Cocaine-Fueled Wild Salmon Swam Twice as Far as Sober Ones

After scientists exposed wild fish to cocaine and a cocaine metabolite, they observed that as in the lab, fish on cocaine do not act like normal fish.

New Gas-Powered Data Centers Could Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Entire Nations

A WIRED review of permits for data center projects using natural gas and linked to OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and xAI shows they could emit more than 129 million tons of greenhouse gases per year.

6,000 Meters Under the Pacific, Japan Seeks Independence From China on Rare Earths

Tokyo is succeeding where the rest of the world has failed, reducing its reliance on Beijing for crucial rare earth elements—thanks to an enormous underwater deposit discovered on a remote island.

The US Government Will Ask Data Centers How Much Power They Use

In a letter obtained by WIRED, the Energy Information Administration tells two senators that it plans to develop a mandatory assessment of data centers’ energy use.

Marine Animals in the Strait of Hormuz Don’t Get a Ceasefire

As ships return to the Strait of Hormuz, mines, sonar, and congestion continue to reshape the Gulf beneath the surface.

A Single Strike Won’t Shut Off the Gulf’s Desalination System

The Gulf’s water system is built with layers of backup, but it relies on continuous operation to hold.

A New Google-Funded Data Center Will Be Powered by a Massive Gas Plant

Documents show that one of Google’s new data centers would be powered by a natural gas plant that emits millions of tons of emissions each year—an increasingly common trend in the industry.

Here’s What Can Happen When the US Bombs Iran’s Nuclear Sites

As strikes continue on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the real danger isn’t the explosion, but what happens if critical safety systems fail—and how that risk could spread across the Gulf.

Get Ready for a Year of Chaotic Weather in the US

A massive Western heat wave and a potential El Niño event raise concerns about a long stretch of unpredictable and extreme weather.

Trump’s War on Iran Could Screw Over US Farmers

The Middle East supplies a huge amount of the world’s fertilizer. Conflict in the region has sent prices soaring ahead of the critical spring planting season.