Amit Katwala
Senior writer
Amit Katwala is a senior writer at WIRED with a focus on longform features, science, and culture. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in experimental psychology, and is the author of two books: The Athletic Brain, about the rise of neuroscience in sport, and a WIRED guide to quantum computing. He is based in London.
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Thirst Trap
How Long Droughts Make Flooding Worse
Parched ground is less likely to absorb water and increases the risk of dangerous flash floods. But there are ways to mitigate these conditions.
Origin Story
The Origins of Covid-19 Are More Complicated Than Once Thought
Scientists used painstaking research, genomics, and clever statistics to definitively track two distinct strains of the virus back to a wet market in Wuhan.
Connive to Survive
F1 22 Perfectly Simulates the Morality Vacuum of Formula 1
The new game is great at capturing the excitement of motor racing. It's even better at mirroring the sport's rampant commercialism.
Lock Up
Will These Algorithms Save You From Quantum Threats?
Quantum-proof encryption is here—decades before it can be put to the test.
Electric Dream
The World Can’t Wean Itself Off Chinese Lithium
China dominates the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Now rival countries are scrambling for more control over “white oil.”
Six-Foot Turkeys
The Real Story Behind Jurassic World Dominion’s Dino Feathers
It took 29 years, six movies, and a flock of VFX artists and puppeteers, but the franchise finally bows to paleontologists in creating feathered dinosaurs.
Lights Out
Nuclear Fusion Is Already Facing a Fuel Crisis
It doesn’t even work yet, but nuclear fusion has encountered a shortage of tritium, the key fuel source for the most prominent experimental reactors.
Message in a bottle
For mRNA, Covid Vaccines Are Just the Beginning
With clinical vaccine trials for everything from HIV to Zika, messenger RNA could transform medicine—or widen health care inequalities.
Twinkle Twinkle
The Farthest Star Sheds New Light on the Early Universe
A cosmic fluke helped Hubble spy Earendel, a giant star at the edge of the known universe that could tell us more about what happened after the Big Bang.
Movies
Turning Red Doesn’t Follow Pixar’s Rules. Good
The studio's early works were lauded for their “universal” storytelling. Its new approach champions personal stories—and audiences are the richer for it.
Bat Country
The Batman Leans Hard Into the Emo Revival
From the sartorial choices to the scenery, the latest superhero reboot drips with alt-rock influences.
Russia
Netflix Has Defied the Russian Government, for Now
With Russia accused of war crimes in Ukraine, the streaming platform finds itself increasingly isolated as Western companies abandon the pariah state.
Neuroscience
Gene-Edited Brain Organoids Are Unlocking the Secrets of Autism
Harvard researchers used lab-grown clumps of neurons called organoids to reveal how three genes linked to autism affect the timing of brain development.
Star Power
DeepMind Has Trained an AI to Control Nuclear Fusion
The Google-backed AI firm taught a reinforcement learning algorithm to control the fiery plasma inside a tokamak nuclear fusion reactor.
Unnatural Selection
A New Database Reveals How Much Humans Are Messing With Evolution
Some animals and plants are rapidly adapting to our warming, polluted world. How alarming that is depends on your perspective.
Crisis Mode
Don’t Look Up Nails the Frustration of Being a Scientist
Writer-director Adam McKay’s new Netflix film, about a comet headed for Earth, is an allegory for inaction during the climate crisis.
Bright Idea
A Gene-Tweaked Jellyfish Offers a Glimpse at Other Minds
Researchers have created jellyfish whose nerve cells light up when they fire, offering a tantalizing view of neurology before the rise of the brain.
The Best Films Coming Out in 2021 (and the Best Ones So Far)
It's a big year for cinema, with a host of delayed blockbusters and big sequels coming to screens.
Hot Stuff
Finally, A Practical Use for Nuclear Fusion
Researchers used the roiling temperatures of an experimental fusion reactor for a surprising purpose—testing heat shield materials for spacecraft.