Culture

A black and white image split into two sections: a half globe on the left and a crowd of people on the right, with the text "More Humans Are Better" in the center and the number 3 in the top right corner.

The overlooked virtues of a crowded world

In a world of rising cynicism, a celebration of our capacity to create, adapt, and thrive.

Jason Crawford

A graphic titled "Humanity vs. Nature" showing a human evolutionary timeline, biocentrism, ecocentrism, and ethos depictions of nature, including a tree, a bird, and marine life.

Why harmony with nature is a myth

Slowing growth and limiting development isn’t living in harmony with nature—it is surrendering in a battle.

Jason Crawford

Entertainment

How the internet changed news, according to The Onion

Freethink spoke to Onion staffers about parodying news from the print era into the digital age.

Tim Brinkhof and Stephen Johnson

Sustainability

How ‘mental time travel’ can lead us to sustainability

4:36

Bina Venkataraman, author of The Optimist's Telescope, believes that modern society’s shortsightedness is the root of many avoidable catastrophes.

Doug Dais

Fixing Justice

Police budget meetings are public—if you know where to look

To get more citizens engaged in the local police budget decision-making process, Reinvestin.us posts exactly when and how.

Teresa Carey

Archaeology

Lasers reveal a massive Mayan civilization secret

Massive and ancient, this remnant of the Mayan civilization was hidden in plain sight — until lasers revealed it.

B. David Zarley

Entertainment

I went to the hottest online club in quarantine

6:17

Four extroverted friends looking to dance, drink, and be merry during quarantine created an online club where people from around the globe can come together to socialize and regain some normalcy.

Doug Dais

Fixing Justice

Do police de-escalation techniques work?

The public is calling on law enforcement to find alternatives to using force. But do de-escalation tactics actually work?

Teresa Carey

History

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be in animal DNA

Scholars' understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be enhanced by an unusual source: the DNA of the animals they’re printed on.

B. David Zarley

Series| Catalysts

Online eye exams will change the way we buy glasses

3:51

In partnership with Stand Together

The FDA recently lifted restrictions against an online eye exam provider to help optometrists reach their patients during the pandemic. Will vision care go virtual for good?

Doug Dais

Entertainment

Mind-blowing holograms are replacing circus animals

With pressure to eliminate circus animals, one show gets creative with holograms.

Teresa Carey

Love

Can an app help you have better sex?

4:28

An app created by a sex therapist is helping couples learn how to have better sex by exploring their own desires and discovering their partner’s.

Doug Dais

Coronavirus

Are handshakes gone for good?

6:46

The spread of COVID-19 has turned an age-old gesture into a faux pas. As more people are wary of spreading germs, handshakes are becoming less of a cultural norm, but are they gone for good?

Doug Dais

Sections

Video

Freethink

We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.