Back from the dead đș
Plus: borrowed beats, loaned lyrics, and the little hand that is everywhere. (#524)
This is David, your reliable reminder that it's Friday, since 2011. You're reading the Weekly Filet, the newsletter for curious minds who love when something makes them go «Huh, I never thought of it this way!». As every Friday, I have some recommendations for you, to make sense of whatâs happening, and imagine what could be. It's great to have you.
1. The Dire Wolf Is Back
A fascinating longread on a genetics startup that has birthed three Dire Wolves, a species that went extinct some twelve thousand years ago (and was recently popularised by «Game of Thrones»). Well, sort of. On the science, ethics and multibillion dollar business of «de-extinction».
D. T. Max
2. Thoughts on Tariffs, Economic History, and the Market Decline
I tried (and almost succeeded) to avoid all the daily noise about tariffs this week. Instead, I listened to Morgan Housel. He offers context and a clear explanation of why tariffs are almost always bad â and terrible at the extent Trump is imposing them. All while remaining empathetic to those who are led to believe tariffs will improve their lives. Recommended.
3. The Secret History of the Manicule, the Little Hand thatâs Everywhere
They first occurred in 1479 and are now most commonly used in emoji form: little hands like đ these đ. An eye-catcher that always directs your attention to something else (see how it's impossible to properly reference them in the sentence before?). This is their story.
MessyNessy
4. How Sonic DNA Connects Generations of Music
This audiovisual essay on remixed songs is a work of art itself. It explores how beats, lyrics and melodies get copied and remixed across decades, sometimes even decades. It starts simple only to draw the 82-song family tree that resulted in Tupac's «Hit âEm Up».
The Pudding
5. Small Countries Should Not Exist
Provocative take, but he's got a point. «Most of the small states who prosper do so by [using] their right to make their own laws to convert crimes into opportunities for money laundering and tax avoidance for international companies and wealthy individuals.»
Thomas Wells
What else?
Instant-gratification links that make you go wow! or aha! the moment you click.
- Considering a new job and trying to weigh your options? I turned the framework I use into a web app for everyone to use.
- «After living for nearly 100 years on this planet...» Pretty cool way to start a documentary trailer.
- The good news: World surpasses 40% clean power in 2024, driven by a record rise solar and wind. Solar has doubled in just three years. The bad news? This.
- Food Mood â combine two cuisines into one recipe with Google AI.
- A map of what Antarctica looks like beneath the ice.
- World Press Photo, winners 2025.
- For fans of machine learning and post-rock: new EP by Random Forest.
Books for curious minds
Some new ones as I read them, some older ones that continue to inform how I look at the world and myself. More on my digital bookshelf.
Learning is one thing. Being keenly aware that most of what we learn won't be true forever is another. Also, a case against memorising: Facts you look up are more likely to be up to date than if you draw them from memory. Buy it here.
A gem from the archive
Alissa Walker
The Weekly Filet archive offers more than 2500 hand-picked links since 2011, like this one. You can search by interests, explore collections, shuffle for a gem or check out my all-time favs.
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!
â David