What came before the Big Bang?

PLUS: Perplexity Plagiarized Our Story About How Perplexity Is a Bullshit Machine, and more. [View in browser]( | [Your newsletter preferences]( 06.23.24 [SUBSCRIBE TO WIRED]( [FOR UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THESE STORIES]( [Illustration of two figures pointing at each other, both filled with screenshots of the Wired story about Perplexity being a bullshit machine]( CLONE WARS | 6-MINUTE READ [Perplexity Plagiarized Our Story About How Perplexity Is a Bullshit Machine]( BY TIM MARCHMAN Experts aren’t unanimous about whether the AI-powered search startup’s practices could expose it to legal claims ranging from infringement to defamation—but some say plaintiffs would have strong cases.   [Loxosceles rufescens, araña violinista del Mediterráneo]( WEB OF LIES | 3-MINUTE READ [Recluse Spider Season Is a Myth]( BY ANDRÉS COTA HIRIART The venom of recluse spiders can be dangerous, but the idea of there being a “season” when these arachnids invade homes and bite is unhelpful and wrong.   [Stylized graphic of AI head silhouette opening in front of facebook posts thumbtacked to a black background.]( PLAINTEXT | 7-MINUTE READ [My Memories Are Just Meta’s Training Data Now]( BY MORGAN MEAKER Meta’s plans to use personal content posted by Facebook and Instagram users to train algorithms suggest our digital histories are being repackaged to teach AI about—and how to mimic—humanity.   [Image may contain: Person]( HISTORY OF TIME | 5-MINUTE READ [What Came Before the Big Bang?]( BY STEVE NADIS By studying the geometry of model space-times, researchers offer alternative views of the universe’s first moments. ADVERTISEMENT   [Model wearing a t-shirt with WIRED logo and a hat that says, “Angry Nerd”]( [Shop WIRED Merch]( [Get bags, bottles, hats, and other swag made with fair labor and ethically sourced materials.]( [SHOP NOW](   [Left to right: Back of a black backpack showing the padded straps, top view of a partially opened pocket of a backpack, and fully open backpack showing the interior of the main compartment. Background: woodgrain texture.]( PRODUCT REVIEW | 5-MINUTE READ [The Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L Is a Well-Made Minimalist Backpack]( BY SCOTT GILBERTSON An excellent, well-designed backpack engineered for travel or as the perfect everyday carry.   [An image of an entrance to an Adobe office in San Francisco, CA.]( DON'T COPY THAT | 3-MINUTE READ [Adobe Says It Won’t Train AI Using Artists’ Work. Creatives Aren’t Convinced]( BY TIFFANY NG Adobe has issued new wording to explain how users’ content will be treated, after a backlash earlier this month from artists who believed their work will be used to train AI.   [Left to right: Case holding hearing aids, two hearing aids on wooden surface, and two hearing aides side by side]( PRODUCT REVIEW | 3-MINUTE READ [Jabra’s Already Great Hearing Aids Get Better With the Enhance Select 500]( BY CHRISTOPHER NULL Jabra manages to upgrade its already fantastic hearing aids, though the improvements are quite minor.   [A close-up still from the Netflix show 'Sweet Tooth' of characters Gus and Wendy leaning on each other.]( CULTURE GUIDES | 25-MINUTE READ [The 49 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now]( BY MATT KAMEN AND WIRED STAFF Bridgerton, Scavengers Reign, and Sweet Tooth are just a few of the shows you need to watch on Netflix this month.   From the Archive [Person leaning against the frame of a sliding glass door on an outdoor patio]( CYBER ARMY OF ONE | 13-MINUTE READ [A Vigilante Hacker Took Down North Korea’s Internet. Now He’s Taking Off His Mask]( BY ANDY GREENBERG As “P4x,” Alejandro Caceres single-handedly disrupted the internet of an entire country. Then he tried to show the US military how it can—and should—adopt his methods. For more: Last week, the hacker himself hosted an [AMA on Reddit]( to answer questions about this story. ADVERTISEMENT   [WIRED logo image]( Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](. Plus, [browse more newsletters]( from WIRED. [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( [TikTok](   You’re receiving this email because you signed up for the Daily newsletter from WIRED. [Manage your preferences]( | [View our Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Have questions or comments? [Send us a message](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=Daily newsletter feedback). Need help? [Contact us](. Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.