How to escape from an erupting volcano

PLUS: The best WIRED stories from this month a year ago.

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 09.18.21 The year is 79 AD. It's after 9 am on the 24th of August and you've just arrived in the Roman town of Pompeii. You're about to visit the local bakery when a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hits. Trying to keep your balance, you look up and see Mount Vesuvius beginning to eject 1.5 million tons of molten rock per second, releasing 100,000 times the thermal energy of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. You are a mere 6 miles away. Your situation isn't entirely hopeless, but you'll need to act fast. What should you do? Read about how to escape from an erupting volcano, plus more of the best WIRED stories from this month a year ago, below.   How to Escape an Erupting Volcano If you were in Pompeii in 79 AD, you might have tried to hunker down or escape by sea. That would have been a mistake. But there was a way to safety. The Best Stories From This Month, Last Year Why Netflix Keeps Canceling Shows After Just Two Seasons Fans may protest when their favorite shows are canceled, but for Netflix, it's all about data. What's in Wildfire Smoke, and How Dangerous Is It? Blazes on the West Coast are spewing a haze clear across the country. Along the way, the complex chemistry of what we inhale gets even more complex. Is the Oura Ring Worth the Hype? Actually, Yeah No, you can't diagnose yourself with Covid-19 by wearing a ring. But it can tell you when your period is coming. How Cuties Got Caught in a Gamergate-Style Internet Clash The French film is caught in the crosshairs of right-wing online movements. This isn't an anomaly. It's a new battle in a larger culture war. How the Pandemic Transformed This Songbird's Call When the San Francisco Bay Area locked down, urban noise levels plummeted. In response, the white-crowned sparrow changed its tune. Why Is It So Hard to Study Covid-Related Smelling Loss? Patients have long reported the sudden inability to smell. But restrictions on in-person exams are complicating efforts to figure out what's going on. GET WIRED Stare the future right in the eye. Get 1 year of unlimited access to WIRED for less than $1 per month. That includes Steven Levy's exclusive newsletter and a free tote! 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 or manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.