Stuck inside, playing guitar has helped me escape

PLUS: Coronavirus AI models, a new game, and how to check for stalkerware. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 07.19.20   STOCK SWINGS Even the Best AI Models Are No Match for the Coronavirus BY WILL KNIGHT Many so-called "quantitative funds" that mine historical data to make trading decisions fared poorly in March, when stocks fell sharply amid coronavirus fears.   RAVES Sick of 'Animal Crossing'? Try 'Ooblets' BY CECILIA D'ANASTASIO If Tom Nook is getting you down, a new farming simulator offers a sweet escape.   YOUR EYES ONLY How to Check Your Devices for Stalkerware BY DAVID NIELD You deserve privacy. Here's how to check your phone, laptop, and online accounts to make sure no one's looking over your shoulder.   RANTS AND RAVES Stuck Inside, Playing the Guitar Again Has Helped Me Escape BY SCOTT GILBERTSON The instrument was supposed to accompany my family on a road trip. But now, it's helped us make music together.   CHINA Does TikTok Really Pose a Risk to US National Security? BY LOUISE MATSAKIS Concerns about the Chinese government shouldn't be dismissed, experts say. But banning TikTok would be a drastic measure.   PLASTIC PLANET Your Car Is Spewing Microplastics That Blow Around the World BY MATT SIMON When you drive, tiny bits of plastic fly off your tires and brakes. Now scientists have shown how all that road muck is blowing into "pristine" environments like the Arctic.   ENJOY THE SILENCE The World Is Noisy. These Groups Want to Restore the Quiet BY JENNY MORBER Silence is increasingly scarce, even in national parks. Now, scientists and environmentalists are working to calm the noise for the good of nature—and for us.   THEORY OF EVERYTHING How Gödel's Proof Works BY NATALIE WOLCHOVER His incompleteness theorems destroyed the search for a mathematical theory of everything. Nearly a century later, we're still coming to grips with the consequences.   THE MONITOR Can Comic-Con Work From Home? BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER The annual confab is going online this year—and there's a chance it will never recover.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions