Matt Simon
Staff Writer
Matt Simon is a science journalist at WIRED, where he covers biology, robotics, cannabis, and the environment. He’s also the author of Plight of the Living Dead: What Real-Life Zombies Reveal About Our World—And Ourselves, and The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar, which won an Alex Award.
Wait, So Where Will Urbanites Charge Their EVs?
Homeowners with garages can easily charge their electric cars, but not apartment dwellers. Here's what it'll take to get plugs everywhere in cities.
Humanity Has Turned Land Itself Into a Menace
All of our meddling has primed Earth to collapse under cities and belch greenhouse gases, a nasty feedback loop that’s accelerating global warming.
The World Was Cooler in 2021 Than 2020. That’s Not Good News
The global temperature was down, thanks to La Niña, but it was still the sixth-hottest year on record. And 2 billion people had their warmest year yet.
How Explosives, a Robot, and a Sled Expose a Doomsday Glacier
Thwaites Glacier is crumbling, and fast—if it melts entirely, it could add 10 feet to sea levels. Now Antarctic scientists are racing to survey the damage.
Wildfires Are Digging Carbon-Spewing Holes in the Arctic
Soaring temperatures are rapidly thawing permafrost, leading to huge sinkholes called thermokarst. Northern fires are making the situation even worse.
2021 Was a Huge Missed Opportunity on Climate Action
The pandemic should have been a wake-up call—instead, emissions have climbed once more. Here's how the US could have seized the opportunity.
How an Aquarium Collects Curious Creatures From the Deep
Take a cruise with scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, as they pilot an SUV-sized robot to collect delicate specimens 1,600 feet down.
See Little Robots Get Swole in This Virtual 'Gym'
The bizarre robots look like cobbled-together Tetris pieces. A new system "evolves" them to run, climb, and throw stuff better.
Your Rooftop Garden Could Be a Solar-Powered Working Farm
A new scientific field proposes an idea that could help generate food and energy while reducing a building's cooling costs.
This Drone Uses Piercing Talons to Perch—or Snatch Things
What do you get when you slap 3D-printed raptor legs on a quadcopter? A robot that can land like a falcon to keep an eye on the forest.
Think Climate Change Is Messy? Wait Until Geoengineering
Someone's bound to hack the atmosphere to cool the planet. So we urgently need more research on the consequences, says climate scientist Kate Ricke.
This Intrepid Robot Is the WALL-E of the Deep Sea
Here's how engineers got the car-sized Benthic Rover II to roam the seafloor 13,000 feet deep without immediately breaking down.
It’s Time to Delete Carbon From the Atmosphere. But How?
It’s not enough to drastically slash emissions. To stave off the worst of climate change, humanity needs to capture the carbon that's already in the air.
The Cutest Way to Fight Climate Change? Send in the Otters
Saving California's adorable (and very hungry) sea otters helps control other species, leading to the growth of more carbon-sequestering vegetation.
This Groundbreaking Simulator Generates a Huge Indoor Ocean
It’s a 32,000-gallon concrete tank with a wind tunnel grafted on top. With it, researchers can study the seas—and climate change—like never before.
Microplastics May Be Cooling—and Heating—Earth’s Climate
Tiny bits of plastic are swirling in the sky, and a new model suggests they could be subtly affecting the climate.
People Should Drink Way More Recycled Wastewater
Filtration technology produces water so pure, it would actually harm you if they didn’t put minerals back into it.
Growing Crops Under Solar Panels? Now There’s a Bright Idea
In the new scientific (and literal) field of agrivoltaics, researchers are showing how panels can increase yields and reduce water use on a warming planet.
Deadly Heat Is Baking Cities. Here’s How to Cool Them Down
Urban areas can be 20 degrees hotter than the surrounding country. But green spaces and reflective pavement can make city life more bearable.
Feeling Climate Dread? You’re Not Alone
It’s called eco-anxiety, a completely natural response to a world gone haywire. And it’s way more prevalent than you think, especially among young adults.