Matt Reynolds

Matt Reynolds is a senior writer at WIRED UK, where for the past five years he has a track record of writing gripping stories that resonate with readers and bring to life hard-to-grasp subjects. Although his articles often tackle complex issues, his work focuses on the tangible impact that science and technology is having on our lives and puts personal stories front-and-centre. His work has been recognised with awards nominations from the Association of British Science Writers and the British Society of Magazine Editors.

A Lone Infection May Have Changed the Course of the Pandemic (Feb 2021) - Written before we all became intimately acquainted with Covid-19 variants, this story followed new evidence about the most likely reason for the emergence of the very first significant Covid-19 variant, which took place in Kent in September 2020. The article explained the complex science of genetic mutation and focussed on the issue of protecting immunocompromised people who could prove a source of new variants. The article, which was one of WIRED UK’s most-read pieces in 2021, was one of the first to declare that the emergence of new variants signalled a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic. “This boldly revealed the leading theory on the origin of troublesome new variants, before this became common knowledge. It felt ahead of the curve.” — Rob Reddick, science editor, WIRED UK. Humans Have Broken a Fundamental Law of the Ocean (November 2021) - This story highlighted overlooked research that exposed the colossal impact that humans are having on the ocean. Reaching back into primary source material to explore the genesis of one of the most fundamental laws that explain ocean organisms: The relationship between abundance and body size. This story revealed that humans have started to disrupt this law in a fundamental way, emptying the ocean of its largest creatures and sending complex food webs awry. The article struck a chord with readers: More than 1 million people read the story and it was extremely widely-shared on social media. “This piece did a great job of taking a study paper and building a comprehensive article around it. I really liked how Matt took us out on the ocean to help describe how the findings were discovered—I think bringing the paper to life this way was a big part of the piece’s success.” — Rob Reddick. Gravity Could Solve Clean Energy’s One Major Drawback (January 2022) - Through on-the-ground reporting in Switzerland, this piece explored one of the majorly overlooked problems holding back renewable energy: There’s no easy way to store energy. The article followed one company that is attempting to solve that problem by creating giant towers where energy is stored in concrete blocks. By weaving together reporting from scientific papers and expert analysis, the article examined the limitations of this technology and provided a nuanced take on a technology that could change the trajectory of renewable energy. “This piece was authoritative and comprehensive, and conveyed the excitement of the tech while also being realistic about its limitations.” — Rob Reddick.