TBT: The super-secret sand that makes your phone possible

PLUS: The best WIRED stories from this month a year ago. View this email in your browser  08.22.19 Being sand is a pretty thankless job. Everybody steps on you, kids play with you—yeah, life's a beach. But as it turns out, lots of things can't run without you. In fact, sand is the secret to the processor that makes your laptop or cell phone work. Read all about the unique ingredient that transformed civilization, plus more of the best WIRED stories from this month a year ago, below.   The Ultra-Pure, Super-Secret Sand That Makes Your Phone Possible The processor that makes your laptop or cell phone work was fabricated using quartz from this obscure Appalachian backwater. The Best Stories From This Month, Last Year It's Never Too Late to Be a Reader Again No matter how long the hiatus, you're just one book away from reconnecting with reading—and the key might be a failure past. The WIRED Guide to Quantum Computing Everything you ever wanted to know about qubits, superpositioning, and spooky action at a distance. Google Tracks You Even If Location History's Off. Here's How to Stop It A new report shows that Google still tracks your location even if you thought you opted out. Naked Labs' 3-D Body Scanner Shows You the Naked Truth Because a head-to-toe scan that measures your body fat is exactly what you wanted. It's Time to Stop Sending Money on Venmo We're increasingly wary of sharing too much on social media. So why are we still doing it on Venmo? What if Ketamine Actually Works Like an Opioid? Researchers report that ketamine may be working on the brain's opioid system. The study is small, but if replicated, the findings could have big implications for the treatment of depression. GET WIRED Get 12 months of WIRED for just $49.99 $10.   Stories to help you understand the future.   Subscribe now     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