The end of 2017 is upon us, and that means it’s also time for reflection. To celebrate, we’ve gathered together a list of our favourite long reads published in the magazine this year, covering everything from the people opting to have their bodies dissolved when they die, to Silicon Valley’s quest to grow the perfect diamond. So once your food-induced stupor has worn off, make yourself comfy and get reading some of these fantastic stories.
The Chinese government plans to launch its Social Credit System in 2020. The aim? To judge the trustworthiness – or otherwise – of its 1.3 billion residents.
When a paedophile or rapist films their crime, professor Sue Black can track them down using nothing more than the veins, scars and other markings on their hands.
For centuries, humanity's dead bodies have been either buried or cremated. Now, a growing movement is advocating for a cleaner, more sensitive alternative.
Improbable just became the UK's latest $1 billion tech startup. The inside story of its insanely ambitious plan to build virtual worlds, change the way we make decisions and maybe one day build the Matrix.
Julia Shaw uses science to prove that some memories are false. Now she's tackling criminal-justice failures.
Among startups, the race to start mining asteroids is under way. Their pioneering work could transform our economy – and one day, our ability to explore the Universe.
It started with a vague tip-off: a tug boat approaching the UK could be transporting cocaine. What followed was a race against the clock to find £500 million in narcotics. (
Guardant Health's blood test monitors a tumour's DNA. That could offer a whole new approach to saving lives.
Earth's oldest object of desire can now be created in a lab, by a startup, in two weeks. But will Diamond Foundry be able to reproduce the allure of mined stones?
The story of Refugee Open Ware, and one wounded refugee's efforts to help his countrymen back on their feet.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
