Progress and the future

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Bioethics Civic life Cultural diversity Ethics Fairness and equality Human rights and justice Meaning and the good life Nature and the environment Neurodiversity Progress and the future Race and ethnicity Values and beliefs Virtues and vices Wisdom

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Close-up of a person with glasses looking at a computer screen displaying lines of code, with code text reflected on the glasses.

Consciousness

idea

The myth of machine consciousness makes Narcissus of us all

The idea that AI can be conscious is a mistake. It’s just a very shiny mirror of humanity, reflecting what we want to see

by David Bentley Hart

Braided river with shallow channels flowing through a landscape of red and brown vegetation, against a backdrop of distant mountains.

Nature and the environment

idea

What does water want? Most humans seem to have forgotten

Asking what water wants sounds a bit mystical, even radical. But it’s a practical, proven path to creating a better world

by Erica Gies

A coastal scene with a stone wall on the left, sandy beach below, and calm sea extending to the horizon. The sun is partially obscured by clouds, casting rays over the water. A distant ship is visible on the horizon.

Goals and motivation

guide

How to do mental time travel

Feeling overwhelmed by the present moment? Find a connection to the longer view and a wiser perspective on what matters

by Richard Fisher

Two arms in colourful jumpers hold chopsticks that hold a small TV. Trees and rooftop scenery are visible in the background.

Painting and sculpture

film

Working ‘like chopsticks’, two married artists create independently, in tandem

Directed by Bryan Chang and Vicky Du

Three men stand around a computer, with one holding a mouse and speaking into it, and one wearing an “I Quit Smoking” badge.

Technology and media

idea

What the journey from Star Trek to Siri says about our culture

The talking computer in Star Trek takes the culture and technology of the present and dreams up future possibilities

by Liz W Faber

Illustration of a man in a spacesuit contemplating a small pill; background features images of a naked woman and a steak.

Food and drink

idea

What our fantasies about futuristic food say about us

Once ‘future foods’ were powdered and automatic, but times change and today they have become about speed and social justice

by Kelly Alexander

Abstract orange background with two stick figures amidst geometric shapes and lines.

Progress and the future

film

Stick figures meet existential angst in this acclaimed, darkly comedic short

Directed by Don Hertzfeldt

Four children on a carpeted floor eating corn on the cob, with divided plates of pasta, hot dogs, and utensils around them.

Progress and the future

idea

Over-optimism about racial justice is widespread and harmful

Achieving racial justice takes work, but narratives of ever-unfolding progress can make it seem as if the job is already done

by Michael Kraus

Painting of a rural landscape with houses, factory, mountains, trees, a horse-drawn plough, train tracks, and two seated figures.

Progress and the future

idea

Utopian thinking prompts us to get real about society’s needs

Visions of utopia challenge what is considered to be realistic and help us start to see what must change in social life

by William Paris

A person walks past a construction site with “WE LIVE HERE” written on a white panel and an image of two women smiling.

Progress and the future

film

The fate of a London landmark inspires a feverish rumination on progress

Directed by Alice May Williams