Guest Post: The World Through Wired Eyes

If any masthead defines the culture of tech-geek-cool, it's Wired. For the savvy, info-hungry reader, Wired gives a smart, incisive take on everything . . . with an extra fleck of awesomeness.

On their website they run ever-updated news and reviews on gadgets, movies, lunch boxes, coffee mugs and politicians, separated in to blogs, fourteen in total.

About a month ago I got lucky enough (somehow) to land a spot as the current writing intern for Wired Science. If you haven't seen the site, head over. It is energetic and snappy and covers most of the breaking news stories. And you, readers of Student Voices, will like it. In addition to writing about serious subjects, some entries are simply cool and fun, needing no other justification.

My first day in the office, I was a-twitter with the jitters. What for me was a momentous day, was routine for everyone there. Interns, I gather, cycle pretty regularly through the offices — we're a cheap and eager source of labor. But for us, it's a step in the direction of our aspirations. It doesn't matter that we're a dime a dozen. It is our dime that is in the pot of change.

To my editor's credit, she gave me an easy assignment and an early deadline immediately. So, prior to lunch on my first day, I already had my first bylined piece on the site.

There is a joke among Wired Science writers that the ultimate story — primed to appeal to Wired readers — would be about robot laser sharks. Since these haven't been invented just yet (but boy oh boy wait till they are) they cover primarily new findings. In recent news "Clones of Crazy Ant Queens Fuel Global Invasion," a brief history of the book that launched the environmental movement "Silent Spring Seeks Its Voice," and (my most recent contribution) "Black Widow Spiders are Wasteful Gluttons".

It's fun to be in the offices. I'm not sure what the history of the building is, but it feels like an old converted factory or warehouse. Everyone works on a large open floor, rimmed on two sides by windows. Upon entering you are greeted by a ping-pong table in the middle of the floor; on one of the walls is a refrigerator they've converted to hold and serve kegs of beer (lovingly named "Beer Robot"). Wired.com's offices are on a separate side of the building from the magazine's side, so I can't vouch for what those look like.

The offices are constant with activity. People come in to visit. People go out to test the latest noise-canceling headphones against the street traffic. When WikiLeaks was dominating the news, TV camera crews cycled through because the folks behind Threat Level, which covers online security, privacy and crime, are considered an authority.

On the desks are rows of books, early samples sent in by the publishers or authors in the hopes of getting favorable reviews. On my desk: Head Shot, Rocket Men, The Music Instinct, How Intelligence Happens, Gallileo, Your Creative Brain, Collider and The Art of Invention. Phew!

Also at the desks, of course, are people: scanning multiple computer screens, tapping furiously at their keyboards, shouting across the room, on the phone, off the phone. The goal? To be consistently awesome. One minute they'll throw their arms up in elation, the next they'll put their head in their hands.

Essentially, when I'm at Wired, writing about science is so great and fun. Of course, science has always been great and fun, but at Wired it seems like it is even more so! The publishing world, including online publishing, is pretty high stress. But it's a thrill without a doubt.

--Danielle Venton

Image Credit: Danielle Venton (via Flickr)