The best WIRED Ideas stories of 2020

PLUS: Coronavirus comparisons, deepfake porn, and Facebook Groups. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  12.26.20   OPINION The Dark Virality of a Hollywood Blood-Harvesting Conspiracy BY BRIAN FRIEDBERG A centuries-old anti-Semitic myth is spreading freely on far-right corners of social media—suggesting a new digital Dark Age has arrived.   BAD IDEAS Coronavirus Is Bad. Comparing It to the Flu Is Worse BY ROXANNE KHAMSI The whataboutism of infectious disease is as dangerous as it is hackneyed.   IDEAS Covid-19 Is Not the Spanish Flu BY FERRIS JABR A widely cited stat about death rates seems to argue otherwise, but it's surely incorrect. So how'd it end up in the research literature?   IDEAS It's Time to Face Facts, America: Masks Work BY FERRIS JABR Official advice has been confusing, but the science isn't hard to grok. Everyone should cover up.   SPONSORED CONTENT Business, Culture, Science, Oh My! Stream documentaries like Conscious Capitalism or Project Petroglyph on CuriosityStream, the documentary streaming service. Get 30% off today! 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.   IDEAS Deepfake Porn Harms Adult Performers, Too BY LUX ALPTRAUM Their bodies are being weaponized for online harassment—and the experience, actors say, is eviscerating.   IDEAS Hybrid Schooling May Be the Most Dangerous Option of All BY DAVID ZWEIG It's supposed to be the perfect compromise between in-person and online education. It could end up as a public health nightmare.   OPINION Facebook Groups Are Destroying America BY NINA JANKOWICZ AND CINDY OTIS They're built for privacy and community—and that's  what makes them dangerous.   INFORMATION ECOLOGY Please, Please, Please Don't Mock Conspiracy Theories BY WHITNEY PHILLIPS People have a lot of bizarre notions about Covid-19 and the 2020 elections—but if you have to laugh, just do it in private.     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