Testimonial Reviews and Videos: September 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Irrational humans need engineers, not economists

Civil society needs more engineers, according to biomedical engineer and author Guru Madhavan.

By: Guru Madhavan,

This company is designing the future of office furniture

Steelcase is the world’s biggest office-furniture maker. WIRED goes behind the scenes at its R&D labs.

By: Nick Compton,

Google's 5P and 6X are the future of Nexus

Google has announced two Nexus phones, the 5X and the 6P.

By: Michael Rundle,

Mac OS X El Capitan review: the Mac's future, or Apple's past?

The announcement of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro earlier this year was the clearest sign yet that while Apple remains outwardly committed to the Mac, it also knows iOS has a future beyond mobile phones, watches and smallish tablets.

By: Michael Rundle,

How to make your own monitor mount

Monitors can take up a lot of desk space. This DIY guide explains how to build a strong, durable cheap and flexible mount.

By: Jeremy Cook,

This shape-shifting material is inspired by cuttlefish

Engineers at MIT are trying to create a composite material that can change its structure in an instant

By: Gian Volpicelli,

Meet the neurosurgeon who uses a 3D printer before operating

Ed Smith, a paediatric neurosurgeon at Boston Children's Hospital, uses 3D printed models to get a feel for brains.

By: Clive Thompson,

Omega-3 can now be made from algae, not overfished sardines

Omega-3 can now be made from CO2 plus the Sun -- instead of overfished sardines.

By: Sophia Epstein,

How Hollywood is helping to design the perfect TV

Paradox of colour: how Hollywood is trying to design a perfect TV

By: Michael Rundle,

Alan Moore: 'Electricomics' is groundbreaking, but print is still superior

Author of some of the most widely celebrated works the comics industry has ever seen, Alan Moore's career is defined by reimagining classic characters and creating scores of originals. His latest work sees the celebrated writer experimenting with an entirely new medium, and seeing where digital comics can lead.

With digital anthology Electricomics now available, Moore speaks to WIRED about the genesis of the project, what inspired his own contribution to the collection, and how print comics remain a superior technology.

By: Matt Kamen,

Cyberattacks have created an invisible but vast war zone

Every month, it seems, a mammoth cyberattack sponsored by a nation state comes to light. With nations the world over bolstering their cyber arsenals, WIRED looks at those that have garnered the most headlines.

By: Kim Zetter,

First UK patient receives stem cell treatment for sight loss

A patient has become the first in the UK to receive pioneering new stem cell treatment to save her sight.

By: Becca Caddy,

This bridge is 180 metres high, 300 metres long and made of glass

The newly-opened glass foot bridge in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a record-breaker.

By: K.G Orphanides,

Virgin Media launches 200Mbps broadband

Virgin cable users across the UK will be invited to upgrade from 1 October, but there will be price increases for some.

By: K.G Orphanides,

Two comets collided to form Comet 67P's 'duck' shape

3D modelling and analysis of the strata of the comet's lobes show that they were originally two separate objects.

By: K.G Orphanides,

First trailer for 'X-Files' 2016 return is mysterious (and familiar)

The truth is technically still out there, one presumes, and with Mulder and Scully set to return to TV screens with a six-part X-Files series in January, we're closer than ever to actually finding it.

By: Michael Rundle,

Sonos TruePlay tunes your speakers to suit your room

Sonos has announced a new software feature that'll turn anyone into an acoustic engineer.

By: Becca Caddy,

Apple's new privacy site explains exactly how it uses your data

Apple has launched a new privacy policy website to explain in exacting detail how it users customers' data.

By: Michael Rundle,

WIRED Awake: 10 must-read articles for 29 September

Shell's exploratory Polar Pioneer oil drilling rig

Your WIRED.co.uk daily briefing. Today, Google is upgrading its quantum computer, Shell ends Arctic oil exploration, there's (probably) water on Mars and more.

By: WIRED.co.uk,

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Alternative thinking on agricultural technology, Janet Yellen’s impact on hedge fund returns, and how Jimmy Clausen should retire from the NFL

Here's Today's Alternative Thinking on Capital Flight, Agricultural Technology, Janet Yellen’s Impact on Hedge Fund Returns, a Busy Q4 IPO Schedule, and How Jimmy Clausen Should Retire from the NFL.

You could help find the next generation of antibiotics

A new biology kit could allow anyone to get involved with the discovery of the next generation of antibiotics. Post/Biotics, created by entrepreneur Vidhi Mehta, will use a combination of citizen science and crowdsourcing to discover new materials with antibiotic properties in a bid to crack the growing issue of drug resistance.

By: Sammy Maine,

Win tickets to the Rugby World Cup with Tissot

WIRED readers could win tickets to the Australia versus Wales rugby match on October 10 thanks to Tissot.

By: Wired UK Staff,

Liquid water probably exists on Mars, Nasa reveals

Nasa has announced the strongest evidence yet that flowing water exists on the surface of Mars. The space agency stopped short of saying the announcement represented final proof of the discovery but said it was increasingly likely that very salty water did exist on the surface during warmer months.

By: Sammy Maine,

Monkeys are also fooled by optical illusions

Research conducted at Georgia State university has found that monkeys and humans perceive -- and misperceive -- visual illusions in the same way. Reflecting resemblances in the species' perceptual systems and their interpretation of their physical worlds, the research was carried out using capuchin and rhesus monkeys, with the Delbouef illusion used as the visual aspect of the testing.

Collaborators for this project include Michael Beran, associate professor in Georgia State's Department of Psychology and associate director of the Language Research Center, and Sarah Brosnan, associate professor in Georgia State's Department of Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center.

By: Sammy Maine,

Social media has made us all lonely, according to the Pope

Social media has made everyone lonely, Pope Francis said in a sermon on the last day of his American tour.

By: Cara McGoogan,

Review: 'The Martian' is just the movie space travel needs

You get the impression that Ridley Scott read Andy Weir's 2011 hit sci-fi survival novel The Martian -- with its detailed descriptions of chemical reactions, planetary orbits and zero gravity mechanics -- and came to the same conclusion that protagonist Mark Watney does: "I'm going to have to science the shit out of this."

By: Oliver Franklin-Wallis,

Meet the robot modelled on a flea, an inchworm and origami

Taking cues from origami-crafting an insects, Tribot can crawl and jump up to seven times its own height.

By: Becca Caddy,

I sat in a damp field watching #SuperBloodMoon

London's skies aren't great for stargazing, but the Lunar eclipse provided a show worth getting up at 3am for.

By: James Temperton,

Rising underwater Arctic heat could cause further ice melt

Warm waters escaping from depths of the Arctic Ocean could accelerate further ice melt, researchers have found.

By: Cara McGoogan,

Nasa: Mars mystery 'solved'

NASA will be showcasing a major new Mars discovery later on this afternoon, with many believing it to be the presence of flowing water. The agency have yet to release any indication of the announcement but have promised a 'Mars mystery solved.' NASA experts Jim Green, Michael Meyer and Mary Beth Wilhelm will be taking part in the briefing as well as Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona and Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

A brief question-and-answer session will be taking place at 3pm (GMT) during the event with reporters on site and by phone. Members of the public also can ask questions during the briefing using #AskNASA.

By: Sammy Maine,