20 things that made the world a better place in 2020

PLUS: How to avoid a hangover, get your attention back, and get the most out of a virtual therapy session. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 01.01.21   THE KNOW-IT-ALLS What Causes Hangovers, and How Can I Avoid Them? BY ADAM ROGERS No one really knows how drunkenness works, and hangovers are poorly understood, no matter what your friend tells you. Still, there are a few things you can try.   MEMENTO MORI How Tech Could Help Us Contemplate Our Own Mortality BY EMMA PATTEE Monks stared at skulls to ponder the inevitability of death. We stare at our phones.   MENTAL ESCAPE How I Got My Attention Back BY CRAIG MOD Technology is commanding our attention in infinite, insurmountable loops. A country trip off-grid helped me escape.   YEAR IN REVIEW 20 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2020 BY NICOLE KOBIE, WIRED UK From record-beating scientific discoveries to an elephant baby boom, this year was about much more than just a global pandemic. GET WIRED New year, new ideas. Get WIRED for $10 $5. Last chance to get 1 year of access for 50% off. Plus get free stickers! Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   NEW YEAR NEW YOU How to Make the Most of a Virtual Therapy Session BY CHARMAINE LANG And some Instagram resources to shore up your mental health, if therapy isn't an option right now.   THE BIG STORY Is Mindfulness Meditation BS? BY ROBERT WRIGHT Buddhist practice has been co-opted as a capitalist tool. That can be the first step to enlightenment.   YEAR IN REVIEW Yes to Masks. No to Parties. 2021 Will Be a Lot Like 2020 BY MARYN MCKENNA Sorry, folks: Thanks to Covid, next year won't be much more fun than this one, at least until enough vaccines arrive.   SOCIAL MEDIA I Befriended My Instagram Hackers | Backchannel BY NEGAR MOTTAHEDEH The Iranian couple that stole my account opened a window to my homeland.   RANTS AND RAVES How My Record Player Helped Me Feel the Music BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU If streaming can't cure your stay-at-home blues, a spinning platter just might do the trick.     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