The Dancing Plague of 1518: What Really Happened in Strasbourg
In the summer of 1518, dozens of people in Strasbourg could not stop dancing. The city’s records tell a stranger, quieter story than the legend.
Best Electric Shavers (2026): Six Picks Compared, From $65 to $350
Six electric shavers compared by head type, closeness, runtime, cleaning station and kit contents, from a $65 Braun starter to the $350 Series 9 Pro+.
Tesla Cybertruck Discontinued: End Date, Deposit Refunds, Prices and Can You Still Buy One?
Tesla will shut down the Cybertruck line at Gigafactory Texas around June or July 2027 to build more Cybercabs, and Musk says many deposits will be returned. The end date, refund facts, current prices, warranty and a timeline from the 2019 reveal.
St. Elmo’s Fire Explained: Why Masts, Planes and Mountaintops Glow Blue in Storms
St. Elmo’s fire is a corona discharge: a blue-violet plasma glow that forms on sharp points in a storm’s strong electric field. How it works, where the name comes from, famous sightings at sea, on land and in the air, and why hikers treat it as a lightning warning.
Tesla Optimus (2026): Release Date, Price, Production and Can You Buy One?
Tesla started early Optimus production in Fremont in October 2026, but there are no orders, no price and no V3 reveal yet. What Tesla has confirmed, what is still rumor, and how Optimus compares with 1X NEO and Figure 03.
How to Store Water for Emergencies: How Much, Which Containers, and How Long It Lasts
Store at least a gallon per person per day, in the right containers, in the right place. Here is the official CDC, EPA, FEMA and Red Cross guidance on emergency water, including exact bleach doses.
This Week on Aglena: Nov. 2–8, 2026
Hello, and welcome to this week’s roundup. This week on Aglena: paper balloon bombs over Oregon, a war over a
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.
