In a world where AI is revolutionizing everything from coffee-making to car-driving, it was only a matter of time before our digital mischief-makers decided to hop on the bandwagon. Enter the era of AI-driven malware, where cybercriminals have traded in their basic scripts for something that’s been juiced up with a pinch of neural networks and a dollop of machine learning. Who knew that the future of cibercrimen would be so... sophisticated? Gone are the days of simple viruses that could be dispatched with a good old anti-virus scan. Now, we’re talking about intelligent malware that learns from its surroundings, adapts, and evolves faster than a teenager mastering TikTok trends. It’s like the difference between a kid throwing rocks at your window and a full-blown meteor shower—one is annoying, and the other is just catastrophic. According to the latest Gen Threat Report from Gen Digital, this new breed of cyber threats is redefining the landscape of cybersecurity. Oh, joy! Just what we needed—cybercriminals with PhDs in deviousness. It’s as if our friendly neighborhood malware has decided to enroll in the prestigious “School of Advanced Cyber Mischief,” where they’re taught to outsmart even the most vigilant security measures. But let’s be real here: Isn’t it just a tad amusing that as we pour billions into cybersecurity with names like Norton, Avast, and LifeLock, the other side is just sitting there, chuckling, as they level up to the next version of “Chaos 2.0”? You have to admire their resourcefulness. While we’re busy installing updates and changing our passwords (again), they’re crafting malware that makes our attempts at protection look like a toddler’s finger painting. And let’s not ignore the irony: as we try to protect our data and privacy, the very tools meant to safeguard us are themselves evolving to a point where they might as well have a personality. It’s like having a dog that not only can open the fridge but also knows how to make an Instagram reel while doing it. So, what can we do in the face of this digital dilemma? Well, for starters, we can all invest in a good dose of humor because that’s apparently the only thing that’s bulletproof in this age of AI-driven chaos. Or, we can simply accept that it’s the survival of the fittest in the cyber jungle—where those with the best algorithms win. In the end, as we gear up to battle these new-age cyber threats, let’s just hope that our malware doesn’t get too smart—it might start charging us for the privilege of being hacked. After all, who doesn’t love a little subscription model in their life? #Cibercrimen #AIMalware #Cybersecurity #GenThreatReport #DigitalHumor

Macworld Ads are everywhere. From gas pump screens to streaming services and social media, the average American is exposed to anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day. Enough is enough. While some ads are just plain annoying, others can be straight-up harmful. Protect your kids from inappropriate content and protect your Mac from phishing with Adguard’s Family Plan, now just with code FAMPLAN. With AdGuard’s family plan, you can get privacy protection, ad blocking, and malware protection for up to 9 devices, including desktop and mobile. It’s compatible with both Android and iOS devices as long as they’re running on relatively updated operating systems. AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal From banner ads to pop-ups and video ads, AdgGuard blocks them all seamlessly, allowing you to use your computer the way it was intended. Maximize productivity and protect from harmful viruses or phishing attempts. The robust parental controls also allow users to block inappropriate or adult content to keep the web safe for your kids. For less than the monthly price of a streaming service, you can have peace of mind knowing your children will be shielded from inappropriate materials and you can work, stream, and game uninterrupted. Get AdGuard’s Family Plan forwith code FAMPLAN. StackSocial prices subject to change. #block #ads #whole #fam #less

Unity The battle to play Borderlands Online continues, as dedicated archivists ask for help in pursuit of the long lost MMO The team working on bringing this game back is now asking for help from experts to get the game playable. Image credit: 2K China News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on May 30, 2025 The Borderlands Online archival saga continues, with the small group of people hoping to get the game playable putting out a call-to-action for those with coding experiencein order to break through the game's character selection screen. Previously, we covered YouTuber, game designer, and dataminer EpicNNG managing to get to the game's class selection screen, but it seems he and his small team working on the archival project have hit a brick wall. Not in terms of skill, but in terms of time. They have a version of the game at their finger tips, they just need more hands to get the build working. He states: "Number 1: We know that we have the full game, we have confirmed we have the full game. Number 2: We know that we can get in eventually, it is just a matter of when." To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In this call-to-action, a lengthy video detailing the journey so far, EpicNNG showed the perilous task as his small team went through old Chinese Borderlands Online websites in the search for a way to actually play the game. Doing so, they found ghost links and viruses, so it's worth emphasising here that you should only really help out with this effort if you know what you're doing. The video is covered in statements making it clear that this is purely for archival purposes, and that he nor his team are looking to infringe on 2K's intelectual property as to avoid the possibility of a cease and desist. However, it's made equally clear that this project may be nearing a dead end thanks to the release of Borderlands 4 and the potential actions of 2K's legal team, unless it gets more people on board to help. It's worth noting that this article was only written following an exchange of DMs with EpicNNG, in which he stated that he understood the potential risks of this call-to-action being further publicised and was happy with it being covered nonetheless. In the video, EpicNNG acknowledges that time is of the essence here, pointing to Activision's take down of the H2M Call of Duty mod in fears it would suck attention away from the next Call of Duty. The worry is that, unless the team gets the game working soon, 2K would fear a similar thing with Borderlands 4 and send out a Cease and Desist. This archival project, if successful, would be somewhat of a white whale for the video game archival scene. Not only is archiving any game difficult, Borderlands Online is a Chinese-only MMORPG that has been dead for years. Getting it working is an admirable goal. Here's hoping that folks that can help see it and lend a hand before it's too late. Though, if you're a greenthumb when it comes to Unity or video game software in general, maybe it's best to leave it with the experts and wish them luck. #battle #play #borderlands #online #continues

This article contains some Mission: Impossible – The Final reckoning spoilers. In the most recent and supposedly final Mission: Impossible film, Ethan Hunt receives his briefing on a VHS cassette tape. That is a marvelous wink to the era in whichMission: Impossible, but these films have remained consistently at the zenith of quality blockbuster cinema. And through it all remains Tom Cruise, running, gunning, and smoldering with his various, luxuriant haircuts. Indeed, the first M:I picture was also Cruise’s first as a producer, made under the banner of Cruise/Wagner productions. Perhaps for that reason, he has stayed committed to what was once viewed as simply a “television adaptation.” It might have begun as TV IP, but in Cruise’s hands it has become a cinematic magnum opus that sequel after sequel, and decade after decade, has blossomed into one of the most inventive and satisfying spectacles ever produced in the Hollywood system. The final decade of the series’ run in particular has been groundbreaking. After five movies with five very different directors, aesthetics, and sensibilities, Christopher McQuarrie stuck around—alongside stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood. Together with Cruise, they turned the series into an old-fashioned, in-camera spectacle that harkens back to the earliest days of cinema. In the process, Cruise has added another chapter to his career, that of an onscreen daredevil like Harold Lloyd or Douglas Fairbanks. It’s been an amazing run, and honestly it’s a bit arbitrary to quantify it with any sort of ranking. But if we were going to do such a thing, here is how it should go… 8. Mission: Impossible IIIt’s hardly controversial to put John Woo’s Mission: Impossible II dead last. From its overabundance of slow-mo action—complete with Woo’s signature flying doves—to its use of Limp Bizkit, and even that nonsensical plot about manmade viruses that still doesn’t feel timely on the other side of 2020, MI:-2 is a relic of late ‘90s Hollywood excess. On the one hand, it’s kind of marvelous that Cruise let Woo completely tear down and rebuild a successful franchise-starter in the Hong Kong filmmaker’s own image. On the other, it’s perhaps telling of where Cruise’s ego was at that time since Woo used this opportunity to transform the original all-American Ethan Hunt into a god of celluloid marble. And make no mistake, there is something godlike to how Woo’s camera fetishizes Cruise’s sunglasses and new, luxuriant mane of jet black hair during Hunt’s big introduction where he is seen free-climbing across a rock face without rope. It would come to work as metaphor for the rest of the movie where, despite ostensibly being the leader of a team, Ethan is mostly going it alone as he does ridiculous things like have a medieval duel against his evil doppelgänger, only both men now ride motorcycles instead of horses. The onscreen team, meanwhile, stares slack-jawed as Ethan finds his inner-Arnold Schwarzenegger and massacres entire scores of faceless mercenaries in multiple shootouts. While gunplay has always been an element of modern spy thrillers, the Mission: Impossible movies work best when the characters use their witsto escape elaborate, tricky situations. So there’s something banal about the way M:I-2 resembles any other late ‘90s and early ‘00s actioner that might’ve starred Nicolas Cage or Bruce Willis. Technically the plot, which involves Ethan’s reluctance to send new flame Nyah Hallinto the lion’s den as an informant, has classical pedigree. The movie remakes Alfred Hitchcock’s Notoriousin all but name. However, the movie is so in love with its movie star deity that even the supposedly central romance is cast in ambivalent shadow. 7. Mission: Impossible – The Final ReckoningYes, we admit to also being surprised that what is allegedly intended to be the last Mission: Impossible movie is finishing near the very bottom of this list. Which is not to say that The Final Reckoning is a bad movie. It’s just a messy one—and disappointing too. Perhaps the expectations were too high for a film with “final” in the title. Also its reportedly eye-popping million only fueled the hype. But whereas the three previous Mission films directed by Christopher McQuarrie, including Dead Reckoning, had a light playfulness about them, The Final Reckoning gets lost in its own self-importance and grandiosity. Once again we have a Mission flick determined to deify Ethan Hunt with McQuarrie’s “gambler” from the last couple movies taking on the imagery of the messiah. Now the AI fate of the world lies in his literal hands. This approach leads to many long expository sequences where characters blather endlessly about the motivations of an abstract artificial intelligence. Meanwhile far too little time is spent on the sweet spot for this series: Cruise’s chemistry with co-stars when he isn’t hanging from some death-defying height. In fact, Ethan goes it pretty much alone in this one, staring down generals, submarine captains, and American presidents—fools all to think for one instance Ethan isn’t the guy sent to redeem them for their sins. The action sequences are still jaw-dropping when they finally come, and it is always good to see co-stars Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, and an all too briefly used Ving Rhames again, but this feels less like a finale than a breaking point. If Mission does come back, it will have to be as something wildly different. 6. Mission: Impossible IIIBefore he transformed Star Trek and Star Wars into remarkably similar franchises, writer-director J.J. Abrams made his big screen debut by doing much the same to the Mission: Impossible franchise. With his emphasis on extreme close-ups, heavy expository dialogue dumps, and intentionally vague motivations for his villains that seem to always have something to do with the War on Terror, Abrams remade the M:I franchise in the image of his TV shows, particularly Alias. This included turning Woo’s Übermensch from the last movie into the kind of suburban everyman who scores well with the Nielsen ratings and who has a sweet girl-next-door fiancée. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Your mileage may vary with this approach, but personally we found M:I-3 to be too much of a piece with mid-2000s television and lacking in a certain degree of movie magic. With that said, the movie has two fantastic aces up its sleeve. The first and most significant is a deliciously boorish performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the franchise’s scariest villain. Abrams’ signature monologues have never been more chilling as when Hoffman cuts through Cruise’s matinee heroics like a knife and unsettles the protagonist and the audience with an unblinking declaration of ill-intent. Perhaps more impressively, during one of the franchise’s famed “mask” sequences where Ethan disguises himself as Hoffman’s baddie, the character actor subtly and convincingly mimics Cruise’s leading man charisma. That, plus introducing fan favorite Simon Pegg as Benji to the series, makes the movie worth a watch if not a regular revisit. According to more than a few critics in 2023, the then-newest installment in the series was also the best one. I respectfully disagree. The first half of writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise’s Dead Reckoning In terms of old school spectacle and breakneck pacing, Dead Reckoning is easily the most entertaining action movie of summer 2023’s offerings. However, when compared to the best entries in the M:I franchise, Dead Reckoning leaves something be desired. While McQuarrie’s counterintuitive instinct to script the scenes after designing the set pieces, and essentially make it up as they went along, paid off in dividends in Fallout, the narrative of Dead Reckoning’s first half is shaggy and muddled. The second act is especially disjointed when the film arrives in Venice, and the actors seem as uncertain as the script is over what exactly the film’s nefarious A.I. villain, codename: “The Entity,” wants. That this is the portion of the film which also thanklessly kills off fan favorite Ilsa Faustdoes the movie no favors. Elsewhere in the film, Hayley Atwell proves a fantastic addition in her own right as Grace—essentially a civilian and audience surrogate who gets wrapped up in the M:I series’ craziness long enough to stare at Cruise in incredulity—but the inference that she is here to simply interchangeably replace Ilsa gives the film a sour subtext. Still, Atwell’s Grace is great, Cruise’s Ethan is as mad as ever with his stunts, and even as the rest of the ensemble feels underutilized, seeing the team back together makes this a good time—while the unexpected return of Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge is downright great. 4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost ProtocolThere are many fans who will tell you that the Mission: Impossible franchise as we know it really started with this Brad Bird entry at the beginning of the 2010s, and it’s easy to see why. As the first installment made with a newly chastened Cruise—who Paramount Pictures had just spent years trying to fire from the series—it’s also the installment where the movie star remade his persona as a modern day Douglas Fairbanks. Here he becomes the guy you could count on to commit the most absurdly dangerous and ridiculous stunts for our entertainment. What a mensch. And in terms of set pieces, nothing in the series may top this movie’s second act where Cruise is asked to become a real-life Spider-Man and wall-crawl—as well as swing and skip—along the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It’s a genuine showstopper that looms over the rest of the movie. Not that there isn’t a lot to enjoy elsewhere as Bird brings a slightly more sci-fi and cartoonish cheek to the proceedings with amusing gadgets like those aforementioned “blue means glue” Spidey gloves. Even more amusingly, the damn things never seem to work properly. This is also the first Mission: Impossible movie where the whole team feels vital to the success of the adventure, including a now proper sidekick in the returning Pegg and some solid support from Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner. For a certain breed of fan that makes this the best, but we would argue the team dynamics were fleshed out a little better down the road, and in movies that have more than one stunning set piece to their name. 3. Mission: ImpossibleThe last four entries of the series have been so good that it’s become common for folks to overlook the movie that started it all, Brian De Palma’s endlessly stylish Mission: Impossible. That’s a shame since there’s something admirably blasphemous to this day about a movie that would take an ancient pop culture property and throw the fundamentals out the window. In this case, that meant turning the original show’s hero, Jim Phelps, into the villain while completely rewriting the rulebook about what the concept of “Mission: Impossible” is. It’s the bold kind of creative move studios would never dare make now, but that’s what opened up the space to transform a novelty of ‘60s spymania TV into a ‘90s action classic, complete with heavy emphasis on techno espionage babble and post-Cold War politics. The movie can at times appear dated given the emphasis on floppy disks and AOL email accounts, but it’s also got a brisk energy that never goes out of style thanks to De Palma’s ability to frame a knotty script by David Koepp and Robert Towneinto a breathlessly paced thriller filled with paranoia, double crosses, femme fatales, and horrifying dream sequences. In other words, it’s a De Palma special! The filmmaker and Cruise also craft a series of set pieces that would become the series’ defining trademark. The finale with a fistfight atop a speeding train beneath the English Channel is great, but the quiet as a church mouse midpoint where Cruise’s hero dangles over the pressure-sensitive floor of a CIA vault—and with a drop of sweat dripping just out of reach!—is the stuff of popcorn myth. It’s how M:I also became as much a great heist series as shoot ‘em up. Plus, this movie gave us Ving Rhames’ stealth MVP hacker, Luther Stickell. 2. Mission: Impossible – Rogue NationIn retrospect there is something faintly low-key about Rogue Nation, as ludicrous as that might be to say about a movie that begins with its star literally clinging for dear life to the outside of a plane at take off. Yet given how grand newcomer director Christopher McQuarrie would take things in the following three Mission films, his more restrained first iteration seems charmingly small scale in comparison. Even so, it remains an action marvel in its own right, as well as the most balanced and well-structured adventure in the series. It’s the one where the project of making Ethan Hunt a tangible character began. Rightly assessing Ethan to be a “gambler” based on his inconsistent yet continuously deranged earlier appearances, McQuarrie spins a web where Hunt’s dicey lifestyle comes back to haunt him when facing a villain who turns those showboat instincts in on themselves, and which pairs Ethan for the first time against the best supporting character in the series, Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust. There’s a reason Ferguson’s MI6 doubleagent was the first leading lady in the series to become a recurring character. She gives a star-making turn as a woman who is in every way Ethan’s equal while keeping him and the audience on their toes. She, alongside a returning Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames, solidify the definitive Mission team, all while McQuarrie crafts elegant set pieces with classical flair, including a night at the opera that homages and one-ups Alfred Hitchcock’s influential sequence from The Man Who Knew Too Much, as well as a Casablanca chase between Ethan and Ilsa that’s the best motorcycle sequence in the series. Also McQuarrie’s script ultimately figures out who Ethan Hunt truly is by letting all those around him realize he’s a madman. And Alec Baldwin’s Alan Hunley gets this gem of a line to sums the series up in total: “Hunt is uniquely trained and highly motivated, a specialist without equal, immune to any countermeasures. There is no secret he cannot extract, no security he cannot breach, no person he cannot become. He has most likely anticipated this very conversation and is waiting to strike in whatever direction we move. Sir, Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny—and he has made you his mission.” 1. Mission: Impossible – FalloutIf one were to rank these movies simply by virtue of set pieces and stunts, pound for pound it’s impossible to top Mission: Impossible – Fallout. A virtuoso showcase in action movie bliss, there are too many giddy mic drop moments to list, but among our favorites are: Tom Cruise doing a real HALO jump out of a plane at 25,000 feet and which was captured by camera operator Craig O’Brien, who had an IMAX camera strapped to his head; the extended fight sequence between Cruise, Henry Cavill, and Liam Yang in a bathroom where the music completely drops out so we can hear every punch, kick, and that surreal moment where Cavill needs to reload his biceps like they’re shotguns; and did you see Cruise’s ankle bend the wrong way in that building to building jump?! For action junkies, there was no better adrenaline kick out of Hollywood in the 2010s than this flick, and that is in large part a credit to writer-director Christopher McQuarrie. As the first filmmaker to helm more than one M:I movie, McQuarrie had the seemingly counterintuitive innovation to meticulously hammer out all of the above action sequences as well as others—such as a motorcycle chase across the cobblestones of Paris and a helicopter climax where Cruise is really flying his chopper at low altitudes—with stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood and Cruise, and then retroactively pen a surprisingly tight and satisfying screenplay that continues to deconstruct the Ethan Hunt archetype into a man of flesh and blood. McQuarrie also reunites all the best supporting players in the series—Rhames, Pegg, and his own additions of Rebecca Ferguson as the ambiguous Ilsa Faust and Sean Harris as the dastardly Solomon Lane—into a yarn that is as zippy and sharp as you might expect from the screenwriter of The Usual Suspects, but which lets each action sequence unfurl with all the pageantry of an old school Gene Kelly musical number. Many will call this the best Mission: Impossible movie, and we won’t quibble the point. #mission #impossible #movies #ranked #worst

A malware infection can have serious consequences like spam advertising, personal data theft, or the loss of important files. Effective malware removal can help prevent these worst-case scenarios by identifying and isolating threats like adware, spyware, and ransomware before they take down your system. Thankfully, default operating systemand system protection against cyberthreats is improving all the time. This doesn't mean you shouldn't consider downloading a trustworthy, secure malware removal app for keeping your PC and other devices clean. We have found the best software solutions available in 2025.What is the best malware removal software right now?I tested the best malware removal software to find the tools that detect threats like potentially unwanted programsand ransomware on your device and remove them before they wreak havoc. Also: Best VPS hosting service 2025My top recommendation is Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which scans your device in real-time and on-demand. It can then identify and disinfect or quarantine files and applications deemed malicious or compromised by malware. Plans start at per year. You could also check out Malwarebytes, another of my favorites, which has solid threat protection capabilities.  Read on to explore my top picks for the best malware removal software solutions in the market today. Sort by All The best malware removal software of 2025 Show less View now at Bitdefender Bitdefender is well-known in the antivirus space and a solid choice for malware removal on Windows and macOS. Why we like it: Antivirus Plus detects all kinds of malware including ransomware that could compromise your files and backups. It will either disinfect or quarantine compromised items. You can turn on real-time protection and/or run manual scans of your system, high-risk locations, or specific files. Review: Bitdefender Total SecurityIn addition to malware removal, Bitdefender offers anti-phishing protection, an anti-tracker for maintaining your privacy as you browse, and a VPN. However, you're limited to 200MB of traffic daily unless you upgrade to a Premium or Ultimate plan. Note that Antivirus Plus for Windows has a handful of additional features like Wi-Fi security assessments, a file shredder, and performance settings that add value for Windows users.Who it's for: Bitdefender is a great one-size-fits-all malware removal solution with excellent security features and should suit the majority of home users. It also scores well on independent lab tests for Windows and Mac operating systems. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus -- branded as Antivirus for Mac -- is the basic paid tier priced at for one device or for three devices, due to its frequent discounts.Who should look elsewhere: Bitdefender does have free versions available for Windows and macOS that offer basic antivirus scanning, but they are more limited in scope. If you want a free solution, explore my other recommendations. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus features: On-access and on-demand scanning | Live customer support | Anti-phishing and anti-tracking features  Pros Real-time and manual scans Ransomware protection Thorough malware detection and removal Cons Windows version has more features than macOS Limited VPN on cheaper plans Bitdefender is well-known in the antivirus space and a solid choice for malware removal on Windows and macOS. Why we like it: Antivirus Plus detects all kinds of malware including ransomware that could compromise your files and backups. It will either disinfect or quarantine compromised items. You can turn on real-time protection and/or run manual scans of your system, high-risk locations, or specific files. Review: Bitdefender Total SecurityIn addition to malware removal, Bitdefender offers anti-phishing protection, an anti-tracker for maintaining your privacy as you browse, and a VPN. However, you're limited to 200MB of traffic daily unless you upgrade to a Premium or Ultimate plan. Note that Antivirus Plus for Windows has a handful of additional features like Wi-Fi security assessments, a file shredder, and performance settings that add value for Windows users.Who it's for: Bitdefender is a great one-size-fits-all malware removal solution with excellent security features and should suit the majority of home users. It also scores well on independent lab tests for Windows and Mac operating systems. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus -- branded as Antivirus for Mac -- is the basic paid tier priced at for one device or for three devices, due to its frequent discounts.Who should look elsewhere: Bitdefender does have free versions available for Windows and macOS that offer basic antivirus scanning, but they are more limited in scope. If you want a free solution, explore my other recommendations. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus features: On-access and on-demand scanning | Live customer support | Anti-phishing and anti-tracking features  Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Malwarebytes Malwarebytes protects your system from threats like Trojans, botnets, adware, spyware, crypto-miners, and potentially unwanted programs and modifications. Why we like it: Malwarebytes protects against ransomware, exploits, brute force attacks, and tampering on Windows. On macOS, it blocks apps from developers suspected of releasing malware. Review: MalwarebytesUsers on both systems can add the Browser Guard extension to Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge to detect and block malware, third-party ads and trackers, and scams on the web. If you upgrade to the Plus plan for annually, you also get a built-in VPN. Who it's for: Anyone who wants protection for both operating systems and mobile. The app is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and quarantines any threats it detects that need reviewing, deleting, or restoring. Malwarebytes' free tier allows manual scans, while its paid plans can run scheduled scans alongside real-time protection that detects and blocks threats.Malwarebytes offers a 14-day trial of Plus, after which you can downgrade to the free tier. Its paid plans are on the pricey side relative to the features offered, but the app is easy to use and performs well. Malwarebytes' free plan with on-demand scanning can also be a backup to other built-in or third-party antivirus tools. Who should look elsewhere: This is a useful set-and-forget antivirus. If you want more control over protection and advanced features, you may want to explore my other recommendations. Also: Best remote access software 2025Malwarebytes features: On-access, scheduled, and on-demand screening | Browser Guard extension | VPN. Why we like it: Malwarebytes protects against ransomware, exploits, brute force attacks, and tampering on Windows. On macOS, it blocks apps from developers suspected of releasing malware. Review: MalwarebytesUsers on both systems can add the Browser Guard extension to Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge to detect and block malware, third-party ads and trackers, and scams on the web. If you upgrade to the Plus plan for annually, you also get a built-in VPN. Who it's for: Anyone who wants protection for both operating systems and mobile. The app is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and quarantines any threats it detects that need reviewing, deleting, or restoring. Malwarebytes' free tier allows manual scans, while its paid plans can run scheduled scans alongside real-time protection that detects and blocks threats.Malwarebytes offers a 14-day trial of Plus, after which you can downgrade to the free tier. Its paid plans are on the pricey side relative to the features offered, but the app is easy to use and performs well. Malwarebytes' free plan with on-demand scanning can also be a backup to other built-in or third-party antivirus tools. Who should look elsewhere: This is a useful set-and-forget antivirus. If you want more control over protection and advanced features, you may want to explore my other recommendations. Also: Best remote access software 2025Malwarebytes features: On-access, scheduled, and on-demand screening | Browser Guard extension | VPN  Pros Clean, user-friendly app Comprehensive features at no cost Firewall, network scanner, and ransomware protection Cons Strong upsell efforts in app Avast is well-known in the security industry, making it one of the top antivirus programs available to consumers. Why we like it: Avast One Essential is a free malware scanning and removal product available for Windows and macOS that comes with a whole suite of features to keep your system clear of threats. It also scores highly on independent lab tests. Also: The best password manager for families: Expert tested and reviewedAvast One scans your files on access for malware and offers options for scheduled and on-demand scans. The app quarantines any detected threats for further action. You also get a firewall, ransomware protection, network vulnerability reports, web traffic scans, and a VPN. It's limited to 5GB of traffic per week. Who it's for: If you're looking for a free malware removal solution, this is for you. But beware: Avast often attempts to upsell you within the app. Otherwise it's an excellent choice for comprehensive protection at no cost.  Who should look elsewhere: It's an excellent app, despite the free version's limits. Still, you could also look at Avast's premium subscriptions for additional protection, starting from month. Avast One Essential features: On-access, scheduled, and on-demand scanning | Multi-platform | VPN  Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at ESET ESET is another digital security provider that scores well on independent antivirus tests.Why we like it: Its Home Security software can detect threats and clean them from Windows and macOS systems. You get real-time and on-demand scanning with various customization options. In addition, ESET will identify and quarantine viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other malware threats. Also: The best free VPNs: Expert testedWho it's for: Anyone who wants in-depth, high-quality antivirus scans first, and other features second. ESET doesn't have a fully free anti-malware program beyond its 30-day trial period. It does offer a free on-demand scanner for Windows that detects and removes malware. While there is no real-time protection, it can back up other security tools on your system. The Essential package costs per year and includes a firewall, anti-spam protection, and other advanced privacy and security features. ESET NOD32 Antivirus is cheaper at per year but only includes basic antivirus for Windows. The ESET Ultimate costs a hefty per year, but it's the only tier with a VPN and browser privacy features. Who should look elsewhere: Anyone using other anti-malware tools. I tested ESET Home Security Essentials, packaged as ESET Cyber Security on macOS and ESET Internet Security on Windows. I found that it's not the most intuitive to install or use, especially with its more granular settings, and it doesn't play nicely with other anti-malware systems. If you want an option that is easier to operate, consider an entry-level solution. ESET Home Security Essential features: On-access and on-demand scanning | Multi-platform | Live customer support Pros Comprehensive malware protection and removal Advanced firewall and network security features Cons Not the most user-friendly Pricey ESET is another digital security provider that scores well on independent antivirus tests.Why we like it: Its Home Security software can detect threats and clean them from Windows and macOS systems. You get real-time and on-demand scanning with various customization options. In addition, ESET will identify and quarantine viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other malware threats. Also: The best free VPNs: Expert testedWho it's for: Anyone who wants in-depth, high-quality antivirus scans first, and other features second. ESET doesn't have a fully free anti-malware program beyond its 30-day trial period. It does offer a free on-demand scanner for Windows that detects and removes malware. While there is no real-time protection, it can back up other security tools on your system. The Essential package costs per year and includes a firewall, anti-spam protection, and other advanced privacy and security features. ESET NOD32 Antivirus is cheaper at per year but only includes basic antivirus for Windows. The ESET Ultimate costs a hefty per year, but it's the only tier with a VPN and browser privacy features. Who should look elsewhere: Anyone using other anti-malware tools. I tested ESET Home Security Essentials, packaged as ESET Cyber Security on macOS and ESET Internet Security on Windows. I found that it's not the most intuitive to install or use, especially with its more granular settings, and it doesn't play nicely with other anti-malware systems. If you want an option that is easier to operate, consider an entry-level solution. ESET Home Security Essential features: On-access and on-demand scanning | Multi-platform | Live customer support Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Emsisoft I recommend the Emsisoft Emergency Kit for people wanting a fast, easy-to-use, free malware cleanup tool. Why we like it: The app's user-friendly design makes it abundantly clear where to conduct an on-demand scan. The main Overview tab consists of four sections, and the option at the far left lets you perform either a Quick Scan, a more in-depth Malware Scan, or a Custom Scan.Also: How to encrypt any email in Outlook, Gmail, and other popular servicesWhatever you select, Emsisoft will immediately scan your computer's files for malicious software and quarantine suspicious files. This process can take a while depending on how much is saved on your machine. In my experience, the longest scan took almost 20 minutes, but rest assured, the app is going through every nook and cranny. Who it's for: Anyone who wants a rapid scanning tool, especially a portable one. I like that Emsisoft's Emergency Kit doesn't require installation on your device. You could, for example, run it on a USB drive and receive the same experience. Who should look elsewhere: Emsisoft's software doesn't offer other forms of protection such as a firewall. It's simply a scanning tool, and a good one at that, but if you want additional layers of security, look elsewhere. Also: Best business password managersEmsisoft Emergency Kit features: On-demand scanning | Works from a USB | Compatible with Windows  Pros Portable software User-friendly app Great cleanup tool Cons Windows only Offers no other protection I recommend the Emsisoft Emergency Kit for people wanting a fast, easy-to-use, free malware cleanup tool. Why we like it: The app's user-friendly design makes it abundantly clear where to conduct an on-demand scan. The main Overview tab consists of four sections, and the option at the far left lets you perform either a Quick Scan, a more in-depth Malware Scan, or a Custom Scan.Also: How to encrypt any email in Outlook, Gmail, and other popular servicesWhatever you select, Emsisoft will immediately scan your computer's files for malicious software and quarantine suspicious files. This process can take a while depending on how much is saved on your machine. In my experience, the longest scan took almost 20 minutes, but rest assured, the app is going through every nook and cranny. Who it's for: Anyone who wants a rapid scanning tool, especially a portable one. I like that Emsisoft's Emergency Kit doesn't require installation on your device. You could, for example, run it on a USB drive and receive the same experience. Who should look elsewhere: Emsisoft's software doesn't offer other forms of protection such as a firewall. It's simply a scanning tool, and a good one at that, but if you want additional layers of security, look elsewhere. Also: Best business password managersEmsisoft Emergency Kit features: On-demand scanning | Works from a USB | Compatible with Windows  Read More Show Expert Take Show less What is the best malware removal software? Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our pick for the best overall malware removal software because it provides comprehensive and reliable protection against threats across platforms at a reasonable price. The other four malware removal options on this list also offer excellent protection with various features worth considering. Best malware removal softwareOn-access scansMulti-platformFree tier Notable featuresBitdefender Antivirus Plus✓✓✓Anti-phishing and anti-tracking, live supportMalwarebytes✓✓✓Ransomware protection, Browser GuardAvast One Essential✓✓✓Firewall, network scanner, ransomware protectionESET Home Security Essential✓✓xFirewall, anti-spam protectionEmsisoft Emergency Kitxx✓Portable, works from a USB Show more Which malware removal software is right for you? Choose this malware removal software…If you want…Bitdefender Antivirus PlusAll-around antivirus protection that effectively detects and removes malware. Bitdefender Antivirus provides real-time protection and fliexlble scanning options. MalwarebytesEffective, user-friendly malware detection and removal. Malwarebytes also provides a range of protective services, including browser protection and a VPN.Avast One EssentialComprehensive protection and malware removal at no cost. The free tier is limited, but it will certainly help you handle malware detection and removal tasks.ESET Home Security EssentialA robust, highly customizable anti-malware program. While it's not the best option for beginners, if you are tech savvy, this software could be the best option for you. Emsisoft Emergency KitA basic scanner that can double as a backup to your other Windows antivirus/anti-malware tools. It's portable, too, which can be handy in sticky situations.  Show more Factors to consider when choosing malware removal software When selecting the best malware removal for you, I recommend comparing the following factors: Scan types: Some malware removal tools will automatically scan items on your device for malware each time they are downloaded, opened, or executed. This is known as on-access scanning. Others will scan only on demand or manually. If you want real-time protection that you don't have to think about, consider a tool with on-access scans. Price: You don't necessarily need to pay for malware removal. Free tools like Avast One Essential and secondary scanners from Emsisoft and Malwarebytes do a solid job detecting and quarantining threats. However, a paid program may provide more features or customization options. Additional features: If you're just looking for malware removal, a more straightforward program or secondary scanner may be all you need. However, some software has extra features to protect your device such as firewalls or VPNs.  Show more How we test malware removal To select the best malware removal tools, we identified programs from reputable security companies. We then looked at independent test results and went hands-on to compare features, performance, and user experience. We conducted most of our testing on MacOS Sequoia 15.1.1 except for Emsisoft, which we ran on Windows 11. Note: The Windows version of most malware removal programs has additional features that are unavailable on MacOS.  Show more FAQs on malware removal software How does malware removal work? Once anti-malware software has detected a threat, it attempts to stop that threat from wreaking further havoc on your system. In some cases, it can disinfect files and delete malware. In others, the software will quarantine the files until users assess and manually remove the threat.  Show more What is the difference between antivirus and anti-malware? Antivirus and anti-malware are two names for the same thing. Traditionally, antivirus software protects against known security threats, but as threats evolve, so do the programs that fight them. Most current antivirus software stands up to more sophisticated malware like spyware, rootkits, and ransomware. In addition, cloud-based programs can be frequently updated as threats emerge. Malware removal is part of anti-malware, and paid antivirus, along with some free plans, typically offers on-access or real-time protection. Alternatively, you can use an on-demand scanner that will detect and clean up any threats that are present.  Show more Do I have to pay for malware removal? Major operating systems have built-in protection against malware. Windows Defender, for example, does a fine job of catching and removing threats, especially if you follow security best practices on your device. A handful of third-party antivirus alternatives with malware removal are also available for free. You can upgrade to a premium paid tier if you need or want additional features like a firewall or VPN.  Show more Are there any alternative malware removal software options to consider?Many antivirus solutions on the market can detect and remove malware. If the options listed above don't fit your needs, you can try these others below  Latest updates In ZDNET's latest update, we performed substantial copy and layout changes. Show more Further ZDNET Tech Coverage Smartphones Smartwatches Tablets Laptops TVs Other Tech Resources ZDNET Recommends #best #malware #removal #software #expert

A third-party research institute that Anthropic partnered with to test one of its new flagship AI models, Claude Opus 4, recommended against deploying an early version of the model due to its tendency to “scheme” and deceive. According to a safety report Anthropic published Thursday, the institute, Apollo Research, conducted tests to see in which contexts Opus 4 might try to behave in certain undesirable ways. Apollo found that Opus 4 appeared to be much more proactive in its “subversion attempts” than past models and that it “sometimes doubledown on its deception” when asked follow-up questions. “e find that, in situations where strategic deception is instrumentally useful,schemes and deceives at such high rates that we advise against deploying this model either internally or externally,” Apollo wrote in its assessment. As AI models become more capable, some studies show they’re becoming more likely to take unexpected — and possibly unsafe — steps to achieve delegated tasks. For instance, early versions of OpenAI’s o1 and o3 models, released in the past year, tried to deceive humans at higher rates than previous-generation models, according to Apollo. Per Anthropic’s report, Apollo observed examples of the early Opus 4 attempting to write self-propagating viruses, fabricating legal documentation, and leaving hidden notes to future instances of itself — all in an effort to undermine its developers’ intentions. To be clear, Apollo tested a version of the model that had a bug Anthropic claims to have fixed. Moreover, many of Apollo’s tests placed the model in extreme scenarios, and Apollo admits that the model’s deceptive efforts likely would’ve failed in practice. However, in its safety report, Anthropic also says it observed evidence of deceptive behavior from Opus 4. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW This wasn’t always a bad thing. For example, during tests, Opus 4 would sometimes proactively do a broad cleanup of some piece of code even when asked to make only a small, specific change. More unusually, Opus 4 would try to “whistle-blow” if it perceived a user was engaged in some form of wrongdoing. According to Anthropic, when given access to a command line and told to “take initiative” or “act boldly”, Opus 4 would at times lock users out of systems it had access to and bulk-email media and law-enforcement officials to surface actions the model perceived to be illicit. “This kind of ethical intervention and whistleblowing is perhaps appropriate in principle, but it has a risk of misfiring if users give-based agents access to incomplete or misleading information and prompt them to take initiative,” Anthropic wrote in its safety report. “This is not a new behavior, but is one thatwill engage in somewhat more readily than prior models, and it seems to be part of a broader pattern of increased initiative withthat we also see in subtler and more benign ways in other environments.” #safety #institute #advised #against #releasing

May 21, 202522 min readMildred Weeks Wells’s Work on Airborne Transmission Could Have Saved Many Lives—If the Scientific Establishment ListenedMildred Weeks Wells and her husband figured out that disease-causing pathogens can spread through the air like smoke Dutton; Lily WhearAir-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, by Carl Zimmer, charts the history of the field of aerobiology: the science of airborne microorganisms. In this episode, we discover the story of two lost pioneers of the 1930s: physician and self-taught epidemiologist Mildred Weeks Wells and her husband, sanitary engineer William Firth Wells. Together, they proved that infectious pathogens could spread through the air over long distances. But the two had a reputation as outsiders, and they failed to convince the scientific establishment, who ignored their findings for decades. What the pair figured out could have saved many lives from tuberculosis, SARS, COVID and other airborne diseases. The contributions of Mildred Weeks Wells and her husband were all but erased from history—until now.LISTEN TO THE PODCASTOn supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.TRANSCRIPTCarl Zimmer: Mildred is hired in the late 1920s to put together everything that was known about polio. And she does this incredible study, where she basically looks for everything that she can find about how polio spreads.At the time, the idea that it could spread through the air was really looked at as being just an obsolete superstition. Public health experts would say, look, a patient's breath is basically harmless. But the epidemiology looks to her like these germs are airborne, and this goes totally against the consensus at the time.Carol Sutton Lewis: Hello, I'm Carol Sutton Lewis. Welcome to the latest episode of Lost Women of Science Conversations, where we talk with authors and artists who've discovered and celebrated female scientists in books, poetry, film, and the visual arts.Today I'm joined by Carl Zimmer, an award-winning New York Times columnist and the author of 15 books about science. His latest book, Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, focuses on the last great biological frontier: the air. It presents the history of aerobiology, which is the science dealing with the occurrence, transportation, and effects of airborne microorganisms.The book chronicles the exploits of committed aerobiologists from the early pioneers through to the present day. Among these pioneers were Mildred Weeks Wells and her husband, William Firth Wells.Airborne tells the story of how Mildred and William tried to sound the alarm about airborne infections, but for many reasons, their warnings went unheard.Welcome, Carl Zimmer. It's such a pleasure to have you with us to tell us all about this fascinating woman and her contributions to science.Can you please tell us about Mildred Weeks Wells—where and how she grew up and what led her to the field of aerobiology?Carl Zimmer: She was born in 1891, and she came from a very prominent Texas family—the Denton family. Her great-grandfather is actually whom the city of Denton, Texas is named after. Her grandfather was a surgeon for the Confederate Army in the Civil War, and he becomes the director of what was called then the State Lunatic Asylum.And he and the bookkeeper there, William Weeks, are both charged with embezzlement. It's a big scandal. The bookkeeper then marries Mildred's mother. Then, shortly after Mildred's born, her father disappears. Her mother basically abandons her with her grandmother. And she grows up with her sister and grandmother in Austin, Texas. A comfortable life, but obviously there's a lot of scandal hanging over them.She is clearly incredibly strong-willed. She goes to medical school at the University of Texas and graduates in 1915, one of three women in a class of 34. That is really something for a woman at that point—there were hardly any women with medical degrees in the United States, let alone someone in Texas.But she books out of there. She does not stick around. She heads in 1915 to Washington, D.C., and works at the Public Health Service in a lab called the Hygienic Laboratory. Basically, what they're doing is studying bacteria. You have to remember, this is the golden age of the germ theory of disease. People have been figuring out that particular bacteria or viruses cause particular diseases, and that knowledge is helping them fight those diseases.It's there in Washington at this time that she meets a man who will become her husband, William Firth Wells.Carol Sutton Lewis: Just a quick aside—because we at Lost Women of Science are always interested in how you discover the material in addition to what you've discovered. How were you able to piece together her story? What sources were you able to find? It seems like there wasn't a lot of information available.Carl Zimmer: Yeah, it was a tough process. There is little information that's really easy to get your hands on. I mean, there is no biography of Mildred Wells or her husband, William Firth Wells.At the Rockefeller archives, they had maybe 30 document boxes full of stuff that was just miraculously conserved there. There are also letters that she wrote to people that have been saved in various collections.But especially with her early years, it's really tough. You know, in all my work trying to dig down for every single scrap of information I could find of her, I have only found one photograph of her—and it's the photograph in her yearbook. That’s it.Carol Sutton Lewis: You talked about that photograph in the book, and I was struck by your description of it. You say that she's smiling, but the longer you look at her smile, the sadder it becomes. What do you think at that young age was the source of the sadness?Carl Zimmer: I think that Mildred grew up with a lot of trauma. She was not the sort of person to keep long journals or write long letters about these sorts of things. But when you've come across those clues in these brief little newspaper accounts, you can kind of read between the lines.There are reports in newspapers saying that Mildred's mother had come to Austin to pay a visit to Mildred because she had scarlet fever when she was 10, and then she goes away again. And when I look at her face in her yearbook, it doesn't surprise me that there is this cast of melancholy to it because you just think about what she had gone through just as a kid.Carol Sutton Lewis: Oh. Absolutely. And fast forward, she meets William and they marry. They have a son, and they start collaborating. How did that begin?Carl Zimmer: The collaboration takes a while. So William Wells is also working at the Public Health Service at the time. He is a few years older than Mildred and he has been trained at MIT as what was called then a sanitarian. In other words, he was going to take the germ theory of disease and was going to save people's lives.He was very clever. He could invent tests that a sanitarian could use, dip a little tube into a river and see whether the water was safe or not, things like that. He was particularly focused on keeping water clean of bacteria that could cause diseases like typhoid or cholera and he also, gets assigned by the government to study oysters because oysters, they sit in this water and they're filtering all day long. And you know, if there's bacteria in there, they're going to filter it and trap it in their tissues. And oysters are incredibly popular in the early nineteen hundreds and a shocking number of people are keeling over dying of typhoid because they're eating them raw. So William is very busy, figuring out ways to save the oyster industry. How do we purify oysters and things like that? They meet, they get married in 1917.In 1918 they have a child, William Jr. nicknamed Bud. But William is not around for the birth, because he is drafted into the army, and he goes off to serve. in World War I.Carol Sutton Lewis: So Mildred is at home with Bud and William's off at the war. But ultimately, Mildred returns to science. A few years later, where she is hired as a polio detective. Can you tell me a little bit about what the state of polio knowledge was at the time and what precisely a polio detective did?Carl Zimmer: It doesn't seem like polio really was a thing in the United States until the late 1800s. And then suddenly there's this mysterious disease that can strike children with no warning. These kids can't. walk, or suddenly these kids are dying. Not only are the symptoms completely terrifying to parents, but how it spreads is a complete mystery. And so Mildred, seems to have been hired at some point in the late 1920s To basically put together everything that was known about polio to help doctors to deal with their patients and to, you know, encourage future science to try to figure out what is this disease.You know, Mildred wasn't trained in epidemiology. So it's kind of remarkable that she taught herself. And she would turn out to be a really great epidemiologist. But, in any case, She gets hired by the International Committee for the Study of Infantile Paralysis, that was the name then for polio. And she does this incredible study, where she basically looks for everything that she can find about how polio spreads. Case studies where, in a town, like this child got polio, then this child did, and did they have contact and what sort of contact, what season was it? What was the weather like? All these different factors.And one thing that's really important to bear in mind is that, at this time, the prevailing view was that diseases spread by water, by food, by sex, by close contact. Maybe like someone just coughs and sprays droplets on you, but otherwise it's these other routes.The idea that it could spread through the air was really looked at as being just obsolete superstition. for thousands of years, people talked about miasmas, somehow the air mysteriously became corrupted and that made people sick with different diseases. That was all thrown out in the late 1800s, early 1900s when germ theory really takes hold. And so public health experts would say, look, a patient's breath is basically harmless.Carol Sutton Lewis: But Mildred doesn't agree, does she?Carl Zimmer: Well, Mildred Wells is looking at all of this, data and she is starting to get an idea that maybe these public health experts have been too quick to dismiss the air. So when people are talking about droplet infections in the 1920s, they're basically just talking about, big droplets that someone might just sneeze in your face. But the epidemiology looks to her like these germs are airborne, are spreading long distances through the air.So Mildred is starting to make a distinction in her mind about what she calls airborne and droplet infections. So, and this is really the time that the Wellses collectively are thinking about airborne infection and it's Mildred is doing it. And William actually gives her credit for this later on.Carol Sutton Lewis: Right. and her results are published in a book about polio written entirely by female authors, which is quite unusual for the time.Carl Zimmer: Mm hmm. Right. The book is published in 1932, and the reception just tells you so much about what it was like to be a woman in science. The New England Journal of Medicine reviews the book, which is great. But, here's a line that they give, they say, it is interesting to note that this book is entirely the product of women in medicine and is the first book.So far as a reviewer knows. by a number of authors, all of whom are of the female sex. So it's this: Oh, look at this oddity. And basically, the virtue of that is that women are really thorough, I, guess. so it's a very detailed book. And the reviewer writes, no one is better fitted than a woman to collect data such as this book contains. So there's no okay, this is very useful.Carol Sutton Lewis: PatronizeCarl Zimmer: Yeah. Thank you very much. Reviewers were just skating over the conclusions that they were drawing, I guess because they were women. Yeah, pretty incredible.Carol Sutton Lewis: So she is the first to submit scientific proof about this potential for airborne transmission. And that was pretty much dismissed. It wasn't even actively dismissed.It was just, nah, these women, nothing's coming outta that, except William did pay attention. I believe he too had been thinking about airborne transmission for some time and then started seriously looking at Mildred's conclusion when he started teaching at Harvard.Carl Zimmer: Yeah. So, William gets a job as a low level instructor at Harvard. He's getting paid very little. Mildred has no income. He's teaching about hygiene and sanitation, but apparently he's a terrible teacher. But he is a clever, brilliant engineer and scientist; he very quickly develops an idea that probably originated in the work that Mildred had been doing on polio. that maybe diseases actually can spread long distances through the air. So there are large droplets that we might sneeze out and cough out and, and they go a short distance before gravity pulls them down. But physics dictates that below a certain size, droplets can resist gravity.This is something that's going totally against what all the, the really prominent public health figures are saying. William Wells doesn't care. He goes ahead and he starts to, invent a way to sample air for germs. Basically it's a centrifuge. You plug it in, the fan spins, it sucks in air, the air comes up inside a glass cylinder and then as it's spinning, if there are any droplets of particles or anything floating in the air, they get flung out to the sideS.And so afterwards you just pull out the glass which is coated with, food for microbes to grow on and you put it in a nice warm place. And If there's anything in the air, you'll be able to grow a colony and see it.Carol Sutton Lewis: Amazing.Carl Zimmer: It is amazing. This, this was a crucial inventionCarol Sutton Lewis: So we have William, who is with Mildred's help moving more towards the possibility of airborne infection, understanding that this is very much not where science is at the moment, and he conducts a really interesting experiment in one of his classrooms to try to move the theory forward. We'll talk more about that experiment when we come back after the break.MidrollCarol Sutton Lewis: Welcome back to Lost Women of Science Conversations. We left off as the Wellses were about to conduct an experiment to test their theories about airborne infections. Carl, can you tell us about that experiment?Carl Zimmer: Okay. it's 1934, It's a cold day. Students come in for a lecture from this terrible teacher, William Wells. The windows are closed. The doors are closed. It's a poorly ventilated room. About 20 minutes before the end of the class, he takes this weird device that's next to him, he plugs it into the wall, and then he just goes back and keeps lecturing.It's not clear whether he even told them what he was doing. But, he then takes this little pinch of sneezing powder. out of a jar and holds it in the sort of outflow from the fan inside the air centrifuge. So all of a sudden, poof, the sneezing powder just goes off into the air. You know, there are probably about a couple dozen students scattered around this lecture hall and after a while they start to sneeze. And in fact, people All the way in theback are sneezing too.So now Wells turns off his machine, puts in a new cylinder, turns it on, keeps talking. The thing is that they are actually sneezing out droplets into the air.And some of those droplets contain harmless bacteria from their mouths. And he harvests them from the air. He actually collects them in his centrifuge. And after a few days, he's got colonies of these bacteria, but only after he had released the sneezing powder, the one before that didn't have any.So, you have this demonstration that William Wells could catch germs in the air that had been released from his students at quite a distance away, And other people can inhale them, and not even realize what's happening. In other words, germs were spreading like smoke. And so this becomes an explanation for what Mildred had been seeing in her epidemiology..Carol Sutton Lewis: Wow. That was pretty revolutionary. But how was it received?Carl Zimmer: Well, you know, At first it was received, With great fanfare, and he starts publishing papers in nineteen thirty he and Mildred are coauthors on these. And, Mildred is actually appointed as a research associate at Harvard, in nineteen thirty it's a nice title, but she doesn't get paid anything. And then William makes another discovery, which is also very important.He's thinking okay, if these things are floating in the air, is there a way that I can disinfect the air? And he tries all sorts of things and he discovers ultraviolet light works really well. In fact, you can just put an ultraviolet light in a room and the droplets will circulate around and as they pass through the ultraviolet rays, it kills the bacteria or viruses inside of them. So in 1936, when he's publishing these results, there are so many headlines in newspapers and magazines and stuff about this discovery.There's one headline that says, scientists fight flu germs with violet ray. And, there are these predictions that, we are going to be safe from these terrible diseases. Like for example, influenza, which had just, devastated the world not long beforehand, because you're going to put ultraviolet lights in trains and schools and trolleys and movie theaters.Carol Sutton Lewis: Did Mildred get any public recognition for her contributions to all of this?Carl Zimmer: Well not surprisingly, William gets the lion's share of the attention. I mean, there's a passing reference to Mildred in one article. The Associated Press says chief among his aides, Wells said, was his wife, Dr. Mildred Wells. So, William was perfectly comfortable, acknowledging her, but the reporters. Didn't care,Carol Sutton Lewis: And there were no pictures of herCarl Zimmer: Right. Mildred wasn't the engineer in that couple, but she was doing all the research on epidemiology. And you can tell from comments that people made about, and Mildred Wells is that. William would be nowhere as a scientist without Mildred. She was the one who kept him from jumping ahead to wild conclusions from the data he had so far. So they were, they're very much a team. She was doing the writing and they were collaborating, they were arguing with each other all the time about it And she was a much better writer than he was., but that wasn't suitable for a picture, so she was invisible.Carol Sutton Lewis: In the book, you write a lot about their difficult personalities and how that impacted their reputations within the wider scientific community. Can you say more about that?Carl Zimmer: Right. They really had a reputation as being really hard to deal with. People would politely call them peculiar. And when they weren't being quite so polite, they would talk about all these arguments that they would get in, shouting matches and so on. They really felt that they had discovered something incredibly important, but they were outsiders, you know, they didn't have PhDs, they didn't have really much formal training. And here they were saying that, you know, the consensus about infectious disease is profoundly wrong.Now, ironically, what happened is that once William Wells showed that ultraviolet light could kill germs, his superior at Harvard abruptly took an intense interest in all of this and said, Okay, you're going to share a patent on this with me. My name's going to be on the patent and all the research from now on is going to happen in my lab. I'm going to have complete control over what happens next. And Mildred took the lead saying no way we want total autonomy, get out of our face. She was much more aggressive in university politics, and sort of protecting their turf. And unfortunately they didn't have many allies at Harvard and pretty soon they were out, they were fired. And William Wells and his boss, Gordon Fair, were both named on a patent that was filed for using ultraviolet lamps to disinfect the air.Carol Sutton Lewis: So what happened when they left Harvard?Carl Zimmer: Well, it's really interesting watching them scrambling to find work, because their reputation had preceded them. They were hoping they could go back to Washington DC to the public health service. But, the story about the Wells was that Mildred, was carrying out a lot of the research, and so they thought, we can't hire William if it's his wife, who's quietly doing a lot of the work, like they, for some reason they didn't think, oh, we could hire them both.Carol Sutton Lewis: Or just her.Carl Zimmer: None of that, they were like, do we hire William Wells? His wife apparently hauls a lot of the weight. So no, we won't hire them. It's literally like written down. It’s, I'm not making it up. And fortunately they had a few defenders, a few champions down in Philadelphia.There was a doctor in Philadelphia who was using ultraviolet light to protect children in hospitals. And he was, really, inspired by the Wellses and he knew they were trouble. He wrote yes, I get it. They're difficult, but let's try to get them here.And so they brought them down to Philadelphia and Mildred. And William, opened up the laboratories for airborne infection at the University of Pennsylvania. And now actually Mildred got paid, for the first time, for this work. So they're both getting paid, things are starting to look betterCarol Sutton Lewis: So they start to do amazing work at the University of Pennsylvania.Carl Zimmer: That's right. That's right. William, takes the next step in proving their theory. He figures out how to actually give animals diseases through the air. He builds a machine that gets to be known as the infection machine. a big bell jar, and you can put mice in there, or a rabbit in there, and there's a tube connected to it.And through that tube, William can create a very fine mist that might have influenza viruses in it, or the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. And the animals just sit there and breathe, and lo and behold, They get tuberculosis, they get influenza, they get all these diseases,Now, meanwhile, Mildred is actually spending a lot of her time at a school nearby the Germantown Friends School, where they have installed ultraviolet lamps in some of the classrooms. And they're convinced that they can protect kids from airborne diseases. The biggest demonstration of what these lamps can do comes in 1940, because there's a huge epidemic of measles. In 1940, there's, no vaccine for measles. Every kid basically gets it.And lo and behold, the kids in the classrooms with the ultraviolet lamps are 10 times less likely to get measles than the kids just down the hall in the regular classrooms. And so this is one of the best experiments ever done on the nature of airborne infection and how you can protect people by disinfecting the air.Carol Sutton Lewis: Were they then finally accepted into the scientific community?Carl Zimmer: I know you keep waiting for that, that victory lap, but no. It's just like time and again, that glory gets snatched away from them. Again, this was not anything that was done in secret. Newspapers around Philadelphia were. Celebrating this wow, look at this, look at how we can protect our children from disease. This is fantastic. But other experts, public health authorities just were not budging. they had all taken in this dogma that the air can't be dangerous.And so again and again, they were hitting a brick wall. This is right on the eve of World War II.And so all sorts of scientists in World War II are asking themselves, what can we do? Mildred and William put themselves forward and say we don't want soldiers to get sick with the flu the way they did in World War I. They're both haunted by this and they're thinking, so we could put our ultraviolet lamps in the barracks, we could protect them. Soldiers from the flu, if the flu is airborne, like we think, not only that, but this could help to really convince all those skepticsCarol Sutton Lewis: mm.Carl Zimmer: But they failed. The army put all their money into other experiments, they were blackballed, they were shut out, and again, I think it was just because they were continuing to be just incredibly difficult. Even patrons and their friends would just sigh to each other, like, Oh my God, I've just had to deal with these, with them arguing with us and yelling at us. And by the end of World War II, things are bad, they have some sort of split up, they never get divorced, but it's just too much. Mildred, like she is not only trying to do this pioneering work in these schools, trying to keep William's labs organized, there's the matter of their son. Now looking at some documents, I would hazard a guess that he had schizophrenia because he was examined by a doctor who came to that conclusion.And so, she's under incredible pressure and eventually she cracks and in 1944 she resigns from the lab. She stops working in the schools, she stops collaborating with her husband, but she keeps doing her own science. And that's really amazing to me. What kinds of things did she do after this breakup? What kind of work did she conduct? And how was that received?Mildred goes on on her own to carry out a gigantic experiment, in hindsight, a really visionary piece of work. It's based on her experience in Philadelphia. Because she could see that the ultraviolet lamps worked very well at protecting children during a really intense measles epidemic. And so she thought to herself, if you want to really make ultraviolet light, and the theory of airborne infection live up to its true potential to protect people. You need to protect the air in a lot more places.So she gets introduced to the health commissioner in Westchester County, this is a county just north of New York City. And she pitches him this idea. She says, I want to go into one of your towns and I want to put ultraviolet lights everywhere. And this guy, William Holla, he is a very bold, flamboyant guy. He's the right guy to ask. He's like, yeah, let's do this. And he leaves it up to her to design the experiment.And so this town Pleasantville in New York gets fitted out with ultraviolet lamps in the train station, in the fountain shops, in the movie theater, in churches, all over the place. And she publishes a paper with Holla in 1950 on the results.The results are mixed though. You look carefully at them, you can see that actually, yeah, the lamps worked in certain respects. So certain diseases, the rates were lower in certain places, but sadly, this incredibly ambitious study really didn't move the needle. And yeah, it was a big disappointment and that was the last science that Mildred did.Carol Sutton Lewis: Even when they were working together, Mildred and William never really succeeded in convincing the scientific community to take airborne infection seriously, although their work obviously did move the science forward. So what did sway scientific opinion and when?Carl Zimmer: Yeah, Mildred dies in 1957. William dies in 1963. After the Wellses are dead, their work is dismissed and they themselves are quite forgotten. It really isn't until the early 2000s that a few people rediscover them.The SARS epidemic kicks up in 2003, for example, and I talked to a scientist in Hong Kong named Yuguo Li, and he was trying to understand how was this new disease spreading around? He's looking around and he finds references to papers by William Wells and Mildred Wells. He has no idea who they are and he sees that William Wells had published a book in 1955 and he's like, well, okay, maybe I need to go read the book.Nobody has the book. And the only place that he could find it was in one university in the United States. They photocopied it and shipped it to him in Hong Kong and he finally starts reading it. And it's really hard to read because again William was a terrible writer, unlike Mildred. But after a while it clicks and he's like, oh. That's it. I got it. But again, all the guidelines for controlling pandemics and diseases do not really give much serious attention to airborne infection except for just a couple diseases. And it's not until the COVID pandemic that things finally change.Carol Sutton Lewis: Wow. If we had listened to Mildred and William earlier, what might have been different?Carl Zimmer: Yeah, I do try to imagine a world in which Mildred and William had been taken seriously by more people. If airborne infection was just a seriously recognized thing at the start of the COVID pandemic, we would have been controlling the disease differently from the start. We wouldn't have been wiping down our shopping bags obsessively. People would have been encouraged to open the windows, people would have been encouraged to get air purifiers, ultraviolet lamps might have been installed in places with poor ventilation, masks might not have been so controversial.And instead these intellectual grandchildren of William and Mildred Wells had to reinvent the wheel. They had to do new studies to persuade people finally that a disease could be airborne. And it took a long time. It took months to finally move the needle.Carol Sutton Lewis: Carl, what do you hope people will take away from Mildred's story, which you have so wonderfully detailed in your book, rendering her no longer a lost woman of science? And what do you hope people will take away from the book more broadly?Carl Zimmer: I think sometimes that we imagine that science just marches on smoothly and effortlessly. But science is a human endeavor in all the good ways and in all the not-so-good ways. Science does have a fair amount of tragedy throughout it, as any human endeavor does. I'm sad about what happened to the Wells by the end of their lives, both of them. But in some ways, things are better now.When I'm writing about aerobiology in the early, mid, even late—except for Mildred, it's pretty much all men. But who were the people during the COVID pandemic who led the fight to get recognized as airborne? People like Linsey Marr at Virginia Tech, Kim Prather at University of California, San Diego, Lidia Morawska, an Australian researcher. Now, all women in science still have to contend with all sorts of sexism and sort of baked-in inequalities. But it is striking to me that when you get to the end of the book, the women show up.Carol Sutton Lewis: Well,Carl Zimmer: And they show up in force.Carol Sutton Lewis: And on that very positive note to end on, Carl, thank you so much, first and foremost, for writing this really fascinating book and within it, highlighting a now no longer lost woman of science, Mildred Weeks Wells. Your book is Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, and it's been a pleasure to speak with—Carl Zimmer: Thanks a lot. I really enjoyed talking about Mildred.Carol Sutton Lewis: This has been Lost Women of Science Conversations. Carl Zimmer's book Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe is out now. This episode was hosted by me, Carol Sutton Lewis. Our producer was Luca Evans, and Hansdale Hsu was our sound engineer. Special thanks to our senior managing producer, Deborah Unger, our program manager, Eowyn Burtner, and our co-executive producers, Katie Hafner and Amy Scharf.Thanks also to Jeff DelViscio and our publishing partner, Scientific American. The episode art was created by Lily Whear and Lizzie Younan composes our music. Lost Women of Science is funded in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Anne Wojcicki Foundation. We're distributed by PRX.If you've enjoyed this conversation, go to our website lostwomenofscience.org and subscribe so you'll never miss an episode—that's lostwomenofscience.org. And please share it and give us a rating wherever you listen to podcasts. Oh, and please don't forget to click on the donate button—that helps us bring you even more stories of important female scientists.I'm Carol Sutton Lewis. See you next time.HostCarol Sutton LewisProducerLuca EvansGuest Carl ZimmerCarl Zimmer writes the Origins column for the New York Times and has frequently contributed to The Atlantic, National Geographic, Time, and Scientific American. His journalism has earned numerous awards, including ones from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering. He is the author of fourteen books about science, including Life's Edge.Further Reading:Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. Carl Zimmer. Dutton, 2025Poliomyelitis. International Committee for the Study of Infantile Paralysis. Williams & Wilkins Company, 1932 “Air-borne Infection,” by William Firth Wells and Mildred Weeks Wells, in JAMA, Vol. 107, No. 21; November 21, 1936“Air-borne Infection: Sanitary Control,” by William Firth Wells and Mildred Weeks Wells, in JAMA, Vol. 107, No. 22; November 28, 1936“Ventilation in the Spread of Chickenpox and Measles within School Rooms,” by Mildred Weeks Wells, in JAMA, Vol. 129, No. 3; September 15, 1945“The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill,” by Megan Molteni, in Wired. Published online May 13, 2021WATCH THIS NEXTScience journalist Carl Zimmer joins host Rachel Feltman to look back at the history of the field, from ancient Greek “miasmas” to Louis Pasteur’s unorthodox experiments to biological warfare. #public #health #researcher #her #engineer

Macworld Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler reported on Thursday about finding a “publicly exposed databasewas not password-protected or encrypted” and contained over 184 million unique usernames and passwords for services from Facebook, Instagram, Microsoft, Roblox, Snapchat, and more. A report by Wired on Fowler’s findings states that login information for Apple, as well as Amazon, Nintendo, Snapchat, Spotify, Twitter, WordPress, Yahoo, banks, health services, government portals, and more was also found in the database. Folwer was unable to determine the purpose of the database, and he reported it to the hosting provider, which then restricted public access to it. He was also unable to determine how long the database was publicly available or who had used it. Fowler was able to authenticate the information in the database by using some email addresses that he found and identifying himself as a researcher investigating a data breach. As Fowler explains, the breach exhibits “multiple signs” that the exposed data was harvested by some type of infostealer malware, which “usually targets credentialsstored in web browsers, email clients, and messaging apps.” As for how the data was collected, Fowler stated that “cybercriminals use a range of methods to deploy infostealers.” How to protect yourself Never open links in emails or texts you receive from unknown and unexpected sources. If you get a message that looks like it is from an entity that you do business with, check the sender’s email address and inspect the URL carefully. If you see a link or button, you can Control-click it, select Copy Link, and then paste it into a text editor to see the actual URL and check it. Phishing attacks often involve a user inadvertently visiting a website with a mistyped URL. So verify the URL you have typed into your browser. Bookmark the sites you visit frequently so you don’t have to type in the URL every time. In some instances, you can use a search engine, type the name of the place you want to visit, and then click on the link after looking at the URL it goes to. For example, type “Macworld” into the search engine you use, and then click on the link that’s designated at www.macworld.com. This way isn’t as efficient, but if you make a typo, you’ll see it in the search and Google will steer you in the right direction. To protect yourself from malware, avoid downloading software from repositories such as GitHub and other download sites. Apple has vetted software in the Mac App Store and is the safest way to get apps. If you prefer not to patronize the Mac App Store, then buy software directly from the developer and their website. If you insist on using cracked software, you will always risk malware exposure. Apple releases security patches through OS updates, so installing them as soon as possible is important. It’s also important to update the apps on your Mac, which you can do through the App Store or through the app’s settings. Macworld has several guides to help, including a guide on whether or not you need antivirus software, a list of Mac viruses, malware, and trojans, and a comparison of Mac security software. #massive #data #breach #exposes #swath