For the Love of God, Stop Microwaving Plastic

PLUS: The Mystery of the Colorado River's Missing Water, and more.

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter preferences 08.02.23 Your weekly roundup of the best stories on health care, the climate crisis, genetic engineering, robotics, space, and more. For all our science coverage, visit WIRED Science.   For the Love of God, Stop Microwaving Plastic DON'T HEAT AND EAT | 5-MINUTE READ  A study of baby-food containers shows that microwaving plastic releases millions upon millions of polymer bits. By Celia Ford   The Mystery of the Colorado River's Missing Water SNOW CLUE | 4-MINUTE READ  Snow is falling—but it doesn't show up to replenish the river. In a drying West, researchers are racing to find out where it goes. By Bella Biondini   How a Microbial Evolutionary Accident Changed Earth's Atmosphere EASY BEING GREEN | 4-MINUTE READ  An extra membrane that once had digestive functions let marine microbes boost their yield from photosynthesis. Today, they're responsible for locking carbon in the ocean and putting oxygen in the air. By Saugat Bolakhe   The First Pill for Postpartum Depression Is Almost Here PUBLIC HEALTH | 4-MINUTE READ  Current treatments for depression after giving birth are either slow to work or hard to get. The FDA is considering a new tablet that relieves symptoms within days. By Emily Mullin   When You Drop a Rock Overboard, What Happens to the Water Level? DOT PHYSICS | 5-MINUTE READ  In the physics of water displacement, the answer isn't always intuitive. By Rhett Allain   A Patient May Be Free of HIV, Thanks to This Drug PUBLIC HEALTH | 5-MINUTE READ  Five people went into viral remission after stem cell transplants from donors with HIV resistance. A sixth patient received normal cells. Is an anti-inflammatory drug behind his recovery, instead? By Emily Mullin ADVERTISEMENT More from WIRED Science This Heat Is Shaking the Very Foundation of the Ocean Food Web Yes, save the corals. But warming seas also imperil innumerable plankton, which power the oceanic ecosystem. Why Scientists Are Clashing Over the Atlantic's Critical Currents Is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) about to shut down, creating climate chaos? Depends who you ask. Extreme Heat Threatens the Health of Unborn Babies Exposure to excessive heat during pregnancy has been linked to everything from preterm labor to low birth weight, and those risks are rising as the world warms. This Prosthetic Limb Actually Attaches to the Wearer's Nerves A prosthetic arm that connects directly to the nervous system gives the user fine control over the motions of individual fingers—just by thinking and trying to move. Trending on WIRED BAD WORDS | 4-MINUTE READ A New Attack Impacts ChatGPT—and No One Knows How to Stop It By Will Knight Researchers found a simple way to make ChatGPT, Bard, and other chatbots misbehave, proving that AI is hard to tame. GET WIRED Get 1 year of WIRED for less than $1 per month. That includes Steven Levy's exclusive newsletter and a free tote! 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.