Tristan Kennedy

In an era of AI slop and mid TV, is it time for cultural snobbery to make a comeback? The lowbrow dominates culture and anyone who questions the status quo is dismissed as an elitist killjoy. But with bland algorithmic content on the rise, perhaps we consumers should start taking our a...

An eloquent call to arms from Rachel Aroesti, 💪🏼 and I’m very much here for it 🙌🏻 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Scientists Claim to Have Brought Back the Dire Wolf Startup Colossal Biosciences has edited the DNA of a gray wolf to produce what it says is a de-extincted animal. Does that make it a true dire wolf?

Whether or not it’s a “real”
Dire wolf 🐺 this is an extraordinary development that’ll boost rewilding programs everywhere…

www.wired.com/story/scient...

A few photos from the Piolet d’Or awards in San Martino di Castrozza last week - an amazing (and moving) celebration of some mind boggling climbs 🧗‍♂️🗻

What Can the World’s Top Court Do About Climate Change? The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, is beginning landmark hearings on global warming. Here’s a guide.

Must read:
The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, is beginning landmark hearings on global warming. Here’s a guide.

#climate #environment #ICJ #unitednations

Three American Climbers Solve the ‘Last Great Problem in the Himalayas’ Scaling Mount Jannu’s north face without fixed ropes or oxygen was “the greatest climb ever,” one expert said, far more difficult than reaching the summit of Everest.

Which is a shame, cos that story is a brilliant example of how to make genuinely impressive feats like that accessible to a mainstream audience www.nytimes.com/2023/12/01/u...

I’m off to cover the Piolet d’Or awards next week, and all three of the teams receiving awards (Japanese, US and Swiss) would definitely qualify. But aside from John Branch’s piece about the Americans on Jannu in the NYT I didn’t see any major news outlet coverage of any of them. 🤷‍♀️

Yeah, you're right! And it's great that visiting the poles (or indeed, climbing the Himalayas) is more accessible to more people (obvious caveats about the dangers of mass tourism aside). But the way it's covered risks cheapening the achievements of those who are genuinely breaking new ground.

A little like climbing the 8,000ers then?! As long as you can claim a record of some sort, it still sounds impressive, regardless of what was *actually* involved...

🤯🤯🤯

A Miracle of Survival: Hiker Missing For 50 Days in Northern Canada Found Alive » Explorersweb Long after the official search ended, exhausted and hypothermic, a young hiker stranded in the frigid wilderness for 50 days stumbled onto a road crew.

When Sam Benastick left his home in October, he planned on camping in Redfern-Keily Park for 10 days. But after the 10 days were up, the 20-year-old hadn’t returned home. Now, after more than five weeks lost in a vast, rugged wilderness, he’s been found.

explorersweb.com/a-miracle-of...

Increasingly it feels that way! 🤣

This is spot on 🤣

The maddest thing about this story by @dpcarrington.bsky.social is the sheer incompetence on display🤯If you’re going to secretly alter a key document surely you shouldn’t use your OWN NAME to make the changes?!? 🤦‍♀️ Seems a crazy lack of basic digital literacy www.theguardian.com/environment/...

When the UAE is telling you you’re out of order on climate, you’re _really_ out of order…

That makes sense, yep. Remembering now, I spoke to several fascinating MR volunteers (not all of who made the final story, because of space concerns) who said that this would work best as a complement to other “weapons” at their disposal (like dogs)

Ah fascinating! Who found you first, drone or 🐕 ? (Or was it not really a race…)

Hahaha very good!

Yeh, around the time we visited they opened up the marathon to foreign runners. Things have definitely gone backwards since then. But whatever horrors I read about the regime, I always try and remember the country is home to 24 million ordinary people, most of whom just want to lead an ordinary life

Thanks Garry! Really appreciate it 🙏🏼

The website tracks how fast Bluesky is growing in near real time Bluesky has added millions of new users since the election—and this site lets you watch each one as they sign up.

Still new to this being new on BlueSky thing... can't help but find this weirdly compelling...
www.fastcompany.com/91230935/the...

I created a starter pack to help those of us new to Bluesky find people interested in #adventure Think everyone from day hikers to hardcore mountaineers.

Help me add to the list by sharing it and suggesting additions. I'll add all reasonable requests 🏔️🛶🏕️

go.bsky.app/NXTHehp

Posting a few old portfolio articles here so new followers can see what I'm about.

Long read for @wired.com about the devastating impacts of the climate crisis on the most multi-national community on Earth — and the efforts of two activists to raise awareness www.wired.com/story/arctic...

Freediving at Italy’s Y-40, the world’s deepest thermal pool As the sport enjoys a surge in popularity, a 42-metre-deep pool just west of Venice has become a magnet for those eager to learn

Posting a few old portfolio articles here so new followers can see what I'm about

Dipping my toes into the world of freediving for the @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/73e0...

We Come in Peace | There’s Never Been a Better Time to Visit North Korea 2018 has been a landmark year. So is the 'hermit kingdom' finally opening up?

Posting a few old portfolio articles here so new followers can see what I'm about

A long read for VICE about visiting North Korea (back in 2018) — myth-busting, and the morality of travel in the Hermit Kingdom
www.vice.com/en/article/n...

How Irvine Welsh Went from Enfant Terrible to the Scottish Tourist Board's Favourite Guy We had a big lunch and a nice chat with the iconic Scottish author.

Posting a few bits of old work I'm proud of so new followers can see what I'm about.

A long read profile of @irvinewelsh.bsky.social for VICE looking at his long term impact on Scottish life, literature and society.

www.vice.com/en/article/i...

How Blindboy accidentally became modern Ireland’s biggest cultural… Politics, surrealism, psychotherapy and laughs delivered by a man with a plastic bag on his head – welcome to 2020.

Posting a few bits of old work I'm proud of so new followers can see what I'm about.

A profile of @blindboyboatclub.bsky.social for The FACE — was such a joy spending hours on the phone with him during the pandemic, like having a personalised podcast. 🫶

theface.com/culture/blin...

The Man Who Claims That Reinhold Messner Came Up Short When Eberhard Jurgalski determined that Reinhold Messner narrowly missed a key summit, he told the world. He’s still dealing with the fallout.

Posting a few other bits of work that I'm proud of, so new followers can see what I'm about...

Who holds elite mountaineers to account? Long read for Outside about proof, truth, and lies in Himalayan climbing, and whether any of it matters...

www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adve...

For those too young to remember John Prescott imagine Angela Rayner except she's male/overweight plus Starmer and Reeves are really good at politics but hate each other + she has to stop them fighting all the time.

This Homemade Drone Software Finds People When Search and Rescue Teams Can’t British Mountain Rescue workers have developed an automated drone system that can scour a landscape far quicker and more thoroughly than human eyes.

My latest long(ish) read for @wired.com — about two ordinary guys who knocked up a lifesaving, world-first tech innovation in their spare time, with no interest in making money...
www.wired.com/story/this-h...