The summer heat is bad. But setting off fireworks doesn’t help. Heat domes are already dangerous enough without July Fourth celebrations making the air worse.
Meanwhile, space is still beautiful.
Where To Look Up
You probably don’t know where NASA posts its best photos. They have decades of images. Stars. Planets. Galaxies. Most are free to share. You should look them up. Actually look up.
On Earth, we have other distractions. Like making your kid’s phone useless in a good way.
The Accidental Dumbphone
Apple built a tool for people with cognitive disabilities. I found it. I used it. It’s now the best way to set up a kid’s iPhone. No one talks about it. Apple definitely didn’t.
Speaking of Apple, their Hide My Email feature is failing. It’s not hiding your email. It’s barely working.
Also in security news:
– An alleged Scattered Spider hacker got extradited.
– License plate readers keep making dozens of errors.
– Indian officials are nervous about WhatsApp adding usernames.
What We’re Eating And Buying
Food preservatives might be bad for your blood. A large study says they could raise the risk of high blood pressure. Processed food isn’t getting any safer.
Neither is it getting cheaper.
AI chips are causing a shortage. Your phone. Your laptop. Your console. Everything costs more now. Prices are still climbing. It’s just going up and up.
If you want to sleep through the chaos, buy a mattress.
The Fourth of July Shopping List
Here is what we’ve actually slept on at WIRED:
– Cooling hybrids
– Organic latex beds
We tested them. These are the ones worth buying if you need to sleep.
For those running away from office life? Ultralight backpacking quilts. Drop the heavy sleeping bag. Count the ounces. Carry a quilt. It’s summer. You don’t need the weight.
Biology, Bombs, And Unions
A fossil was found in Mexico. An axolotl fossil. The species is Ambystoma quetzalcoatl. It proves these salamanders have lived there for millions of years. Before we even thought of time.
Back to modern disasters: three nuclear startups hit a milestone. Their Fourth of July plan? Celebrating new reactor designs coming online.
It sounds impressive.
It is not.
There is a long way to go before this delivers real energy at scale.
Labor disputes aren’t helping either.
Google DeepMind union talks started rocky. Employees feel executives won’t engage. They say leadership doesn’t care about the union idea. That hurts trust.
Safer Than What?
The FDA said ZYN pouches are safer than cigarettes. Safer than cigarettes. That is the bar we have cleared.
You can advertise them as less harmful. Does that mean they’re safe? No. Quitting tobacco and nicotine entirely is still the best move. We are settling for “less bad” instead of good.
Science gives us ancient axolotls.
Tech gives us expensive gadgets.
The FDA gives us “less harmful.”
Not exactly a balanced plate.
