Why computers don’t need to match human intelligence

PLUS: The Year in Overflow Culture, and more

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  12.28.21   YEAR IN REVIEW | 4-MINUTE READ The Year in Overflow Culture BY AMELIA TAIT Thanks to the constant content machine, there's more culture online than anyone knows what to do with. Here's the most baffling of the internet's 2021 leftovers.   A REAL YARN | 5-MINUTE READ This Company Has a Way to Replace Plastic in Clothing BY HARRIS QUINN Natural Fiber Welding uses an innovative process to treat cotton and make it behave more like synthetic fibers.   YEAR IN REVIEW | 9-MINUTE READ Surprise! The Pandemic Has Made People More Science Literate BY MAX G. LEVY Despite rampant misinformation, Covid-19 has pushed science into the zeitgeist, as people have absorbed new words and how scientific discovery actually works.   SILICON SMARTS | 4-MINUTE READ Why Computers Don't Need to Match Human Intelligence BY KAI-FU LEE With continuing advances in machine learning, it makes less and less sense to compare AI to the human mind.   SPONSORED CONTENT Meet Blinkist, The App Intellectuals Are Using To Beat Boredom Named one of Apple's best apps, Blinkist provides genuine value for those who love to learn. Start your free trial today! GET WIRED HOLIDAY SALE! Get WIRED for just $10 $5. Get the print edition and exclusive subscriber-only stories. Give yourself the gift of information. Subscribe now.   BEST OF 2021 DYATLOV PASS | 8-MINUTE READ 9 Russian Adventurers Mysteriously Froze to Death. A New Theory Explains Why BY MATT SIMON More than 60 years after the incident, scientists say they have new evidence pointing to a peculiar kind of avalanche as the culprit.   BUYING GUIDE | 7-MINUTE READ The Best VR Headsets and Games to Explore the Metaverse BY JESS GREY Dipping into virtual reality is easier than ever—in fact, this might be the perfect time to invest.   YEAR IN REVIEW | 5-MINUTE READ Autonomous Weapons Are Here, but the World Isn't Ready for Them BY WILL KNIGHT A UN report says a drone, operating without human control, attacked people in Libya. International efforts to restrict such weapons have so far failed.     Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   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.