Born in a cowshed in India, Siddhant now works for Meta in California. But he hides his background as a Dalit and fears he can never reveal his true self. Sonia Paul #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, india, discrimination, Meta, Silicon Valley zpr.io/VaphphifrmqS

Within the long history of telecommunication in nature, the web can be seen not as a mere tool, but as a living system. Justin E. H. Smith #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Book Excerpt, Ecology, Internet zpr.io/gwvN339u9J8T

In 2018, an Uber autonomous vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian. In a WIRED exclusive, the human behind the wheel finally speaks. Lauren Smiley #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Self-Driving Cars, Uber, Tesla zpr.io/rPxw2KU8TNHi

How one man came to rule political speech on Facebook, command one of the largest lobbies in DC, and guide Zuck through disaster—and straight into it. Benjamin Wofford #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Facebook, The Facebook Papers, politics, elections zpr.io/2Q8GtDNBP7Vn

It took 20 years for Arkady Volozh to build Yandex into Russia’s Google, Uber, Spotify, and Amazon combined. It took 20 days for everything to crumble. Paul Starobin #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Google, Yandex zpr.io/UUwcGMLEu7Eq

The users of the largest known child sex abuse site in history thought their bitcoins were untraceable. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Andy Greenberg #WIRED #Backchannel Cover Story, longreads, dark web, cryptocurrency, bitcoin zpr.io/8iww7fRrcSxa

Don Cameron went all in on a trickle-down survival tactic. It could help save America’s agricultural heartland—even if he doesn’t survive the new water war. Susie Cagle #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, California drought, flood, climate change zpr.io/TexKiVg4hncN

Born from Alphabet's "moon shot" division, the startup aims to sell earbuds that can collect heaps of neural data—and uncover the mysteries of gray matter. Steven Levy #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Neuroscience, Wearables, Sleep, Startups, medicine zpr.io/8gZxXSvwVe8h

In her new science fiction book ‘The Memory Librarian,’ the artist and Afrofuturist icon creates an apocalyptic—and hopeful—vision of the future. Mary Retta #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Books, Essay, science fiction zpr.io/zSGa88zAMMT8

The Chinese company has become a fast-fashion juggernaut by appealing to budget-conscious Gen Zers. But its ultralow prices are hiding unacceptable costs. Vauhini Vara #WIRED #Backchannel longreads zpr.io/9karPiHcgyrv

Crypto dreamers want to free us from Big Tech and exploitative capitalism—using only the blockchain, game theory, and code. What could possibly go wrong? Gilad Edelman #WIRED #Backchannel Cover Story, longreads, Web3, Blockchain, cryptocurrency zpr.io/VkbrWA79LZqR

The acerbic optimist thinks anxious people (like me) need to move on from Covid and start planning for the next vicious pathogen. Steven Levy #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Bill Gates, vaccines, COVID-19, pandemics, public health zpr.io/nSH3MyiHFt9C

He makes big movies and little movies, funny movies and sad movies—but mostly big-little funny-sad movies. Waititi is a bundle of contradictions. Jennifer Kahn #WIRED #Backchannel Cover Story, longreads, Thor, Marvel, Movies zpr.io/9QuMkkr3iETw

In a one-on-one interview with WIRED, the embattled president expresses clarity amidst the chaos. Geoffrey Cain #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Ukraine, Russia, war, cyberwar, cybersecurity, technology, Social Media zpr.io/ZPXgyCUrBU87

A dispatch from the Amazon: A beloved leader was the first Indigenous person in Brazil to die of Covid—a loss entwined with her people’s fight for sovereignty. Fábio Zuker #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, COVID-19, climate change, Ecology, nature, climate zpr.io/fbJHmAXcsbx4

In a queer vacation hot spot on Cape Cod, an ad hoc community proved that Americans can stifle large outbreaks—if they want to. Maryn McKenna #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, COVID-19, Delta, public health, LGBTQ+ zpr.io/yztSwEjFTVSh

A truly planetary politics would extend decisionmaking to animals, ecosystems, and potentially AI. James Bridle #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, Book Excerpt, animals, politics zpr.io/nE7vCuc3VxQS

Every so often, our star fires off a plasma bomb in a random direction. Our best hope the next time Earth is in the crosshairs? Capacitors. Matt Ribel #WIRED #Backchannel longreads, natural disasters, power grid, coronal mass ejection zpr.io/rG3FhJCfnPri

He tried to save his wife through the video game they loved—and nearly lost himself. Then he signed up to lead a fledgling team of gamers in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Brendan I. Koerner #WIRED #Backchannel video games, Esports, college, longreads zpr.io/c8sdSrk2rEWz

Universal wisdom from NASA