Wired 15.02
I don’t know about you, but the arrival of latest issue of Wired is quite the cause of celebration ’round these parts. Few publications — be they on-line or off-line — strike the right balance between geekery, humor, analysis, and just plain coolness that Wired does with such ease and aplomb.
The latest issue is especially notable because the magazine is sporting a new look, a look that is making itself felt on the website as well (a complete on-line redesign is coming later this spring). The new look is based around a series of typefaces, and the differences include a tweaked logo and thicker, less glossy paper (which helps highlight the photography)… to name a few.
But with Wired, it’s all about the content, and this issue doesn’t disappoint. This issue’s main story focuses on all of those things we don’t know, the answers to the big questions that continue to elude us. Questions such as:
- Is time an illusion?
- Where did life come from?
- How does the brain produce consciousness?
- Why can’t we predict the weather?
- Why do we still have big questions?
- How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?
Fascinating stuff to be sure, and our guide through this sea of uncertainty is none other than Daily Show resident expert John Hodgman (aka “PC” on those wonderful Apple commercials). As he puts it:
For while there may be legitimate, eternal mysteries out there that are beyond our comprehension, history, in fact, shows us that if we do ask questions, we are likely to find the answers eventually — which is perhaps more frightening than ignorance.
As Lord Kelvin learned the hard way, it’s the answers to big questions that will redraw our vision of the world, elevate us in it, or even erase us. And that is why, despite what they tell you, being curious is the bravest human act, aside from skydiving.
Enjoy, and get ready to spend the next hour or so scratching your head as you ponder away.