Facial hair is biologically useless. So why do humans have it?

PLUS: A Peloton alternative, a submarine makeover, and a year of cancel culture. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 12.21.20   PRODUCT REVIEW Move Over Peloton. Myx Plus Is the Better Bargain BY BILLY BROWN The $1,499 package includes a stationary bike with a tablet, a set of weights, and hours of streaming video workouts to shake off those 2020 blues.   INNOVATION Pet Prosthetics Get a Boost From 3D Printing BY BOONE ASHWORTH New modeling software is helping animal health experts develop more customizable prosthetics for pets with missing limbs. Still, not all legs are created equal.   DEEP BLUE SEA The Oldest Crewed Deep Sea Submarine Just Got a Big Makeover BY DANIEL OBERHAUS The 60-year-old sub is preparing to take its deepest plunge yet. But in the age of autonomous machines, why are humans exploring the ocean floor at all?   STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW Facial Hair Is Biologically Useless. So Why Do Humans Have It? BY JOSH CLARK AND CHUCK BRYANT Pubes protect you; head hair keeps you warm. But beards and mustaches seem to exist for mainly ornamental reasons. GET WIRED Happy Holidays from WIRED. Plus get free stickers! Last chance to get one year of WIRED access for $10 $5. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   YEAR IN REVIEW 2020: The Year of Cancel(l)ed Culture BY JASON KEHE This year, monoculture floundered, but microculture flourished. Everyone found a niche—and learned what they could live without.   CLEAN CUT The Best Chef's Knives to Level Up Your Home Cooking BY SCOTT GILBERTSON It's the indispensable multi-tool of the kitchen. We sliced and diced our way through meats and veggies to find today's best blades.   MIC CHECK Want to Start a Podcast or Livestream? Here's What You Need BY PARKER HALL Now is the time to create your own content. This gear can help you get great audio and video quality from the start.   SOLARWINDS How to Understand the Russia Hack Fallout BY LILY HAY NEWMAN Not all SolarWinds victims are created equal.   YEAR IN REVIEW This Was Supposed to Be the Year of the Female Movie Hero BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER From Wonder Woman 1984 to Black Widow, heroines were going to bust the box office in 2020. Then, they didn't.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions