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
Progress and the future
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
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
Why it’s possible to be optimistic in a world of bad news
The original optimist, Leibniz, was mocked and misunderstood. Centuries later, his worldview can help us navigate modern life
by Sumit Paul-Choudhury
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
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
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
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
The empathy gap that is imperilling future generations
To protect our descendants from catastrophe, we must overcome the emotional hurdles that make it easy for us to look away
by Matthew Coleman
We need the toolkit of utopian thinking, now more than ever
Many dismiss utopian ideas. But imagining a better world is a vital political skill for tackling today’s challenges
by Caitlin Rajan
Rough, cold and politically charged: why do we love to hate concrete?
Concrete helped rebuild 20th-century cities and societies, both totalitarian and democratic. Why do we love to hate it?
by Vyta Baselice
The sink in the hall: how pandemics transform architecture
From the sink in the hall to the UV light in the bus depot: how pandemics past and present can transform architecture
by Theodora Philcox
From the astronauts to humanity itself, ‘Earthrise’ has left an indelible mark
Directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
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
Stick figures meet existential angst in this acclaimed, darkly comedic short
Directed by Don Hertzfeldt
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