Why we need more death rays
Plus: It's my lucky week! (#544)
This is David, your friendly guide to the world wild web, and 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'm here to help you make sense of what’s happening, and imagine what could be. It's great to have you.
1. The death rays that guard life
Longtime readers know of my favourite nerdy subgenre: the in-depth profile of stuff our modern world runs on. Sometimes, that stuff is invisible. Like the air we breathe, and ultraviolet light that we can use to disinfect it. This profile ends with a thought-provoking question: We transformed public health by doing everything we can to guarantee clean water. We have the means to do the same with air. So how come – even after the coronavirus pandemic – clean air isn't as universal and expected as clean water?
wip-admin
Collection: The Stuff Our Modern World Runs On.
2. How to live a life that actually matters
The essence of Rutger Bregman's new book, and the movement he has started – The School of Moral Ambition – in one extremely well-produced 20-minute video.
3. The rise and rise of Zohran Mamdani
A 33-year-old Muslim born in Uganda will most likely become the next mayor of New York City. With everything that's going terribly wrong in the US right now, it's important to not forget that other things are happening as well. Good profile from the New Statesman.
Ross Barkan
4. The Obituary
A gripping, maddening podcast episode. The story of how anti-vax conspiracy theorists terrorise a man who just lost his pregnant wife – all because of two innocuous words in her obituary.
5. Why randomized controlled trials matter and the procedures that strengthen them
It's my lucky week, with another exhibit from my favourite nerdy subgenre, the in-depth profile of stuff our modern world runs on. Another invisible one, a scientific method. Randomised controlled trials help us establish cause and effect. They let us figure out whether a drug or a treatment works – and how well. Discovering what works can save lives. But just as important is determining what doesn't work – the piece highlights how we've gotten better at the latter.
By: Saloni Dattani
What else?
Instant-gratification links that make you go wow! or aha! the moment you click.
- Bo Burnham has a question.
- Fascinating: Bird Migration Explorer.
- The largest national park in the European Union is located in...?
- I could use that: «Shazam but for the name of the person who literally just introduced themself to me»
- Damn photogenic birds.
- New game from Neal.fun: Increasingly annoying prompts to prove that you're not a robot.
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.
The FT business book of the year is always a safe pick. This from 2021 is no exception. A tour de force, and an alarming view into things to come. Buy it here.
A gem from the archive
David Bauer
The Weekly Filet archive offers more than 2500 hand-picked links since 2011, like this one. You can search by interests, explore collections or shuffle for a gem.
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!
— David
Little useful apps from me, for you
📊 Dataguessr, a playful way to update your knowledge of the world. 🌍 You Don't Know Africa, a simple game that has already humbled millions of people. 💯 Choose Impact, an online tool to compare job opportunities. 🧭 Priority Compass, a tool for individuals, teams and organisations to focus your energy on what really matters. 🪄 How I Use AI, a collection of use cases, ready to use and adapt. 💬 Climate Questions, a playful conversation starter. And ⏱️ One Minute Challenge, a little meaningful distraction to refocus.
More ways to learn and take inspiration from
Check my 📚 digital bookshelf, with sections of 🌡️ books that help you make sense of the climate crisis, ⛵ books that make you a better product manager, 🪄 books that help you make sense of AI, and 🧒 books that help you as a parent. And from collecting the best links on the web for close to 15 years, my thematic collections: The Art of Thinking (Differently), The Stuff Our Modern World Runs On, Bingeworthy Podcasts, and more.