Industry
Doom studio id Software forms 'wall-to-wall' union, with a majority of employees voting in favor
Parent company Microsoft has already recognized the effort. Id Software, the company behind Doom, has voted in favor of forming a wall-to-wall union. The term wall-to-wall refers to a union that includes every employee, regardless of duties. The vote wasn't unanimous, though a majority did vote in favor of the union. The union will work in conjunction with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which is the same organization involved with parent company ZeniMax's recent unionization efforts .
Pills, powders, and opioids stress out oyster babies
Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Oyster larvae that grow in water with traces of common drugs such as cocaine, ketamine, and fentanyl are slower swimmers that appear more stressed. This new research indicates that the common drugs do have an effect on oyster larvae that are found in contaminated water. The results were presented this week at the Society for Risk Analysis' annual conference and published in the journal All sorts of pharmaceuticals, from pain relievers to illegal drugs, can make it into the water supply via human excretion, manufacturing plants, or if they are flushed down the toilet . While that water does go through wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals can pass right through.
You're Thinking About AI and Water All Wrong
Fears about AI data centers' water use have exploded. Experts say the reality is far more complicated than people think. Last month, journalist Karen Hao posted a Twitter thread in which she acknowledged that there was a substantial error in her blockbuster book Empire of AI. Hao had written that a proposed Google data center in a town near Santiago, Chile, could require "more than one thousand times the amount of water consumed by the entire population"--a figure which, thanks to a unit misunderstanding, appears to have been off by a magnitude of 1,000. In the thread, Hao thanked Andy Masley, the head of an effective altruism organization in Washington, DC, for bringing the correction to her attention. Masley has spent the past several months questioning some of the numbers and rhetoric common in popular media about water use and AI on his Substack.
Fallout season 1's error-filled AI recap was so bad, Amazon yanked it
Amazon's AI-generated recap for the Fallout TV series contained a major factual error, incorrectly stating the Great War occurred in the 1950s instead of 2077. PCWorld reports that Amazon removed the erroneous recap after Games Radar spotted the mistake, along with similar AI-generated content for other shows. This incident highlights risks of using AI without proper oversight, potentially damaging brand credibility through easily avoidable factual mistakes.
How people used Microsoft Copilot in 2025, from coding to philosophy
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. In the run-up to Valentine's Day, Microsoft saw a surge in conversations about relationships and personal development. Microsoft has released a new report showing what people used its AI assistant Copilot for in 2025. The analysis is based on 37.5 million de-identified conversations and shows that in addition to productivity, Copilot is used for health, relationships and personalized guidance. Health was particularly prevalent on mobile, with users turning to Copilot around the clock for tips on exercise, routines, and wellness.
The Best Age-Tech Gadgets Tried and Tested by WIRED
As more and more age tech hits the market, I've been testing the most innovative gadgets for older folks and caregivers. Age tech is a rapidly growing category focused on remote caregiving, improving quality of life, and enabling older folks to stay in their own homes for longer. The US Census Bureau says around 16 million elders (over 65) live alone. While the majority are healthy, with family and friends nearby, many lack support and may be battling physical and mental decline. Whether you're getting older or trying to help an aging loved one, there's an increasingly diverse range of gadgetry to choose from, but as a nascent category, it's tricky to know what will help.
I switched to Gemini for Home. Here's the Google Assistant feature I miss
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. I switched to Gemini for Home. Here's the Google Assistant feature I miss You'll need to pay up to get this key Google Assistant feature back. I recently made the switch to Gemini on my Google smart speakers and displays, and for the most part, I'm liking it. Gemini is chatty without being a blabbermouth, and it capably controls my smart home while also delivering detailed weather reports and answers to my other queries.
Why some animals eat their babies
Animal filial cannibalism has been documented in fish, insects, even domestic pets. Scientists still don't fully understand why some animals eat their own offspring. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. "In general, cannibalism of offspring is super widespread," says Aneesh Bose, a behavioral ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden. Bose has long studied the phenomenon of animals who turn from child-rearing to child-eating, and in 2022, he authored a review of prior research on the topic .
Robot Talk Episode 137 โ Getting two-legged robots moving, with Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi
Claire chatted to Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi from Ohio Northern University about bipedal robots that can walk and even climb stairs. Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi (Wami) is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Ohio Northern University. Her research focuses on controls with applications in bipedal locomotion and engineering education. She is the first Black woman to receive a PhD in Robotics at the University of Michigan. During her Ph.D., she developed the Biped Bootcamp technical document, which she is transforming into an undergraduate curriculum --introducing students to bipedal robotics while providing advanced coursework for juniors and seniors.