The way people lean forward after the lights go out, as if they’ve been given a secret, is what you notice most about Send Help, not the gore or even the jokes. Someone whispered, “This is the Raimi one,” in the row behind me, as if that were the only explanation for the room’s sudden warmth and alertness. Sam Raimi’s name carries a certain energy that makes you expect mischief, rubbery fear, and laughter that comes half a beat after you realize you’re supposed to be horrified. The idea seems simple enough to fit on a streaming thumbnail: an employee…

Even though it was cruel to experience, Microsoft’s previous miracle was easy to explain: Windows on everything, everywhere, at once. In the 1990s, you could sense it in beige office cubicles and bustling computer labs—the blue glow of a CRT, the soft click of a mouse, and the same Start button that stared back from whoever’s desk you were at. Windows was more than a piece of software. It was the standard configuration for contemporary work. Stranger is this new wager. It smells more like hot dust from data-center air handlers than shrink-wrapped CDs. It’s also bigger—bigger in terms of…

It wasn’t in a lab or a hospital when it first became apparent that something strange was occurring. It was located in the snack section. In private, a senior executive at a large food company acknowledged that cookie and chip sales were “softening in certain demographics.” It seemed cautious, almost evasive, how you put it. However, investors were not perplexed. They had already started simulating what some Wall Street analysts now refer to as the “Ozempic effect.” Category Details Drug Class GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Leading Brands Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Key Companies Novo Nordisk; Eli Lilly Initial FDA Obesity Approval 2021…

The private-credit crowd tends to speak in the language of calm outside a glassy Midtown hotel ballroom, the type with the lighting that flatters everyone and the thick carpet that swallows footsteps. “Covenants.” “Downside protection.” “Resilience at floating rates.” Coffee is always available, as is the quiet assurance that this area of finance is more resilient than the ostentatious public markets. However, you can sense the micro-tremor in casual conversations these days, as people lower their voices when discussing redemption limits or how banks have been using leverage to enter a market that was ostensibly created to circumvent banks. In…

A nine-year-old is sitting cross-legged on the floor of a Brooklyn apartment on a weekday afternoon, leaning his tablet against a pile of textbooks. She requests an explanation of fractions from a chatbot. An answer appears in a matter of seconds, complete with detailed reasoning, colorful diagrams, and even a follow-up test. She taps, nods, and continues. No hand was raised. Don’t wait. No obvious struggle. It’s difficult to ignore how seamless learning has gotten. These days, artificial intelligence permeates childhood in ways that are both familiar and unexpected. Before a parent can finish drying the dishes, voice assistants respond…

The concept of reversing aging has always remained in the realm of fantasy in a society where youth is frequently associated with vitality. Recent advances in science, however, are changing that perception and making the idea of treating aging a real possibility. Targeting the biological processes of aging rather than age-related illnesses has attracted a lot of interest from investors and scientists alike, who are investing billions of dollars in this new field. A tangible sense of excitement permeates the atmosphere. Funding for longevity research is predicted to reach an astounding $8.5 billion in 2024. Some of the wealthiest people…

Before dawn, the parking lot outside a recently constructed data center in northern Virginia fills up. The perimeter fence is lined with contractor vans and pickup trucks, their windshields foggy from the cold. Technicians navigate lengthy server corridors inside, inspecting cables and keeping an ear out for the faint pitch shift that indicates overheating. A large portion of Wall Street’s capital is moving into these buildings, which are silently growing across the nation. It’s difficult to ignore how swiftly they appeared. In the belief that whoever controls the infrastructure will influence the economy for decades, investors have poured enormous sums…

The parking lot outside a big tech campus appeared oddly normal on a dreary Silicon Valley morning. A couple of workers entered with coffee. Others were silently checking their phones by their cars. Nothing noteworthy. However, dozens of people’s security badges had already been disabled inside, and their access had been discreetly revoked over night. The way that regular layoffs have begun to feel is unnerving. The public explanation has sounded straightforward for years: the industry is changing, businesses are becoming more efficient, and artificial intelligence is replacing jobs. Part of those reasons are valid. However, observing these choices up…

The technology isn’t the first thing that people notice when they enter Google’s Gradient Canopy building. It’s the silence. The soft clatter of mechanical keyboards or the occasional hum of a coffee grinder break up the low-pitched conversations. As if anticipating something slightly unexpected, engineers lean toward their screens and watch as responses come in line by line. Because it does occasionally. Gemini, Google’s most recent AI model, is unquestionably the most powerful system the company has ever created. It can create software code, summarize whole books, and have strangely fluid conversations. Alphabet’s valuation is rising as investors appear to…

Traders in a glass-walled office building in Lower Manhattan stared at glowing monitors on a recent afternoon, their faces oddly composed. Outside, tourists paused to take pictures of the skyscraper canyon while taxis scuttled through traffic. Nothing appeared to be damaged. However, there’s a feeling that something is off beneath the surface. Some economists have started speculating that the financial crisis that people fear might not actually occur. It might be here already. Particularly when stock indexes are still close to all-time highs, the argument seems odd. Gains are still visible in retirement accounts. Tech firms keep making big investments…