Since its launch in 1993 WIRED magazine has cemented its place as essential reading for anyone fascinated by the intersection of technology, culture, politics and innovation. With a name that has become synonymous with digital futurism and intellectually curious content, WIRED offers a wealth of deeply reported features, insightful opinion pieces, and cutting-edge technical reporting. But where should a new reader start? With decades of archives and a new issue every month, navigate the best of WIRED can feel overwhelming.
This guide is your personal GPS through its exciting content WIRED has to offer. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a curious generalist, or someone who wants to stay ahead of cultural and scientific shifts, there’s a place for you to dig in. Below we explore what to read first (depending on your interests) and recommend key features, columns and recurring themes that show why WIRED remains essential reading in the digital age.
Start with the front of the book
The opening pages of each issue—often referred to in magazines as the “front of the book”—provide quick insights, humor, and cognitive snacks that provide a sneak peek WIREDS editorial wealth. Before diving into the longer essays and reports, browse these sections first:
- Electric word: This editorial note from the editor-in-chief sets the tone and vision for each issue. It is a short piece, but often contains powerful, thematic insights.
- Thinking grenades: Page after page of short ideas, data points and infographics that will energize your brain like a double espresso.
- Gadget lab: Reviews and rankings of the latest phones, laptops, wearable tech and smart devices. Excellent for people who want to sharpen their digital toolkit.
These sections are bite-sized and perfect for casual browsing, ideal for reading on the way to work in the morning or for a mental warm-up before lunch.
Discover its signature features
Anyone’s heart WIRED The problem lies in the main stories. These long-form articles dive deep into topics ranging from artificial intelligence to the ethics of genome editing, and from the architects of cybersecurity to the futurists building alternative online realities.
Over the years WIRED has published some truly iconic pieces. Here are a few that belong on every reader’s must-read list:
- “The Great Escape” by Joshua Davis: A compelling story about an MIT student who went on the run after a hacking scandal. It is part crime thriller, part sociotechnical criticism.
- “The AI that wasn’t meant to be”: A sobering but fascinating article about failed AI research that reveals as much about human ambition as it does about machine learning.
- “A look at the two years that shocked Facebook and the world”: A compelling investigative piece examining the crisis within the social media giant post-2016.
Even if you don’t read WIRED Each month, discovering one of these articles will reveal why the magazine has won so many journalism awards for technical reporting and storytelling.
Dive into the columns and contributors
WIRED benefits enormously from its selection of brilliant regular columnists. These are voices that consistently deliver fresh, thought-provoking content. Depending on your preferences, you may find a new intellectual companion among them:
- Virginia Heffernan: A cultural critic with the mind of a technophile, Heffernan’s columns often reframe how we think about the Internet and the media.
- Clive Thompson: One of the clearest thinkers on the human side of technology, Thompson writes about how our tools change our brains, habits, and relationships.
- Gideon Lichfield: Lichfield, a former editor-in-chief, explores the interplay between technology and global political systems and social unrest.
If you get hooked on one or two writers, you can get closer WIRED like a familiar conversation, in which you eagerly await the next conversation.
If you’re a tech addict…
If your ideal coffee table talk involves semiconductors, cybersecurity breaches, or neural networks, WIRED has an endless supply of smart features waiting for you. Here’s what you should read first:
- Backchannel essays: This is a digital-only feature and is often more technically detailed and niche-oriented pieces that rarely make it into the print edition, but delve deeply into current topics such as the real-world applications of blockchain or the future of decentralized internet protocols.
- WIRED explains: Understand the hard stuff – quantum computing, machine ethics, data bias – in instant, digestible formats.
- Cybersecurity archive: From Stuxnet to SolarWinds, WIRED has followed the evolution of digital warfare like no other publication.
It is the publication that not only reports on technology, but also interprets and challenges it.
For culture junkies and science fiction fans
WIRED also shines when it describes how culture is being reshaped by technology. From AI poets to Hollywood deepfakes, the magazine covers it all with unparalleled depth. If you like art, entertainment and futuristic thought experiments, start here:
- Fiction pieces: These short stories, often written by acclaimed science fiction authors, provide a picture of where we might be heading – in terms of society, consciousness and digital ethics.
- Pop culture analyses: Pieces that unravel the sociotechnical meaning of shows, such as Black mirror or games like Cyberpunk 2077.
- Creator profiles: Lectures that disappear into the minds of architects, game designers, musicians or directors who use new tools to shape their art.
Step into the future through long-term research
True to his DNA, WIRED features the best long-form investigative journalism about the near and far future. Many of the deep features read like time capsules sent a decade later. Whether it’s AI safety, cryptocurrency collapse, or the ethics of bioengineering, these are pieces for the forward-thinking thinker.
Watch out for pieces on:
- Space exploration and privatization – Such as Elon Musk’s Mars ambitions or NASA’s moon return plans
- Biohacking and transhumanism – Includes real-life cyborgs and DIY body modification pioneers
- Climate technology – Focused on startups that capture carbon emissions, green urban planning and decentralization of the electricity grid
These stories clearly highlight not only the possibilities, but also the dangers of emerging trends.
Don’t miss the images
Read WIRED not only because of its words, but also because of its design. The aesthetic – minimalist yet sophisticated – is exceptional. The infographics, photos, and layout composition work together to make dense material easily digestible. Even the typography evokes a sense of digital cool.
Know where to go
After you’ve familiarized yourself with some writers and delved into topics that pique your interest, the WIRED website is your next destination. The digital platform is updated daily with stories that comment more directly on the news or provide real-time technical updates. Here’s how to use it:
- Bookmark WIRED’s “Most Popular” section: You’ll soon see what’s on fire each week.
- Subscribe to newsletters: Whether it’s the daily digest or specialized topics like science or safety, curated emails help you stay informed without doomscrolling.
- Use the tagged archives: Search for tags such as ‘AI’, ‘space’ or ‘Gadgets’. It’s a surprisingly intuitive way to navigate WIRED’s immense library.
Final thoughts
Get in WIRED is a bit like opening a card you didn’t know you needed. It helps you discover not only what technology is doing to the world, but also what it is doing to us. Whether you want to delve into solar technology, laugh at satirical technology trends, or discover the real drama behind cybersecurity, start with your WIRED The journey is less about overtaking and more about leaning in.
So what should you read first? Start where your curiosity leads – and let it happen WIRED
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