Out in the desert it's hard to know when one solar panel among millions has failed. Unless you're a drone. 

5 Intriguing Things is a curated collection of links that help us think about the future. Today's edition is guest-edited by Virginia Hughes. Subscribe to the daily newsletter.

News publishers lost the homepage firehose, and gained a social media flood. It's making the news more about readers, and less about news.

Welcome to Britain's National Collection of Yeast Cultures.

Illinois recently passed a law banning plastic microbeads, often found in soap, which can slip through treatment plants and end up in waterways.

The former House speaker loves Dallas Buyers Club, fears Michael Bloomberg, and says Congress needs a total overhaul.