Progress and the future
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/86c30f89-b3ee-493b-9814-257ee370e6ae/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Money and economics
idea
Why efficiency is dangerous and slowing down makes life better
The urge to do everything faster and better is risky. Far wiser to do what’s good enough for the range of possible futures
by Barry Schwartz
![A mannequin head with painted blue eyes and red lips, partially obscured by a blurred pink and white shape in the foreground.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8f9aac17-062f-4c7b-b040-03562570f68e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Sex and sexuality
idea
The sex tech to come could offer more than ‘the real thing’
Sexbots and other artificial lovers might arouse discomfort, but their continued advances could have unexpected upsides
by Rob Brooks
![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.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/359ddc9c-a38c-4603-b91a-9d09f8283e78/test-lon34514.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Abstract orange background with two stick figures amidst geometric shapes and lines.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/39842d13-c9dc-4b2f-8ad9-32d93c194ce2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Progress and the future
film
Stick figures meet existential angst in this acclaimed, darkly comedic short
Directed by Don Hertzfeldt
![Braided river with shallow channels flowing through a landscape of red and brown vegetation, against a backdrop of distant mountains.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ea2b2407-fb17-42a0-bb5e-195265921bfa/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a6f88a1e-c0e2-4abc-b4a8-33179b328b8b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Ethics
idea
Future generations deserve good ancestors. Will you be one?
The living, the dead and the unborn are all here with us: we must respect their interests and their world as much as our own
by Roman Krznaric
![View of Earth, half visible, rising over the lunar surface against the blackness of space.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/11f97cbb-fb4b-461a-bdcb-dc04d5c60c31/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Transcendent experience
film
From the astronauts to humanity itself, ‘Earthrise’ has left an indelible mark
Directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
![Close-up of a person with glasses looking at a computer screen displaying lines of code, with code text reflected on the glasses.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c3234f38-5f01-4047-83bf-3ca43be36a99/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6b7c7159-c3f6-40d4-8cde-d3e2462f9dc7/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Decision-making
idea
Emotions should be in the heart of complex political debates
Emotion is not opposed to reason but a crucial tool for assessing risk in a complex, uncertain world
by Sabine Roeser
![Two arms in colourful jumpers hold chopsticks that hold a small TV. Trees and rooftop scenery are visible in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ffb2a0eb-4dda-49a5-909b-34551c59e69d/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Painting and sculpture
film
Working ‘like chopsticks’, two married artists create independently, in tandem
Directed by Bryan Chang and Vicky Du