Ahead of the hit show's finale, cocreators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello talk about media consolidation, the perils of censorship, and why they find AI "deeply disturbing." If you're a WIRED reader who uses AI in any creative context, I'd suggest staying far, far away from anyone involved in the TV show . In an interview earlier this year, actor Hannah Einbinder (who plays young comedy writer Ava Daniels on the show) described AI creators as "losers," "not artists," and "not special." In a wide-ranging conversation for ahead of the series finale on HBO Max, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello were resolute about the value of human creativity--and what can be lost when AI enters the picture. If their work on is any indication, Downs and Aniello (along with their third cocreator, Jen Statsky) would be wise to stick with the tough, tiring, absolutely-no-shortcuts approach they take to making entertainment. Across five excellent seasons--if you haven't seen the show, I really do recommend it-- has been praised for its sharp writing and wit, and its thoughtful portrayal of Deborah Vance and Ava's complex, constantly evolving relationship. The show has also acted as something of a mirror for the real-world entertainment industry, weaving in plotlines that tackle everything from media consolidation to corporate censorship to, yes, artificial intelligence. The show's cast and creators have been on a media whirlwind as it all comes to an end. When they came knocking on WIRED's door, we jumped at the chance to chat, and I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Downs and Aniello--both WIRED subscribers, much to my delight--earlier this month. KATIE DRUMMOND: Lucia Aniello and Paul Downs, who I just learned are married, congratulations and welcome to . You should have been there. You should have been there. Ugh, why didn't we bring you? We are going to renew for our 10-year at the same place though. Lucia was born in Italy, so it was closer to a lot of family. And you were married in what year? You have time to find your look. A major priority for me in my life is perfecting my look. We do work at Condé Nast, and my boss is Anna Wintour.

Just in time for summer, Beatbot's pool-cleaning robots are on sale through the end of the month. If you're on the hunt for smarter pool care, these are some of the best pool-cleaning robots on the market, and we haven't seen them sell for less. Whether you're tired of paying the pool guy or just don't want to deal with whatever scary stuff is floating in the water, these robots can help. Be sure to check out our related buying guides for more summer outdoors coverage, including the best bug sprays, the best sunscreens, and the best fitness trackers . This surface skimmer is slow and methodical with its approach, which means it won't slam into your pool's walls while doing its job.

Colloquially, OCD is known as the doubting disorder. In his new book, Simone Stolzoff explores whether treating that uncertainty with magic mushrooms can help people through it. Adam Strauss is standing in his New York City apartment, holding the limp cord of his headphones, trying to choose between the two MP3 players on his desk: the iPod and the iRiver, its Korean counterpart. He tries different songs, different genres, different instruments. The iRiver tends to sound better overall, but the iPod offers a little more nuance in the midrange. The iPod has a better battery life, but the iRiver still lasts eight hours-- longer than he's ever continuously listened to music. Then again, he's never owned an MP3 player. He goes back and forth, back and forth, testing vocal ranges, button resistance, interface aesthetics. It would be one thing if it were just Adam's decision of which MP3 player to buy. After all, it was 2003, the height of the personal audio device revolution, and Adam was a 29-year-old audiophile. For Adam, it was also other decisions-- what shirt to wear to work, what to order for lunch, even what side of the street to walk down. At one point, in an effort to simplify his decisionmaking process for what to wear, Adam bought 11 identical blue button-down shirts. But he quickly found variations in each shirt's fit and fading. He believed there was a shirt to pick; each morning he would spend 20, 30, then 45 minutes trying to find it. If he could only determine which shirt was best, he could control his fate.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Inside LAUSD's alleged $22-million money-laundering scheme, 'the largest' in district history This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Los Angeles Unified is seeking to recover $22 million from a contractor after alleging that a former district manager steered lucrative IT contracts to the company in exchange for kickbacks. Peng and Sampath have denied wrongdoing.

Universities have become generic, one professor and former dean argues. In the A.I. era, students may demand something they can't get elsewhere. Last week, I asked whether, as a forty-six-year-old father of two, I should keep contributing to my children's college funds, or if perhaps some combination of anti-establishment fervor, A.I., and a shifting economy could save me some money. I don't have a particularly good answer yet, at least not one good enough to inspire the purchase of a midlife-crisis car, my son's and daughter's futures be damned. But, after wrestling with that query in Part 1 of what will be a series of articles, I think there may be a better one to ask. The question is not, I think, "How will A.I. change higher education?" I wanted to talk with someone who stood outside the polite consensus which holds that college as we know it will survive, if only because, as I wrote last week, humans will always want to differentiate their children from other people's children.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Russia and Ukraine have resumed air attacks after a United States-brokered three-day truce expired, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying more than 200 drones were used to attack Ukraine overnight. Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region on Tuesday morning killed at least one person and injured four others, according to regional administration chief Oleksandr Ganzha. Russia also carried out attacks on the regions of Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Chernihiv, according to authorities. More than 200 long-range drones were used in the wave of attacks, Zelenskyy said. "Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days," he said in a post on X. Russia's military, meanwhile, said its defences downed 27 Ukrainian drones over the regions of Belgorod, Voronezh and Rostov.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' The group had reportedly been starving on the front line after up to 17 days without food deliveries and months without rotation. The fighters were holed up on the left, eastern bank of the Oskil River in the southeastern Donetsk region after Russian bombs destroyed the bridges connecting them to their brigade on the right bank. "They weren't listened to on the radio, or perhaps no one wanted to listen to them. My husband shouted and begged, saying there was no food and water," Silchuk wrote. She did not respond to Al Jazeera's request for an interview.

Donald Trump is heading to China this week, and if his guest list is any clue, he wants to discuss technology with Xi Jinping. Donald Trump is heading to China this week, and if his guest list is any clue, he wants to discuss technology with Xi Jinping. Donald Trump is heading to China this week. If his guest list is any clue, he wants to discuss technology with Xi Jinping, though perhaps after the war in Iran. On Monday, news broke that outgoing Apple CEO, Tim Cook, as well as SpaceX and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, would join the US president.

Science fiction has long imagined a world where our brains interact with machines to restore and augment our abilities -- think of the neural implants that connected to Geordi La Forge's visor in Star Trek or allowed Alex Murphy to be reborn as cyborg law enforcer in RoboCop. In the real world, researchers have been working for decades on so-called brain-computer interfaces to help people who suffer from paralysis, blindness, hearing loss, and more, regain function. Some individuals have used these devices to control a computer cursor with their minds; others have managed to move a robotic arm or transcribe some of their thoughts into text. The technology is still nascent and the number of people who have received implants is only in the hundreds. Just a few companies have received regulatory approval to progress beyond clinical trials to commercial use -- and even that's for limited applications.

In Europe in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, nearly a dozen cases of supposed spontaneous combustion were reported. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In December 2010, Michael Faherty died in his home in Galway, Ireland. His body was burned and the fireplace was lit, but there was no other source of flames or fuel.