The best WIRED Longread stories of 2020

PLUS: A hiker mystery, China's Covid coverup, and the value of a human life. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 12.27.20   YEAR IN REVIEW Some of Our Favorite Longreads of 2020 BY MARK ROBINSON It was a brutal year. Take a breath and enjoy some of our favorite in-depth stories.   A Nameless Hiker and the Case the Internet Can't Crack BY NICHOLAS THOMPSON The man on the trail went by "Mostly Harmless." He was friendly and said he worked in tech. After he died in his tent, no one could figure out who he was.   BACKCHANNEL First Denial, Then Fear: Covid-19 Patients in Their Own Words BY GARRETT M. GRAFF People infected with the coronavirus try to cope as the crisis accelerates. The professionals taking care of them are quickly becoming overwhelmed.   BACKCHANNEL The Tragic Physics of the Deadly Explosion in Beirut BY RACHEL LANCE A blast injury specialist explores the chemistry—and history—of explosions like the one captured in videos that swept across the world. GET WIRED Happy Holidays from WIRED. Plus get free stickers! Last chance to get one year of WIRED access for $10 $5. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   SUPPLEMENTS Americans Took Prevagen for Years—as the FDA Questioned Its Safety BY CHIARA EISNER From the memory supplement's launch in 2007 through 2016, agency officials repeatedly raised concerns as the number of consumer complaints grew.   THE CLIMATE ISSUE The Greatest Climate-Protecting Technology Ever Devised BY BROOKE JARVIS Through the profound, irreplaceable, utterly ordinary bit of magic that is photosynthesis, old trees can hold far more carbon than anybody else.   BACKCHANNEL Inside the Early Days of China's Coronavirus Coverup BY SHAWN YUAN The dawn of a pandemic—as seen through the news and social media posts that vanished from China's internet.   LIFE, INTERRUPTED My Friend Was Struck by ALS. To Fight Back, He Built a Movement BY BRIAN BARRETT At 37, Brian Wallach was diagnosed with the fatal disease. So he tapped a lifetime of connections to give help and hope to fellow sufferers—while grappling with his own mortality.   BACKCHANNEL How Much Is a Human Life Actually Worth? BY ADAM ROGERS As the US economy reopens  amid a deadly pandemic, a dire question looms. Let's weigh the risks—and do the math.     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