Is it real or imagined? Here’s how your brain tells the difference

PLUS: AI Can’t Read Books. It’s Reviewing Them Anyway, and more [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [WIRED logo and a robot carrying a WIRED magazine]( [08.27.23](   [Red books strewn about on a yellow background]( [PLAINTEXT | 7-MINUTE READ]( [AI Can’t Read Books. It’s Reviewing Them Anyway]( BY STEVEN LEVY [ChatGPT-powered avatars recently gushed over a new book—unconvincingly. But if AI develops actual opinions, authors might be in for a shock.](   [Meta Quest 3 VR headset and controllers]( [GEAR ROUNDUP | 3-MINUTE READ]( [The Leaked Quest 3 Headset Video Teases Meta’s VR Ambitions]( BY BOONE ASHWORTH [Plus: Apple changes its mind about right-to-repair legislation, Sony shows off a new portable PlayStation device, and what happens when police go after kids for schoolyard offenses.](   [Luxome Bamboo Sheets]( [BUYING GUIDE | 11-MINUTE READ]( [These Are Our Favorite Sheets to Catch Some Z's]( BY NENA FARRELL AND MEDEA GIORDANO [Which material should you buy? Percale or linen? We tested dozens of sheets to find our favorites and break it all down.](   [Blue and green toned illustration of people walking around with empty speech bubbles over their heads]( [REALITY CHECK | 8-MINUTE READ]( [Is It Real or Imagined? Here’s How Your Brain Tells the Difference]( BY YASEMIN SAPLAKOGLU [New experiments show that the brain distinguishes between perceived and imagined mental images by checking whether they cross a “reality threshold."]( [GET WIRED]( [Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus free stickers!]([Subscribe now.](   [2022 MacBook Air]( [DEALS | 9-MINUTE READ]( [The Best Back-to-School Deals on Laptops, Backpacks, and Earbuds]( BY LOURYN STRAMPE AND JULIAN CHOKKATTU [Everyone can benefit from these back-to-school deals ahead of the new semester.](   [wildfire smoke lingers over Toronto]( [BREATHE EASY | 5-MINUTE READ]( [It’s Easy to Check the Air Quality. Meet the People Collecting That Data for You]( BY BOONE ASHWORTH [The network of citizens who publicly report their air quality readings are helping their neighbors brave the proliferation of harmful wildfire smoke in the atmosphere.](   [feet hanging out bed]( [DOT PHYSICS | 8-MINUTE READ]( [How to Cool an Object Without Using Any Energy]( BY RHETT ALLAIN [It seems impossible, but there’s a way to cool things off without tapping into a fuel source. (Hint: It involves outer space.)](   [Linner Nova Hearing Aids]( [PRODUCT REVIEW | 3-MINUTE READ]( [These Hearing Aids Are Big and Cheap—but the Audio Quality Is a Miss]( BY CHRISTOPHER NULL [The Linner’s Nova over-the-counter hearing aids are inexpensive, but the low price comes with too many trade-offs.](   [Aura Carver digital picture frame showing pictures of children]( [FOND MEMORIES | 8-MINUTE READ]( [Share Your Memories With Our Favorite Digital Photo Frames]( BY MEDEA GIORDANO [Get your pictures off your phone and in front of your friends and family with these connected displays.]( [(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.