WIRED's ultimate summer reading list

PLUS: A firework smoke warning, a new Zelda cartoon, and what makes a good cooler. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 07.03.20   BOOM TIMES Your Firework Smoke Could Be Tainted With Lead BY MATT SIMON It may be the most unpatriotic toxicology study ever, but so be it: Metals give fireworks their color, but some manufacturers are slipping in toxins.   PODCASTS We Need a New Zelda Cartoon BY GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY The Legend of Zelda videogames were turned into an animated series once in 1989. It's time for a reboot.   OPINION Blurring Faces Is Anti-Journalistic and Anti-Human BY BRENT LEWIS Photojournalists aren't at protests to pick a side. Altering photographs destroys trust and neglects the truth that people want to be seen.   #AMREADING WIRED's Ultimate Summer Reading List BY WIRED STAFF Summer is as much a season as a mindset—a sunny thing to escape to. Here are some weird, wild books to help get you there.   PRODUCT REVIEW Need a Cheap Phone? Look No Further Than Motorola's Latest BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU With solid performance and long battery life, Motorola's latest handsets are great value—if you rarely take photos with your phone.   ROYGBIV Hummingbirds Can See Colors We Can't Even Imagine BY SCOTT K. JOHNSON, ARS TECHNICA When humans see purple they're really seeing red + blue. Hummingbirds see purple + ultraviolet—and lots of other so-called nonspectral colors.   THE KNOW-IT-ALLS What Makes a Good Cooler (According to Physics)? BY MEREDITH FORE You're not so much keeping the "coldness" in as keeping the heat out. How well a cooler can do that depends on three key factors: insulation, air, and ice.   WIRELESS WAR 5G Was Going to Unite the World—Instead It's Tearing Us Apart BY WILL KNIGHT Divisions over technical standards and the role of China's Huawei are jeopardizing the rollout of superfast connections.   IDEAS 'Covid Parties' Are Not a Thing BY GILAD EDELMAN No, Alabama frat boys aren't doing snot shots and betting on who gets sick first. Why does the media keep suggesting otherwise?     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