Science and Technology

In defense of the future

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WIRED has been your guide to the future for 30 years now, and while the future today looks much different than the future the founders of the magazine may have envisioned in 1993, it’s more important now than ever to remind us all that while there’s a lot to worry about, there’s still room for optimism. The problems humanity faces are real, but so are the thinkers, activists, and builders working together to solve them.

 

So to celebrate WIRED’s 30th anniversary, we’ll showcase the people, platforms, and technologies that are working to pave the way to a better future for all of us. Hopefully, we can give you hope for the future, and even inspire you to action as well.
— Alan Henry, Special Projects Editor

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My Recommended Reads
The Future Smartphone: More Folds, Less Phone, a Whole Lot of AI
We are no longer racing to upgrade the device that sits at the center of our lives. What’s next for the phone?
The World’s Real ‘Cybercrime’ Problem
From US state laws to the international stage, definitions of “cybercrime” remain vague, broad, and increasingly entrenched in our legal systems.
A Gene Therapy Cure for Sickle Cell Is on the Horizon
Two life-altering treatments could soon be available, but questions remain about how accessible and affordable they’ll be.
Save the Planet by Eating This Big Ugly Fish
The hardiest freshwater fish in America could revive the Midwest’s fishing industry—or destroy the Great Lakes. So much depends on your appetite.
How a Beam of Pellets Could Blast a Probe Into Deep Space
Researchers seek to develop advanced propulsion systems that can transform long-distance space exploration.
Welcome to the Comfy Office of the Future
To lure back workers and compete with the convenience of home, companies are offering more substantial perks and giving architects freedom to experiment.
For more of the people, platforms, and organizations that give us hope for the future, visit WIRED30.
WIRED30 Raves:

Iconic Stories our Editors Love 
The Secret Sci-Fi Origins of Burning Man
Only WIRED senior editor Jason Kehe could connect Frank Herbert’s Dune, Burning Man, and Silicon Valley’s quest for spirituality in the same piece. The closing line sticks to your bones.
— Angela Watercutter, Senior Editor
Voyager 1 and 2, Humanity’s Interstellar Envoys, Soldier On at 45
An elegiac tribute to Voyager 1 and 2, humankind’s ambassadors to the stars, on their 45th birthday—and a meditation on who might finally receive their messages.
— Kara Platoni, Senior Editor
A Global Tour of the Biggest and Best Wire Ever Made
This epic piece of journalism from Neal Stephenson about the longest fiber-optic data cable on Earth is also the longest thing we’ve ever published. It’s worth the hours it will take to read it, just for the insight into how the physical internet—this thing we all depend on—was engineered and built.
— Michael Calore, Senior Editor
For the best and weirdest stories from WIRED’s archive, sign up for the WIRED Classics newsletter.

 

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