Weekly Filet

Make sense of what’s happening, and imagine what could be.

Carefully curated recommendations for curious minds who love when something makes them go «Huh, I never thought of it this way!».

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Nothing matters more than what you pay attention to.

Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I'm David, a journalist and a curious generalist.

The Weekly Filet is my humble part in the necessary rebellion against the enshittification of the greatest information ecosystem we've ever had.

We live in an age where trustworthy and substantial information is hard to come by.

  • Sloppy AI content is flooding the zone.
  • Autocrats and their billionaire friends attack free speech and undermine any sense of shared reality.
  • Entertainment is where the money flows, while serious news organisations and journalists struggle.

If we don't actively resist, all of this is imposed on us through hyperpersonalised, superaddictive feeds.

They are convenient. And they work so well because they show you what you already like, confirm what you already believe, and get you enraged about what you're convinced is wrong.

Real value, though, comes from things that make you pause. That invite you to take a different perspective. That make you rethink.

That pause and the brief moment of reflection is a win in itself, always. Sometimes, though, it's the seed that grows into something bigger. Changes in how you see the world and how you choose to act often start with that one irritation: Huh, I never thought of it that way!

It comes down to this: Nothing matters more than what you pay attention to. Where you invest your time, what you open your heart and your mind to.

The Weekly Filet is all about mindful attention.

To what really matters. To what truly moves you. And to people who inspire.

I will be there, by your side, trying to be a helpful guide in this endeavour.

Join the rebellion. And get your weekly dose of «Huh, I never thought of it this way!» moments.

Treasure trove

2852 recommended links since 2011

Rivers are now battlefields

A fascinating piece on the geopolitical role of river dams. You might have heard the recent news of the huge dam Ethiopia inaugurated – a dam that is of immense value to Ethiopia, but also gives them control over a significant portion of the water that flows down the Nile through Sudan and Egypt. Interestingly, when a dam is placed on an international river, there is no governing body tasked with protecting the interests of countries downstream.

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From Weekly Filet #545, in October 2025.

    Ta-Nehisi Coates on Bridging Gaps vs. Drawing Lines

    How should we think of Charlie Kirk as a political actor? How can the left win back the people they need to get back in power? When is it time to bridge gaps and when to draw lines? Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ezra Klein go into this conversation with very different views, but do a great job of listening to one another and trying to use their differences to find more clarity.

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    From Weekly Filet #545, in October 2025.

      Jane Goodall – Reasons For Hope

      The world has lost one of its finest. Jane Goodall has died aged 91. The ethologist best known for her work on and with primates had dedicated her life to inspiring a more harmonious, sustainable relationship between people, animals and the natural world. In her own words: «Every day you live, you make a difference. You matter. You’re here for a reason. Find the reason. And do your bit. Then, we can save the world.» Might be a good moment to watch this 2023 film about her life and work.

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      From Weekly Filet #545, in October 2025.

        700 hours of career coaching in 17 minutes

        With the subtle background music and the great recording quality, it’s almost career advice ASMR. That’s not to say you shouldn’t pay attention. I have worked with Adam over the past couple months and his coaching has been tremendously valuable to me. In this video, he distills everything into an elixir of career advice – especially for generalists, but even if you’re more the specialist type, I’m sure you’ll find something insightful for yourself, too.

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        From Weekly Filet #545, in October 2025.

          Tim Berners-Lee Invented the World Wide Web. Now He Wants to Save It

          «Young people don’t understand what it took to make the web. It took companies giving up their patent rights, it took individuals giving up their time and energy, it took bright people giving up their ideas for the sake of a common idea.» If you’re one of these young people and/or love the web, you should read this profile.

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          From Weekly Filet #545, in October 2025.

            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?

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            From Weekly Filet #544, in September 2025.

            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.

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            From Weekly Filet #544, in September 2025.

            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.

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            From Weekly Filet #544, in September 2025.

              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.

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              From Weekly Filet #544, in September 2025.
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