Billionaires see VR as a way to avoid radical social change

PLUS: VR therapy, the rot of Riot Games, and America's zero-day market. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  02.15.21   SAFE TRAVELS Underwater Meditation and the Therapeutic Benefits of VR BY CHELSEA LEAH Virtual reality can be a supportive tool for people with disabilities, anxiety, or who just need help getting up and moving.   PLUG AND PLAY How to Use Your PS5 or Xbox Controller Everywhere Else BY SIMON HILL Want to play games on your phone, desktop, laptop, or tablet? If you own a console, you probably don't need a separate controller.   COMPLICITY The Rot of Riot Games Culture Starts at the Top BY CECILIA D'ANASTASIO CEO Nicolo Laurent continues to employ multiple top executives who have been accused of sexism and harassment—and is himself the subject of a complaint.   BLINDERS OFF Billionaires See VR as a Way to Avoid Radical Social Change BY MATTHEW GAULT Tech oligarchs are encouraging the creation of virtual worlds as a cheap way to avoid problems in the real one.   SPONSORED CONTENT $400K Credit Lines Right Away The credit your company needs and the tools to manage it. Get up to $400K automatically approved for your business + a platform to see it all. GET WIRED Exclusive Offer! Ending Soon: Get 1 year of WIRED access for $10 $5. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   OOPS A New Artificial Intelligence Makes Mistakes—on Purpose BY WILL KNIGHT A chess program that learns from human error might be better at working with people, or negotiating with them.   DO NOT TRACK A Case Against the Peeping Tom Theory of Privacy BY GILAD EDELMAN Yes, it's creepy when companies can track your every move. But that's not the only problem.   BOOK EXCERPT The Untold History of America's Zero-Day Market BY NICOLE PERLROTH The lucrative business of dealing in code vulnerabilities is central to espionage and war planning, which is why brokers never spoke about it—until now.   DOT PHYSICS How to Calculate the String Angle of a Kite vs. a Balloon BY RHETT ALLAIN It's a beautiful day to go outside with a kite, or a balloon, and compute how wind speed alters their flight.     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