How a microbial evolutionary accident changed earth's atmosphere

PLUS: Hands On With Google Search’s Answer to ChatGPT, and more [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [WIRED logo and a robot carrying a WIRED magazine] 07.31.23   [Black and white photo of a robot head with wooden blocks spelling out %22hello%22 ]( [PLAINTEXT | 7-MINUTE READ]( [Hands On With Google Search’s Answer to ChatGPT]( BY PARESH DAVE [Google’s new AI-powered search engine can feel more like artificial interference than artificial intelligence.](   [3D render of two internet browser windows]( SMOOTH MOVE | 3-MINUTE READ [How to Switch Browsers Without Losing Your Bookmarks and Passwords]( BY DAVID NIELD [Jumping between Chrome and Safari, or Firefox and Edge? Here’s how to keep your precious data with you.](   [saddle active pony]( ROCK AND ROLL | 7-MINUTE READ [Should You Buy an Active Chair? I Tested Some—and Talked to the Experts]( BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU [Active chairs promise to improve your posture and introduce movement in a long day of sitting. Kinesiologists think you might want to take a walk instead.](   EASY BEING GREEN | 4-MINUTE READ [How a Microbial Evolutionary Accident Changed Earth’s Atmosphere]( BY SAUGAT BOLAKHE [An extra membrane that once had digestive functions let marine microbes boost their yield from photosynthesis. Today, they're responsible for locking carbon in the ocean and putting oxygen in the air.]( ADVERTISEMENT [GET WIRED]( [Get 1 year of WIRED for less than $1 per month. That includes Steven Levy's exclusive newsletter and a free tote!]([Subscribe now.](   [Photo of Andrew Hessel]( WIRED PODCASTS | 39-MINUTE EPISODE [The Viruses That Could Cure Cancer (or Wipe Out Humanity)]( [Microbiologist Andrew Hessel believes in the power of synthetic biology to cure cancer, clone ourselves for the future—or even destroy humanity.]( [Gadget Lab podcast player](   [Collage of a robot hand and a human hand mirroring each other, and interconnected neurons]( IDEAS | 8-MINUTE READ [What Isaac Asimov’s Robbie Teaches About AI and How Minds 'Work']( BY SAMIR CHOPRA [When humans didn't know what moved the ocean and the sun, they granted those objects mental states. Something similar can happen with artificial intelligence.](   [People look at the works of Chilean-born Mexican singer-songwriter Mon Laferte at her %22I Love You%22 exhibition]( FORGET ME NOT | 6-MINUTE READ [Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder—but Memorability May Be Universal]( BY CELIA FORD [When humans and a neural network viewed pieces of art, they all found the same images memorable. What those images have in common offers a glimpse into what fascinates the brain.](   [Sonos Era 300 speaker]( BUYING GUIDE | 10-MINUTE READ [The Best Smart Speakers With Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri]( BY PARKER HALL [Chatty assistants from Amazon, Apple, and Google are popular. But which one is right for you?](   [Colorful photo collage of Kylie Minogue, Lil Durk, Janelle Monae, Jorja Smith, and Rema]( ON REPEAT | 2-MINUTE READ [Our Top Song of the Summer Picks]( BY JASON PARHAM [If music is a sport, this is the most competitive season of the year. Here are WIRED's picks for the best tracks out right now. Who deserves the top spot?](   ADVERTISEMENT [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( Have questions or comments? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=WIRED%20Newsletter%20Questions,%20Comments%20or%20Feedback). This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.