Adam Rogers
Senior Correspondent
Adam Rogers writes about science and miscellaneous geekery. Before coming to WIRED, Rogers was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT and a reporter for Newsweek. He is the author of The New York Times science bestseller Proof: The Science of Booze.
The Pandemic Might Have Redesigned Cities Forever
Changes small and large—parklets, outdoor restaurants, bike lanes—could remake our relationship to cities (and help fix climate change).
Some Cancer Studies Fail to Replicate. That Might Be OK
A years-long effort to validate key cancer biology hit roadblocks and found problems. But maybe this will incentivize scientists to share data.
Can a Digital Reality Be Jacked Directly Into Your Brain?
The idea of a synthetic experience uploaded to the mind has been a sci-fi fantasy forever. New brain-computer interfaces are making it nonfiction—very slowly.
New Covid Drugs Are Here—and They Could Change the Pandemic
Two antivirals could help beat Covid-19 in countries that don’t have vaccines yet. They just need to work as promised.
The Long Search for a Computer That Speaks Your Mind
The trick is to use data from the brain to synthesize speech in real time so users can practice and the machine can learn. New brain computer interface systems are getting there.
Sci-Fi Icon Neal Stephenson Finally Takes on Global Warming
The renowned author says his genre should inspire solutions. In his new novel, Termination Shock, he tackles our most existential crisis.
New Sex Toy Standards Let Some Sensitive Details Slide
The industry now has official guidance on design, materials, and more, but not security and privacy best practices.
He Charted Marvel’s Massive Story—and Revealed an Epic
For his new book, Douglas Wolk read more than 27,000 comic books. What he found was one single coherent saga: the Uncanny American Novel.
What Can Convince People to Just Get Vaccinated Already?
Researchers are struggling to figure out why people don’t get their Covid shots, and what language might persuade them. Saying “You gotta” seems to work.
Better Data on Ivermectin Is Finally on Its Way
Studies have been small and often not great. The best info so far says don’t use it, get vaccinated, and hang in there for the more promising meds being tested.
Vaccine Mandates Work—but Only If They’re Done Right
Requiring people to get their shots can stop Covid-19, but those rules have to be doable and equitable.
Would It Be Fair to Treat Vaccinated Covid Patients First?
Last week, Texas health care policymakers discussed taking vaccination status into account for Covid triage. It’s a larger conversation ethicists are bracing for.
Smart Cities, Bad Metaphors, and a Better Urban Future
Shannon Mattern’s new book, A City Is Not a Computer, digs into the data, dashboards, and language that keep people from building better, safer communities.
The Weird, Sustainable Booze of the Future Tastes … Good?
Small distilleries like Empirical Spirits are working on uncategorizable drinks made of stuff like plum pits, for the resilient quaff of tomorrow.
The Olympics Could Be a Covid-19 ‘Super-Evolutionary Event’
In a warped version of international cooperation, the Games could provide a place for variants of the virus to spread and then return home with athletes.
The Miami Tower Collapse and Humanity’s Fight for the Future
From the fallen Champlain Tower to climate change, humans haven’t yet learned to avoid catastrophes they know are coming.
Ranked Choice Voting Reveals the Weird Math of Elections
The New York City mayoral race could show whether a new way of measuring voter desires can actually be an alternate timeline for democracy.
The Best Made-Up Worlds Are Made Up of Real Parts
Helene Wecker’s The Hidden Palace brings magic to 20th century Manhattan. Turns out that’s easier than putting the wrong stormtroopers into Star Wars Land.
Wait, Vaccine Lotteries Actually Work?
Ooh, the behavioral economists are going to be so smug about this.
The Covid Lab Leak Theory Is a Tale of Weaponized Uncertainty
Scientists almost never say they’re sure, and it could take years to pin down the pandemic's origins. Until then: People are trying to scare you.