The new gods of weather can make rain on demand—or so they want you to believe

PLUS: Instagram will let you make custom AI chatbots—even ones based on yourself. [View in browser]( | [Your newsletter preferences]( 07.30.24 [SUBSCRIBE TO WIRED]( [FOR UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THESE STORIES]( [Image may contain: Person, Baby, Text, Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware, Monitor, and Screen]( CHARACTER STUDY | 3-MINUTE READ [Instagram Will Let You Make Custom AI Chatbots—Even Ones Based on Yourself]( BY WILL KNIGHT AND PARESH DAVE Meta’s AI Studio will let users build virtual characters, with a few limitations.   [Image may contain: Person, Worker, Helmet, Adult, Clothing, Footwear, Shoe, Ball, Football, Soccer, Soccer Ball, and Sport]( CABLE CUTTER | 2-MINUTE READ [Saboteurs Cut Internet Cables in Latest Disruption During Paris Olympics]( BY MATT BURGESS Long-distance cables were severed across France in a move that disrupted internet connectivity.   [A diptych photo illustration showing the BJP flag and female voters in India placed in front of a public election assembly.]( TECHNOCRACY | 7-MINUTE READ [How a Secret BJP War Room Mobilized Female Voters to Win the Indian Elections]( BY NILESH CHRISTOPHER AND VARSHA BANSAL A sophisticated effort used technology to identify women who could bring other women out to vote—and offered a glimpse of the future of campaigning in India.   [A hand squeezing rain out of a cloud as a plan comes out of it.]( ❖ THE BIG STORY | 19-MINUTE READ [The New Gods of Weather Can Make Rain on Demand—or So They Want You to Believe]( BY AMIT KATWALA In a gold-trimmed command center on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, scientists are seeking to wring moisture from desert skies. But will all their extravagant cloud-seeding tech—planes that sprinkle nanomaterials, lasers that scramble the atmosphere—really work at scale? ADVERTISEMENT   [Flock of turkey]( PUBLIC HEALTH | 4-MINUTE READ [The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing]( BY EMILY MULLIN Human cases keep ticking up, are very likely to be underreported, and offer the virus the opportunity to learn how to spread from person to person.   [Image may contain: Chart, Plot, Adult, Person, Map, Box, Accessories, Belt, Glasses, Atlas, and Diagram]( ❖ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | 23-MINUTE READ [How Soon Might the Atlantic Ocean Break? Two Sibling Scientists Found an Answer—and Shook the World]( BY SANDRA UPSON The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is like a huge heat pump, taking water from the tropics to the north, warming areas in Europe. But as climate change accelerates, AMOC is becoming less stable. It might even be headed to a shutdown.   [Apple iPhones]( FIRMWARE UPDATE | 13-MINUTE READ [The Top New Features Coming to Apple’s iOS 18 and iPadOS 18]( BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU Apple Intelligence has arrived in the iOS 18.1 developer beta, bringing features like the updated Siri and Writing Tools. Here’s how to access it, plus the top new features in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.   [A close-up photo of the new e-bike from Lime.]( IN THE LIMELIGHT | 4-MINUTE READ [Lime’s New Rideshare Ebikes Are More Approachable—Throttle and All]( BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU The LimeGlider and LimeBike, currently in pilot programs, have smaller frames and wheels and are equipped with throttles.   [A photo collage containing stills from the movies Alien and Bladerunner, as well as a photo illustration of the Death Star from Star Wars.]( BOOK EXCERPT | 7-MINUTE READ [The Untold Story of How Ridley Scott Saw Star Wars—and Ended Up Making Alien]( BY CHRIS NASHAWATY In 1977, Ridley Scott was considering making a medieval period piece. Then he saw Star Wars and set about making two sci-fi classics, Alien and Blade Runner.   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [Senior Sales Manager]( [Adobe]( [Location: San Jose, CA, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( [Senior Software Engineer]( [Disney]( [Location: Various, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( 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.