Apr 13, 2007 12:12 PM

Video: Stun Gun Abuse

Makers of the Taser like to say that their electric weapons save lives, because cops can use ’em instead of regular guns. And that’s undoubtedly true. But Tasers are also used in all kinds of situations in which an officer would never even consider pulling out his weapon. For example, a Denver Post report found […]

TopicsCops and Robbers Crime and Homeland Security Less-lethal Video Danger Room

No, ICE (Probably) Didn’t Buy Guided Missile Warheads

A federal contracting database lists an ICE payment for $61,218 with the payment code for “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” But it appears ICE simply entered the wrong code.

Teachers Get Death Threats After MAGA Claims Their Halloween Costumes Mocked Charlie Kirk

A Turning Point USA official inaccurately claimed a high school's math department wore Halloween costumes that mocked Charlie Kirk. Those teachers are now facing a flood of online attacks and death threats.

Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’

“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.

Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots

Two mathematicians have proved that a straightforward question—how hard is it to untie a knot?—has a complicated answer.

How Do Metal Detectors Work?

What sneaky invisible forces enable these instruments to locate buried treasure?

Historians Don't Think a US Civil War Is Likely—but They're Still Nervous

“The fabric of what binds America together at this point is basically on its final thread,” one source tells WIRED.

In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up

Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.

Gear News of the Week: Fairphone Lands in the US, and WhatsApp Is Finally on the Apple Watch

Plus: Motorola has new Moto G phones, Canon’s R6 III mirrorless has a 32-MP sensor, and Teenage Engineering’s Riddim n’ Ting looks gorgeous.

Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified

The storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has stunned meteorologists with its intensity and the speed at which it built.

Climate Change Made Hurricane Melissa 4 Times More Likely, Study Suggests

Unusually warm ocean temperatures fueled one of the worst hurricanes on record. New research finds climate change increased the storm’s likelihood.

The ‘10 Martini’ Proof Connects Quantum Mechanics With Infinitely Intricate Mathematical Structures

The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, uses number theory to explain quantum fractals.

The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves

The math behind even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.