The Delta variant meme is onto something

PLUS: Why Perseverance's First Mars Drilling Attempt Came Up Empty, and more

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 08.13.21   ROCK 'N' ROLL | 5-MINUTE READ Why Perseverance's First Mars Drilling Attempt Came Up Empty BY MATT SIMON Far from a failure, the sampling might actually offer tantalizing clues about the geology—and potential past life—of the Red Planet.   SMART SILICON | 4-MINUTE READ Samsung Has Its Own AI-Designed Chip. Soon, Others Will Too BY WILL KNIGHT Synopsys, which sells software for designing semiconductors to dozens of companies, is adding artificial intelligence to its arsenal.   CORONAVIRUS | 3-MINUTE READ What Airbnb's Summer Boost Reveals About Covid-19 Recovery BY ARIELLE PARDES The company's latest earnings report showed an upsurge in business, but it also hedges expectations for the fall.   THE MONITOR | 2-MINUTE READ The New Delta Variant Meme Is Onto Something BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER RIP, fall plans. The latest in pandemic gallows humor is sad and scary—and it could actually help us. GET WIRED Stare the future right in the eye. Get 1 year of unlimited access to WIRED for less than $1 per month. That includes Steven Levy's exclusive newsletter and a free tote! Subscribe now.   MOVIES | 5-MINUTE READ Free Guy Sees the Metaverse Through Rose-Colored Glasses BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER Set in a fictional video game, the movie believes in virtual harmony—but that's not reality.   DOT PHYSICS | 6-MINUTE READ The Physics of Johnny Knoxville, Human Cannonball BY RHETT ALLAIN Jackass Forever is back with more dumb stunts. Please: Try only the physics at home.   CORONAVIRUS UPDATE | 3-MINUTE READ Cases Among Kids, New Mandates, and More Coronavirus News BY EVE SNEIDER Catch up on the most important updates from this week.   SAFE FOR LATER | 5-MINUTE READ How to Back Up Your Most Important Emails BY DAVID NIELD Google, Microsoft, or Apple may deliver and store your emails, but the most valuable ones deserve a second home, just in case.   PODCASTS | 63-MINUTE EPISODE Time Travelers Should Be a Lot More Worried About Viruses BY GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY It's one of the biggest threats that science fiction rarely talks about.     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   Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.