global issues
Thanks to Iceland, the four-day workweek is coming
A new study from Iceland confirms that a shorter workweek improves productivity.
New research finds that reforesting Europe would increase rainfall, fighting a drying trend
Trees store carbon dioxide, have a cooling effect in cities, and reduce flood risks.
Want to tackle poverty? Start with blindness
Nearly 90% of the world's blind live in low-income countries.
Virtual reality tourism can boost travel in a post-pandemic world
Virtual tourism has thus far been a futuristic dream, but a world shaped by Covid-19 may be ready to accept it.
Asteroid impact: NASA simulation shows we are sitting ducks
Even with six months' notice, we can't stop an incoming asteroid.
The problem with our noisy planet
Noise causes stress. For our ancestors, it meant danger: thunder, animal roars, war cries, triggering a 'fight or run' reaction.
Moral enhancement explained: Can science make us better people?
Could a pill make you more moral? Should you take it if it could?
The cost of world peace? It’s much less than the price of war
The world's 10 most affected countries are spending up to 59% of their GDP on the effects of violence.
New study determines how many mothers have lost a child by country
Global inequality takes many forms, including who has lost the most children
Why people become radical extremists and how to help them
New research sheds light on the indoctrination process of radical extremist groups.
Bellingcat is transforming investigative journalism with open-sourced information
The independent news collective is teaching a new generation of journalists and citizens to spot the stories in plain sight.
Is it time to decriminalize prostitution? Two New York bills answer yes in unique ways
One bill hopes to repeal the crime of selling sex and expand social services; the other would legalize the entire sex trade.
Here’s a 10-step plan to save our oceans
By 2050, there may be more plastic than fish in the sea.
Study: Personal anecdotes are more effective at bridging divides than facts
Most people believe you can win an argument with facts - but when "facts" are so often subject to doubt, are personal experiences trusted more?
Can better data defeat the next pandemic?
Northwell Health has built an elaborate data system to track and fight COVID-19. If this system goes global, it could prevent a future pandemic.
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I spoke to 99 big thinkers about what our ‘world after coronavirus’ might look like – this is what I learned
There is no going "back to normal."
FOSTA-SESTA: Have controversial sex trafficking acts done more harm than good?
The idea behind the law was simple: make it more difficult for online sex traffickers to find victims.
These are the world’s greatest threats in 2021
We look back at a year ravaged by a global pandemic, economic downturn, political turmoil and the ever-worsening climate crisis.
This is your brain on political arguments
Debating is cognitively taxing but also important for the health of a democracy—provided it's face-to-face.
Should scientific studies be available for free?
Plan S is starting to take hold, but the cost is merely shifting even more to the researchers.
People in these countries think their government did a good job of dealing with the pandemic
Spoiler: Most people actually approved of their government's approach.
The issues and ideas that mattered most to Americans in 2020
Google's "Year in Search 2020" results reveal a year when "why" was searched more than ever.
Giant ‘space claw’ to begin cleaning cosmic debris in 2025
The rush to clean up outer space has begun.
“Clean meat” approved for sale in Singapore
Singapore has approved the sale of a lab-grown meat product in an effort to secure its food supplies against disease and climate change.
The 3 keys to solving complex global problems
We have the money to change the world. What's standing in the way?
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New study argues that migrating from cities, not travel bans, slows spread of disease
Of course, it's all about where you move. The authors argue that it needs to be less populous regions.
Experts fear Thanksgiving COVID spikes—Can you have your turkey and stay healthy too ?
Experts plead with Americans to keep gatherings limited this Thanksgiving, while families devise new ways to celebrate the holidays.
A normal tourist map, “but everything is negative”
'Critical Tourist Map of Oslo' offers uniquely dark perspective on Norway's capital.
Finding joy in 2020? It’s not such an absurd idea, really
Amid such suffering, people need some joy.
Ambassadors from 50 nations sign letter supporting LGBTQ rights in Poland
Poland has become an increasingly unwelcoming place for the LGBTQ community. Fifty diplomats hope to change that.