Ben Werdmuller
benwerd@nos.social
npub183ng...4n09
I lead technology at ProPublica and write speculative fiction. This is a personal account.
Every day, I write about tech, democracy, and society at https://werd.io.
More about me: https://about.werd.io
Doctor Who is the best show ever made. Here's why. 
Ben Werdmuller
Doctor Who is the best show ever made. Here's why.
Try to be nice, but always be kind.
Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer
Ben Werdmuller
Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer
[Damian Carrington in The Guardian]
Quite a headline!
"The world is fast approaching temperature levels where insurers will no longer be able to ...
Facing the Looming Threat of A.I., Publishers Turn to Decentralized Platforms
Ben Werdmuller
Facing the Looming Threat of A.I., Publishers Turn to Decentralized Platforms
[John Markoff in The New York Times]
A lovely piece about Mike McCue, who, through Flipboard, Surf, and his general activities through the communi...
ProPublica wanted to find more sources in the federal government. So it brought a truck.
Ben Werdmuller
ProPublica wanted to find more sources in the federal government. So it brought a truck.
[Nell Dhanesha at Nieman Journalism Lab]
This was fun to watch unfold in real time:
"The truck’s journey to that spot had begun a few days earl...
China Miéville says we shouldn't blame science fiction for its bad readers https://werd.io/2025/china-mi%C3%A9ville-says-we-shouldnt-blame-science-fiction-for-its
Hundreds of international students wake up to an email asking them to self deport for campus activism
Ben Werdmuller
Hundreds of international students wake up to an email asking them to self deport for campus activism
[Lubna Kably in The Times of India]
Worrying stuff being reported by the Times of India (and, at the time of writing, under-reported in the domest...
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
Ben Werdmuller
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
[Makena Kelly at WIRED]
If you know anything about building software, you know that this is an absurd idea:
"The so-called Department of Governme...
How Elon Musk’s SpaceX Secretly Allows Investment From China
Ben Werdmuller
How Elon Musk’s SpaceX Secretly Allows Investment From China
[Joshua Kaplan and Justin Elliott at ProPublica]
I bet this practice is more common than anyone might think, and certainly isn't limited to China....
Careless People: Facebook insider’s memoir reveals more in what it omits
Ben Werdmuller
Careless People: Facebook insider’s memoir reveals more in what it omits
[Sabhanaz Rashid Diya at Rest of World]
Like the author, I read Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams' account of her time as a director for global...
No, we’re not a startup — and that’s fine
Ben Werdmuller
No, we’re not a startup — and that’s fine
You can’t “be a startup” inside a big organization. And you shouldn't try.
Is it safe to travel to the United States with your phone right now?
Ben Werdmuller
Is it safe to travel to the United States with your phone right now?
[Gaby Del Valle at The Verge]
I appreciated this deep-dive on whether it's safe to travel through US borders with your phone. Journalists and anyo...
Vivian Jenna Wilson on Being Elon Musk’s Estranged Daughter, Protecting Trans Youth and Taking on the Right Online
Ben Werdmuller
Vivian Jenna Wilson on Being Elon Musk’s Estranged Daughter, Protecting Trans Youth and Taking on the Right Online
[Ella Yurman in Teen Vogue]
This interview with Musk's daughter Vivian Wilson is everything.
"The Nazi salute sht was insane. Honey, we're going ...