Working to save the world ~ Amazing News 2020

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Working to save the world

WIRED's yearlong celebration of our 30th anniversary continues, and we're getting ever so close to the culmination of the festivities: LiveWIRED, our 30th anniversary celebration, which is taking place on December 5, 2023, at The Midway in WIRED's backyard, San Francisco. If you haven't checked it out and applied to attend yet, make sure to do so! Space is limited and slots are going fast.

You can read all about the themes of the event, guest speakers, and activities at the link above. Not only are we celebrating WIRED's impact on tech (did you know that the word "crowdsourcing" first appeared in WIRED?) but we're also discussing where technology and society will go in the next 30 years. I hope to see you there!

In the meantime, our article series continues at the WIRED30 hub, where we're highlighting the people, organizations, and activists working to save the world for all of us. For example, NASA is working on next-generation laser communication technology, and we're here for it. We're also here for robotic surgery, and the way the next generation of doctors is training to use them. Ideally, it'll make future surgeries cleaner, easier to recover from, and simpler for everyone involved. We're even talking about how Amazon is planning to use AI to track and inspect its delivery vehicles.

Alan Henry, Special Projects Editor

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NASA's Psyche Mission Is Off to Test a Space Laser (for Communications)

The Psyche probe is heading to its namesake metal-rich asteroid. Along the way, it will demonstrate a near-infrared laser system to send high-rate data hundreds of millions of miles home.

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Amazon's AI-Powered Van Inspections Give It a Powerful New Data Feed

Amazon delivery drivers at hundreds of sites around the world will be asked to drive through camera-studded archways that log every dent, scratch, or damaged tire.

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Google's AI Is Making Traffic Lights More Efficient and Less Annoying

Google is analyzing data from its Maps app to suggest how cities can adjust traffic light timing to cut wait times and emissions. The company says it's already cutting stops for millions of drivers.

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LiveWIRED

Celebrating 30 Years

Join us at LiveWIRED on December 5 in San Francisco for a thought-provoking, in-person only event, featuring some of the most influential people in tech, business, science, entertainment, and beyond. Celebrating WIRED's 30th anniversary, we'll explore technology's impact on our past, present, and future—and dig into solutions and our optimistic vision for the next 30 years.

Find out more