The pandemic is propelling a new wave of automation

PLUS: Closing down coal plants, Covid Q&A, and bubble people. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [[(image) WIRED Daily Newsletter Logo]06.13.20]( [lightulbs]( [LAMPHONE]( [Spies Can Eavesdrop by Watching a Light Bulb’s Vibrations]( BY ANDY GREENBERG [The so-called lamphone technique allows for real-time listening in on a room that’s hundreds of feet away.]( [IceCube]( [ICE WIDE OPEN]( [The Hunt Is On for Elusive Ghost Particles in Antarctica]( BY DANIEL OBERHAUS [Ultrahigh-energy neutrinos could help scientists unravel some of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics—and the best place to find them may be the South Pole.]( [coal fire plant]( [POWER SUPPLY]( [The Covid-19 Economic Slump Is Closing Down Coal Plants]( BY ERIC NIILER [This year, coal usage has dropped in the US and renewables now generate more electricity. To some experts, the financial crisis is a clean energy opportunity.]( [medical records on shelf]( [COPY AND PASTE]( [The Pandemic Is Propelling a New Wave of Automation]( BY WILL KNIGHT [Software programs adopted during the Covid-19 crisis make it easier to complete forms and track requests. It saves work, but it could cost jobs.]( [Park Ranger Maria Ayala stands behind plastic ]( [GADGET LAB PODCAST]( [Your Most Vexing New Coronavirus Questions, Answered]( BY WIRED STAFF [In some ways things are getting harder, not easier, as shelter-in-place orders lift worldwide. On this week’s episode, we tackle tough new corona questions.]( [BACKCHANNEL]( [The Country Is Reopening. I’m Still on Lockdown]( BY MARIA STRESHINSKY [For those of us with vulnerable loved ones, the risks of Covid-19 seem more dangerous than ever—with no end in sight.]( [An ancient Greek council debates a laptop.]( [OPINION]( [A Council of Citizens Should Regulate Algorithms]( BY FEDERICA CARUGATI [To ensure a more equitable, AI-driven future, we should borrow from ancient Athens.]( [people on horses]( [VIDEOGAMES]( [Last of Us Part II Is Great, but Can’t Escape Its Father’s Shadow]( BY JULIE MUNCY [The Last of Us was the quintessential dad game. Its sequel is destined to be the archetype of something else: the daughter game.]( [face with abstract shapes]( [CHALLENGE]( [Deepfakes Aren’t Very Good. Nor Are the Tools to Detect Them]( BY WILL KNIGHT [The winning detection algorithm from a Facebook-led challenge could spot about two-thirds of the altered videos, highlighting the need for improvement.]( [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir)