Best Air Purifiers (2026): Six Lab-Tested Picks Compared, From $76 to $293
Six air purifiers compared, from the $76 Levoit Core 300-P to the Coway Airmega Mighty2, Wirecutter’s new top pick, with lab test results and Amazon prices.
Best Soundbars (2026): Six Picks Compared, From $100 to $1,099
Six soundbars compared by subwoofer, up-firing Atmos drivers, TV-brand lock-in and what is actually in the box, from a $100 starter to a $1,099 flagship.
Best Seats for Rush at Sphere (2027): Sections, Prices, Setlist and Dates
Rush’s Elevate From The Norm residency at Sphere runs five nights from May 21 through May 30, 2027, with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Anika Nilles and Loren Gold. Which sections show the stage and the screen best, what Lee has said about playing 2112 and Moving Pictures in full, when tickets go on sale and what to know before show night.
Fata Morgana Explained: Why Ships Float in the Sky and Phantom Lands Appear
A Fata Morgana is a real optical image made by light trapped in layers of warm and cold air. Here is the physics, the phantom Arctic lands it helped create, the Titanic debate and how to see one yourself.
Best Electric Toothbrushes (2026): Five Picks Compared, From $40 to $280
Five electric toothbrushes compared by pressure feedback, refill compatibility, charging and included accessories—not marketing claims.
Helion’s Polaris Fusion Machine: Electricity From Fusion in 2026?
Helion’s Polaris prototype demonstrated private D-T fusion and 150 million °C plasmas in February 2026. Here is what that means for electricity recovery, the Orion plant for Microsoft, and the 2028 timeline hedge.
Puzzle of the Day: How Many Emeralds Balance the Gem Scales?
Rubies, emeralds and diamonds are sitting on three old-fashioned balance scales. The first two are perfectly level. Every ruby weighs
Best Seats for John Mayer at Sphere (2027): Sections, Prices, Setlist and Dates
John Mayer’s Live at Sphere residency runs 21 nights from April 8 through June 12, 2027, with solo, full-band and John Mayer Trio sets each night. Which sections show the stage and the screen best, what the seated floor is like, what tickets cost, setlist expectations and what to know before show night.
Ferrofluid Spikes Explained: Why Magnetic Liquid Forms a Hedgehog (2026)
Hold a magnet under black oil and it erupts into spikes. That ferrofluid is a colloid of iron-oxide nanoparticles; the spikes are the Rosensweig instability, and the same liquid seals hard drives and cools loudspeakers.
Best Seats for Backstreet Boys at Sphere (2026–27): Sections, Prices, Setlist and Dates
Backstreet Boys’ Into the Millennium residency at Sphere has holiday dates left from December 26 through January 2, 2027, plus an F1 Afterparty on November 21. Which sections show the band and the screen best, what the floor is like, what tickets cost, the setlist and what to know before show night.
Form Energy’s Iron-Air Batteries: Reversible Rusting for 100-Hour Grid Storage (2026)
Form Energy stores electricity for about 100 hours by rusting and un-rusting iron. Here is the chemistry, the West Virginia factory, the Minnesota deals and why multi-day storage matters next to lithium in 2026.
Puzzle of the Day: Can You Crack the Weather-Icon Equations?
A sun, a cloud and a raindrop each stand for a whole number. Raindrops count one by one, so a
Best Bluetooth Speakers (2026): Six Tested Portable Picks Compared, From $24 to $430
Six portable Bluetooth speakers compared, from the $24 Soundcore Select 4 Go to the JBL Boombox 4, with Wired’s top pick, the JBL Flip 7, plus lab test results and Amazon prices.
The Leidenfrost Effect: Why Water Skates on a Hot Pan (and Lasts Longer)
Sprinkle water on a hot skillet and the drops suddenly skate instead of vanishing. That vapor cushion is the Leidenfrost effect: film boiling that lifts and insulates the liquid, with roots in a 1756 tract and uses from reactors to cryogenics.
Best Seats for Metallica at Sphere (2026–27): Sections, Snake Pit, Prices, Setlists and Dates
Metallica’s Life Burns Faster residency at Sphere has 14 nights left, from November 5 through March 13, 2027. Which sections show the band and the screen best, what the floor and Snake Pit are like, what tickets cost, the setlists and what to know before show night.
Tesla Cybercab (2026): Where to Ride One, What It Costs, and Can You Buy One?
Tesla’s two-seat Cybercab, with no wheel or pedals, now gives paid rides in Austin, with Dallas next. Here is how to ride one, what trips cost, whether you can buy one, what is inside, and why regulators are asking questions.
Northern Lights Colors Explained: Why Auroras Glow Green, Red, Pink and Purple
Green curtains, red skies, pink hems and the purple ribbon called STEVE: each aurora color comes from a particular gas at a particular height. Here is the code, why your phone sees more than you do, and how to catch the next display.
Solid-State EV Batteries in 2026: Which Cars Have Them, and When You Can Buy One
A Mercedes EQS drove 1,205 km on one charge with a solid-state battery, and a $14,000 MG4 wears the label in China. But no car on sale has an all-solid-state battery yet. Here is what semi-solid means, which cars use it, and when the real thing arrives.
Best Seats for the Eagles at Sphere (2026–27): Sections, Prices, Setlist and Dates
The Eagles’ Sphere residency returns November 13 with 14 nights left through January 2027. Which sections show the band and the giant screen best, which seats to skip, what tickets cost, the full setlist and what to know before show night.
Puzzle of the Day: Who Finished Third in the Bike Race?
Five riders in red, blue, green, yellow and purple jerseys just finished a sprint to the line. There were no
