The AI research paper was real. The ‘coauthor’ wasn't

PLUS: Elation on Mars, keeping your feet warm, finding a PS5, and blocking Uber. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [[(image) WIRED Daily Newsletter Logo]02.19.21]( [person giving covid test]( [PUBLIC HEALTH]( [As Coronavirus Variants Spread, the US Struggles to Keep Up]( BY MEGAN MOLTENI [The nation is a sequencing superpower. But without a federal strategy or enough funding, scientists can’t coordinate to track an evolving threat fast enough.]( [jpl ]( [THE MONITOR]( [The Mars Landing Was the Best Thing on TV This Week]( BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER [Apologies to all other TV.]( [someone holding a PS5 controller]( [GADGET LAB PODCAST]( [It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Get a PlayStation 5]( BY WIRED STAFF [This week, we share our horror stories about trying to procure Sony’s elusive new gaming console. We also share tips for testing your own luck.]( [book with laser scan]( [GHOST WRITER]( [The AI Research Paper Was Real. The ‘Coauthor’ Wasn't]( BY WILL KNIGHT [An MIT professor found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks."]( [[GET WIRED]( [Exclusive Offer!]( [Ending Soon: Get 1 year of WIRED access for $10 $5.]( [Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else.]( [Subscribe now.](]( [LL Bean Boot]( [DEAL]( [L.L.Bean’s Extra-Warm Bean Boots Are $140 Off Right Now]( BY MATT JANCER [The limited-edition, Gore-Tex lined, insulated version of the classic duck boot is $129 at the moment.]( [hand on wheel uber app open]( [NO FREE RIDE]( [The UK Is the Latest Country to Tighten the Screws on Uber]( BY AARIAN MARSHALL [The country's highest court ruled that the 25 drivers who filed a lawsuit should be considered workers and entitled to minimum wage and vacations.]( [wow shadowlands]( [BARRENS CHAT]( [When 'World of Warcraft' Is an Escape—and a Memorial]( BY TANNER LAGUATAN [As kids, my cousin Kano and I spent hours together in this fantastical world. During quarantine, and for the first time since his death, I logged in again.]( [mark zuckerberg head in hand]( [Australia Is Fighting a Platform War on the Wrong Battlefield]( BY STEVEN LEVY [Plus: Google’s ad software, the future of space travel, and the Texas governor’s weird tune.]( [A scene from an alien planet.]( [PODCASTS]( [What Would It Take to Actually Settle an Alien World?]( BY GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY [David Gerrold's new novel 'Hella' is about a low-gravity planet inhabited by dinosaur-like creatures—and it doesn't skip the logistical details of human habitation.]( [(image) Condé Nast Spotlight | The breaking news and top stories everyone is talking about. All in one place. The most popular stories from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired, Architectural Digest and more. STAY INFORMED]( [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( 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)