A medieval French skeleton is rewriting the history of syphilis

PLUS: Google Mourns Veteran Engineer Luiz André Barroso Who Invented the Modern Data Center, and more. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [09.22.23](   [People standing outside a Google data center]( IN MEMORIAM | 4-MINUTE READ [Google Mourns Veteran Engineer Luiz André Barroso Who Invented the Modern Data Center]( BY PARESH DAVE [Brazilian engineer Luiz André Barroso, who ripped up the rulebook at Google, has died. His radical ideas for data centers laid the foundations for cloud computing.](   [Floating red mouth reciting obituaries with gravestones and money signs flashing around it. ]( RIP-OFF | 6-MINUTE READ [The Bizarre Cottage Industry of YouTube Obituary Pirates]( BY KATE KNIBBS [If you Google someone who recently died, you might see a flood of near-identical videos of men reading obits. Here’s why.](   [Clay illustration of an apple watch and air pod headphones with a colorful background.]( PRIME DAY | 3-MINUTE READ [6 Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Devices]( BY BRENDA STOLYAR AND GEAR TEAM [Prime Day is back in October. But we've already gathered up the top discounts on Apple products, from MacBooks to MagSafe accessories.](   [Photo collage showing the anatomical drawing of a femur bone over a wood engraving of the world map and a graphic of the bacteria that causes syphilis.]( BONE TO PICK | 6-MINUTE READ [A Medieval French Skeleton Is Rewriting the History of Syphilis]( BY MARYN MCKENNA [Christopher Columbus was blamed for bringing syphilis to Europe. New DNA evidence suggests it was already there. Maybe both stories are true.]( ADVERTISEMENT [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.](   [Artist concept showing the OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security - Regolith Explorer) spacecraft contacting the asteroid Bennu with the Touch-And-Go Sample Arm Mechanism or TAGSAM.]( ROCK ON | 5-MINUTE READ [NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Is About to Bring Asteroid Pieces Back to Earth]( BY RAMIN SKIBBA [The OSIRIS-REx probe is carrying rock samples from the asteroid Bennu, millions of miles away. If it works, it will be only the third such retrieval in history.](   [AI generated art of Coit Tower ]( JOY OF PROMPTING | 3-MINUTE READ [OpenAI’s Dall-E 3 Is an Art Generator Powered by ChatGPT]( BY WILL KNIGHT [OpenAI has launched Dall-E 3, which uses ChatGPT to take the pain out of prompting. Now you can modify artwork by simply talking to the chatbot.](   [Microsoft Surface Laptops posed on podiums]( ROUNDUP | 4-MINUTE READ [Microsoft Shows Off New Surface Laptops and AI-Enhanced Windows]( BY BRENDA STOLYAR AND JULIAN CHOKKATTU [Microsoft’s annual product showcase was all about Surface, Copilot, and the Copilot assistant coming to Windows.](   [United Auto Workers (UAW) members and supporters on a picket line]( GEAR SHIFT | 5-MINUTE READ [Workers Demand Job Security in the Autonomous, Electrified Future of Transport]( BY CAITLIN HARRINGTON [Truck drivers, auto workers, and others are fighting for the greener, smarter era of transportation to also include better pay and more protections for humans.](   [Collage of tape over a mouth, a mob running with torches, and a wire fence]( IDEAS | 6-MINUTE READ [In a Battle Between Harassment and Censorship, the Choice Is Clear]( BY KATHERINE ALEJANDRA CROSS [Abuses on Kiwi Farms have sparked debate about harassment, safety, and free speech, with activists on both sides caught in an ethical minefield.](   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [VIP Account Manager]( [FanDuel]( Location: New York, USA [APPLY NOW]( [Development Accounting Manager]( [Howard Hughes]( [Location: Honolulu, HI, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( 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]( [TikTok]( 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.