The motivation to act

Celebrating WIRED's 30th anniversary.

View in browser  |  Your newsletter preferences When you consider the big challenges that humanity faces today, you might think of climate change, global pandemics, and the constant threat of international conflict. Those are all very real, and as we've covered over the course of WIRED's 30th anniversary feature series, some incredible minds and innovative organizations are on the case. But there are other pressing challenges as well, and people who are working hard to make the world a better place.   For example, new genetic engineering tech is already at work to save endangered species from the brink of extinction. Similar tech is being used in agriculture to help make nutrient-rich but bitter greens more palatable so we'll eat more of them. And beyond that, even our books and bestsellers are adapting to provide us with the inspiration and representation needed to motivate all of us to action in our changing world.   As we continue our 30th anniversary celebration, we invite you to look forward with us with a hopeful eye toward a better future, but one that can come to pass only if we pull together to make it a reality. —Alan Henry, Special Projects Editor Find me on Twitter. My Recommended Reads Why Suicide Rates Are Dropping Around the World Over the past couple of decades, global suicide prevention efforts have reduced deaths by a third—but some countries are falling behind. Your Dog Is a Secret Weapon in the Fight Against Cancer Every year, thousands of pets develop tumors very similar to those found in people. Find drugs that work for canines, and human treatments should follow. A New Cloned Horse Offers Hope for Endangered Species The technique may finally be emerging as a way to preserve species at risk of extinction. The First Crispr-Edited Salad Is Here A startup used gene editing to make mustard greens more appetizing to consumers. Next up: fruits. The Team of Sleuths Quietly Hunting Cyberattack-for-Hire Services For a decade, a group called Big Pipes has worked behind the scenes with the FBI to target the worst cybercriminal "booter" services plaguing the internet. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Is the New Maestro of the Genre Novel The speculative fiction author is a builder of worlds dark and twistedly terrifying, but never devoid of hope. For more of the people, platforms, and organizations that give us hope for the future, visit WIRED30. ADVERTISEMENT WIRED30 Raves: Iconic Stories Our Editors Love  The Epic Siberian Journey to Solve a Mass Extinction Mystery The mystery of what caused a mass extinction 250 million years ago sets researchers off on an epic Siberian adventure—and may be a harbinger of how climate change is affecting the planet today. —Kara Platoni, Science Editor  These Parents Built a School App. Then the City Called the Cops We use bad technology every day of our lives—but not a lot of us do anything about it. This story is about a group of parents in Sweden that got so fed up they took on the big guys. And it's beautifully chaotic. —James Temperton, News Editor Why the Future Doesn't Need Us Back in the year 2000, software pioneer Bill Joy wrote about his fear technology would turn against humanity. You may disagree with him or the AI doomers yelping similar warnings two decades later, but first take the time to hear out Joy's carefully argued call for the "relinquishment" of certain technologies. —Tom Simonite, Business Editor For the best and weirdest stories from WIRED's archive, sign up for the WIRED Classics newsletter. GET WIRED Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus free stickers! Subscribe now. ADVERTISEMENT Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.