Some of Our Favorite Longreads of 2020

We weren’t just bingeing Netflix in this pandemic-blighted year. We were reading—voraciously. Yes, in 2020 WIRED readers flocked to long-form stories about the coronavirus disaster. But they also devoured in-depth articles about everything from alleged poker cheats to digital blackface to the finer points of eluding a hungry dinosaur.
So, on the off-chance that you missed any of these gems, we’re here to suggest a holiday reading list of our favorites from the past year. It’s an admittedly subjective compilation, fueled by the picks of WIRED editors, reader favorites, and, yes, a few of my own darlings.
Enjoy some reading. Then you can go back to Netflix.
Year in Review: What WIRED learned from tech, science, culture, and more in 2020
Artwork by Amy Friend; Photograph by Jack BoolThe Devastating Decline of a Brilliant Young Coder


Photograph: Bethany MollenkofThere’s No Such Thing as Family Secrets in the Age of 23andMe
DNA tests are cheap and ubiquitous. For some donor-conceived people, they can unearth long-buried truths about their ancestry—and lead to unorthodox reunions.
Photograph: Ramona RosalesThe Confessions of Marcus Hutchins, the Hacker Who Saved the Internet
At 22, Marcus Hutchins put a stop to the worst cyberattack the world had ever seen. Then he was arrested by the FBI. This is his untold story.

Photograph: Jessica PettwayIn a World Gone Mad, Paper Planners Offer Order and Delight
On Instagram and Facebook, members of a wonderfully obsessive community organize every aspect of their lives—through pandemics and protests—with binders and stickers.
Illustration: Elena LaceyAmazon Wants to ‘Win at Games.’ So Why Hasn’t It?
The company that brute-forced its way into so many industries may now have met its match.
Photograph: James Devaney/Getty ImagesThe Real Reason Veterinarians Gave a Tiger a Covid-19 Test
It’s hard for humans in New York City to get a test for the coronavirus. So when a Bronx Zoo tiger tested positive for Covid-19, it invited some questions.
Illustration: Sam Whitney; Getty Images; Photograph by Matt MasonA Nameless Hiker and the Case the Internet Can’t Crack
Photograph: David Ryder/ReutersFirst Denial, Then Fear: Covid-19 Patients in Their Own Words
People infected with the coronavirus try to cope as the crisis accelerates. The professionals taking care of them are quickly becoming overwhelmed.

Courtesy of Colonial WilliamsburgThe Quest to Unearth One of America’s Oldest Black Churches
First Baptist Church was founded in secret in 1776. It’s been hidden under a parking lot in Colonial Williamsburg for decades—a metaphor for the failures of archaeology and American history.
Illustration: Elena LaceyHow to Outrun a Dinosaur
If, through some scientific malfunction, you found yourself transported 70 million years into the past, you might be safer from certain hungry reptiles than you think.
Illustration: Elena Lacey; Getty ImagesInside the Early Days of China’s Coronavirus Cover-Up
The dawn of a pandemic—as seen through the news and social media posts that vanished from China’s internet.

Photograph: Paloma RincónHow Much Is a Human Life Actually Worth?
As the US economy reopens amid a deadly pandemic, a dire question looms. Let's weigh the risks—and do the math.
Photograph: AFP/Getty ImagesThe Tragic Physics of the Deadly Explosion in Beirut
A blast injury specialist explores the chemistry—and history—of explosions like the one captured in videos that swept across the world.
Photograph: Emily Keegin/Getty ImagesTech Is a Double-Edged Lifeline for Domestic Violence Victims
As Covid-19 forces some to shelter place with their abusers, dedicated hotlines, apps, and text messages can provide support. But using them is also risk.















