired a Generation of Scientists
The actor, who died at age 78 on Monday, embodied a passionate approach to research and positive masculinity in his role as paleontologist Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.
Miles Klee
Contagious Cancer Found in North American Catfish
Scientists identified the first known cancer transmissible among freshwater fish in a lake that spans the US and Canada.
Javier Carbajal