We humans envy birds for their seemingly effortless ability to fly, and for their ability to extract endless amounts of bread from old people in parks. But there’s a middle ground between those two states—soaring and ambling around on two feet in pursuit of crumbs—that we tend to overlook: Birds are a kind of hybrid.…
You, like me, may sometimes (or all the time!) feel that the world is spiraling out of control—trade wars and political strife. And, oh right, climate change, arguably the greatest threat our species has ever faced. Or maybe artificial intelligence and robots will put us all out of work before the world actually ends. But…
The next time you’ve got something to complain about, consider the plight of the intestinal worm. It not only has to figure out how to eat and breed in the confines of another creature, it has to prevent that creature’s body from dissolving the parasite into a mist of cells. That means dodging the immune…
WIRED ICON Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google NOMINATES R. Kim, Chief medical officer of Aravind Eye Hospital Ten cents won’t get you much in the American health care system—maybe a Band-Aid, if your HMO is feeling generous—but in parts of India, where nearly a quarter of the world’s blind population lives, it will cover the…