Kilauea and the implacable power of volcanic lava

PLUS: The best streaming devices for a 4K TV, the doctors who don't understand weed but recommend it anyway, and the risk of cyberattacks after the Iran deal's unraveling. [View this email in your browser]( [logo]( [[WIRED Magazine]5.11.18]( Lava is unpredictable and unyielding. It burns or buries anything in its path. And no one has figured out how to build a barrier to stop or divert the molten flow. But as destructive as lava is, volcanoes are not as deadly as other natural disasters. Earthquakes, for example, have killed seven times as many people since 1900. So maybe it's not all that surprising, as [Adam Rogers]( reports, that people choose to live in areas that are prone to [eruptions](. For one thing, shield volcanoes like Hawaii’s Kilauea tend to spew lava more slowly than stratovolcanoes like Vesuvius. [Lava is currently emerging]( from 14 fissures in Kilauea’s East Rift Zone, which also happens to be the location of a housing subdivision called Leilani Estates. So far, nearly 2,000 people have had to evacuate, and the lava has destroyed about 12 homes. But this isn’t new. Area residents have been dealing with their fiery-tempered neighbor for over 30 years. “It’s incredibly cheap to live there and it’s a very pleasant life, so it’s an acceptable risk to them,” says Michael Lindell, an emeritus environmental psychologist at Texas A&M who studies attitudes toward volcano risk. “In some respects it’s no different than people living on the Hayward fault, or on the flood plain in Houston. They know the risk is getting worse, but they keep on rebuilding.” Also: The [best streaming devices]( for a 4K TV, the doctors who don’t totally understand weed but [keep recommending it anyway]( and the heightened [risk of cyberattacks]( in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal's unraveling. Roundup Upgrading to 4K? These Are the Streaming Devices to Buy By Jeffrey Van Camp We compare the best 4K HDR TV media streaming devices from Roku, Google, Apple, and Amazon. health Lots of Doctors Recommend Weed Without Understanding It By Matt Simon Half of oncologists who recommended marijuana did so without feeling they had sufficient knowledge of the drug. cyberwar Iran Nuclear Deal's Unraveling Raises Fears of Cyberattacks By Andy Greenberg For the past three years, Iran has restrained its state-sponsored hackers from disruptive attacks on the West. That ceasefire may now be over. Ooze The Implacable Power of Volcanic Lava By Adam Rogers The Army Air Corps once even tried to stop an active volcano with bombs. No dice. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [Ad Choices]( [WIRED Magazine Subscription] Get Wired Get unlimited access to an ad-free WIRED.com + a free YubiKey. Start your free trial now. Roadbots Save Lives With Smarter, Slower Streets—Not Robocars By Aarian Marshall Self-driving cars could save lots of lives, someday. Right now, we need better street design. javascript Microsoft's Latest Excel Update Has Security Pros Anxious By Lily Hay Newman Enabling JavaScript should make Excel more powerful, but increasing access points makes it even more of a web security nightmare than it already is. Photo The Brutal Normalcy of the War on Terror By Michael Hardy Photographer Edmund Clark finds the traces of horror everywhere. spartan words Halo Online, the Fan Game That Recaptured Decade-Old Magic By Julie Muncy The game never officially came out outside of Russia, but thanks to a fan mod it boasted a massive community for years. Now it's done. Be Part Of the Discussion Join Our New Parenting Facebook Group 'Parenting In a WIRED World' is a new Facebook Group for parents to discuss how to preserve kids' mental and physical well-being, while also encouraging a healthy relationship with technology. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [AdChoices]( [WIRED Magazine]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, [wired@newsletters.wired.com]( to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2018. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.