The AI research paper was real. The ‘coauthor’ wasn't

PLUS: Elation on Mars, keeping your feet warm, finding a PS5, and blocking Uber. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 02.19.21   PUBLIC HEALTH As Coronavirus Variants Spread, the US Struggles to Keep Up BY MEGAN MOLTENI The nation is a sequencing superpower. But without a federal strategy or enough funding, scientists can't coordinate to track an evolving threat fast enough.   THE MONITOR The Mars Landing Was the Best Thing on TV This Week BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER Apologies to all other TV.   GADGET LAB PODCAST It Shouldn't Be This Hard to Get a PlayStation 5 BY WIRED STAFF This week, we share our horror stories about trying to procure Sony's elusive new gaming console. We also share tips for testing your own luck.   GHOST WRITER The AI Research Paper Was Real. The 'Coauthor' Wasn't BY WILL KNIGHT An MIT professor found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks." GET WIRED Exclusive Offer! Ending Soon: Get 1 year of WIRED access for $10 $5. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   DEAL L.L.Bean's Extra-Warm Bean Boots Are $140 Off Right Now BY MATT JANCER The limited-edition, Gore-Tex lined, insulated version of the classic duck boot is $129 at the moment.   NO FREE RIDE The UK Is the Latest Country to Tighten the Screws on Uber BY AARIAN MARSHALL The country's highest court ruled that the 25 drivers who filed a lawsuit should be considered workers and entitled to minimum wage and vacations.   BARRENS CHAT When 'World of Warcraft' Is an Escape—and a Memorial BY TANNER LAGUATAN As kids, my cousin Kano and I spent hours together in this fantastical world. During quarantine, and for the first time since his death, I logged in again.   Australia Is Fighting a Platform War on the Wrong Battlefield BY STEVEN LEVY Plus: Google's ad software, the future of space travel, and the Texas governor's weird tune.   PODCASTS What Would It Take to Actually Settle an Alien World? BY GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY David Gerrold's new novel 'Hella' is about a low-gravity planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures—and it doesn't skip the logistical details of human habitation.     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