Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · 8d

Some incredible details in this great @wired.com story by @zeyiyang.bsky.social on the Labubu craze.

I also love the phrase 'heinous item' and plan to integrate it into my day-to-day speech

www.wired.com/story/labubu...

A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu

I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · 15d

earth.earth.earth

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Kate Knibbs @knibbs.bsky.social · 16d

popping back in from mat leave to say i profiled @katmabu.bsky.social for @wired.com and you should read it! she's running a fascinating campaign: www.wired.com/story/kat-ab...

She Fought the Far Right Online for Years. Now She Wants to Do It in Congress

Kat Abughazaleh, 26, made her name swatting down right-wing talking points on social media. Now she’s hoping internet fame can propel her to Congress.

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · 21d

I can overuse the em-dash just fine on my own thank you very much

Emily Mullin @emilymullin.bsky.social · 21d

In case you wondering, we continue to not use ChatGPT at WIRED to write our story drafts.

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 22d

Scoop: Business Insider informed its staff this week that they are allowed to use ChatGPT to generate first drafts of their stories, while also indicating the newsroom will not disclose such A.I. use to readers.

Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · 21d

Here's my @wired.com deep dive on the Enhanced Games—an Olympics where you can take drugs—from earlier this year www.wired.com/story/enhanc...

The Definitive, Insane, Swimsuit-Bursting Story of the Steroid Olympics

At first it was dismissed as a crazy joke. Making the Enhanced Games a reality needed a Peter Thiel posse, a couple of retired swimmers, some MAGA money, and a whole lot of drugs.

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · 21d

The Enhanced Games just announced its first non-swimmer – US 100m sprinter and Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley! This is... quite a big deal and is going to make a lot of people very angry

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · 23d

US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is on a crusade against weather modification—she's holding a hearing today and has been trying to get it banned.

But how does the tech actually work? Does it work at all? In 2024 I went to the UAE to find out

For @wired.com

www.wired.com/story/new-go...

Humans are Racing to Control the Weather—Using Drones, Lasers, and Salt

Desert countries like the United Arab Emirates are searching for ways to make it rain. New technologies might make this possible, but at what price?

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 29d

Like many people, I was a little obsessed with the strangeness of the Mike Lynch sinking. So we assigned the story to Bradley Hope and got the first detailed accounting from inside the boat www.wired.com/story/mike-l...

The Superyacht, the Billionaire, and a Wildly Improbable Disaster at Sea

The last night of tech mogul Mike Lynch’s life has become fodder for conspiracy theories. For the first time, the whole story can be told.

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Sep 5

Really great story!

Will Coldwell @willcoldwell.bsky.social · Sep 4

When Daniel Khalife, a British soldier accused of spying for Iran, escaped from Wandsworth Prison, he became a social media celebrity... Was he a threat to national security? Or just a mixed up kid?

My latest for GQ, a story of angst and espionage...

www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/dani...

Daniel Khalife: Fugitive, Traitor? Soldier, Spy

When Daniel Khalife, a British soldier accused of spying for Iran, escaped from Wandsworth Prison, he became a social media celebrity. But the wild true story of his arrest, escape and recapture revea...

www.gq-magazine.co.uk

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Sep 4

Our son Rayan would have turned three today.

This is something I wrote a little while ago about grief, loss, hope and all the rest of it.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Aug 8

I don't know who on Apple's autocorrect team needs to hear this, but when I write the words 'time machine' or 'quick look' I am almost never talking about one of your products—please stop trying to capitalise them

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Jul 26

"In regular life, we have never been required to distinguish between 'language' and 'thought' because only thought was capable of producing language"

www.todayintabs.com/p/we-need-to...

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Brian Barrett @brbarrett.bsky.social · Jul 23

Hi hello! I want to talk about WIRED and some of the work we’ve been doing, and what we’ve got planned for all the good, kind, discerning people (maybe you!) who subscribe. www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business | WIRED

Unlock a world of benefits, only for WIRED subscribers. | Best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore - plus gear reviews, podcasts, and more

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

WIRED @wired.com · Jul 21

Anyone know what "wellness" means anymore? From TikTok hacks to those in key US government roles using their authority to wreak havoc on the lives of Americans, WIRED decided, ye, let's dive in.

From Bryan Johnson's longevity quest to AI drugs, here is Beyond Wellness: www.wired.com/beyond-welln...

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Longreads @longreads.com · Jul 12

"Well beyond the rarefied world of polo, the match is hailed as historic. This is the first time anyone has played a polo final on six identical horses, let alone won with them." —Matt Reynolds for @wired.com

www.wired.com/story/clonin...

Cloning Came to Polo. Then Things Got Truly Uncivilized

A polo legend and a businessman joined forces to copy the player’s greatest horse. But with a single clone worth $800,000, some technologies are a breeding ground for betrayal.

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Jul 10

Make some time for this incredible @mattreynolds.bsky.social story—featuring a polo star, a Texas oilman, a Russian billionaire and a stunning betrayal. Oh, and clones!

www.wired.com/story/clonin...

Cloning Came to Polo. Then Things Got Truly Uncivilized

A polo legend and a businessman joined forces to copy the player’s greatest horse. But with a single clone worth $800,000, some technologies are a breeding ground for betrayal.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Katya Cengel @katyacengel.bsky.social · Jul 6

Fascinating feature by @amitkatwala.bsky.social on a strange subculture of sports, money and hype with a lot of colorful characters. www.wired.com/story/the-en...

The Enhanced Games Has a Date, a Host City, and a Drug-Fueled World Record

The Enhanced Games, where athletes are allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, will host its first event in May. One “enhanced” former Olympic swimmer has already broken the 50-meter freestyle re...

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Jun 20

Peter Thiel and the other billionaires behind the Enhanced Games say their ‘Olympics on steroids’ will usher in a new age of human enhancement.

But what do they really want?

New story from me for @wired.com

www.wired.com/story/enhanc...

The Definitive, Insane, Swimsuit-Bursting Story of the Steroid Olympics

At first it was dismissed as a crazy joke. Making the Enhanced Games a reality needed a Peter Thiel posse, a couple of retired swimmers, some MAGA money, and a whole lot of drugs.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Brian Barrett @brbarrett.bsky.social · Jun 18

The more I learn about the Enhanced Games the more obsessed I am with it. And this is the deepest dive yet, from @amitkatwala.bsky.social:

www.wired.com/story/enhanc...

The Definitive, Insane, Swimsuit-Bursting Story of the Steroid Olympics

At first it was dismissed as a crazy joke. Making the Enhanced Games a reality needed a Peter Thiel posse, a couple of retired swimmers, some MAGA money, and a whole lot of drugs.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Katie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · Jun 18

At first, the Enhanced Games were dismissed as a ridiculous joke. Now the Games are actually happening.

All it took was a Peter Thiel posse, a few retired swimmers, MAGA money, and a boatload of drugs.

@amitkatwala.bsky.social has all the tea in this fabulous story:

www.wired.com/story/enhanc...

The Definitive, Insane, Swimsuit-Bursting Story of the Steroid Olympics

At first it was dismissed as a crazy joke. Making the Enhanced Games a reality needed a Peter Thiel posse, a couple of retired swimmers, some MAGA money, and a whole lot of drugs.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

WIRED @wired.com · Jun 11

Ross Minor lost his eyesight at 8 years old. Today, he’s a hardcore gamer who runs YouTube and Twitch channels and consults for big studios. This is not—necessarily—an inspirational story. www.wired.com/story/ross-m...

He’s Blind. He Plays Video Games. Here’s How That Works

Ross Minor lost his eyesight at 8 years old. Today, he’s a hardcore gamer who runs YouTube and Twitch channels and consults for big studios. This is not—necessarily—an inspirational story.

www.wired.com

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Jun 10

Should padel be a universal human right

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Padel players fear lack of West Midlands courts slowing growth

They tell the BBC they need more affordable padel courts like new ones in Tipton.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Jun 9

Just nationalise it already

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Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · Jun 9

Very interesting choice of subject line from Thames Water, which was recently criticised for referring to its own senior management team as its "most precious resource" in a parliamentary hearing

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Reposted by Amit Katwala

Zachary B. Wolf @zbyronwolf.bsky.social · Jun 5

Shocked to learn, researching this story, that 2 million Americans got polygraphs from their employers until Congress largely outlawed their use in the private sector in 1988.

Still in use for government workers, however, and the Trump administration is leaning in.

www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/p...

The Trump administration revives an old intimidation tactic: the polygraph machine | CNN Politics

When President Ronald Reagan’s White House threatened thousands of government officials with polygraph exams, supposedly to protect classified data (but probably also to control press leaks), his Secr...

www.cnn.com

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