History & Society

History & Society

Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.

A gloved hand arranges five test tubes labeled with book titles and authors in a white rack against a light background.
The “dystopian” biotech imagined in these novels is now changing real lives for the better.
simple collage of runner
Technology, shifting rules, and human ambition push athletes beyond biology’s perceived limits.
A split image explores the nature of life, with a gray rock on a dark background on the left and a colored microscopic view of a cell—hinting at intelligence—in vivid detail on the right.
Sixty years ago, a little-known philosopher challenged how science understands life. His perspective is finding new relevance in the age of artificial intelligence.
Illustration of various animal and human silhouettes in colored circles connected by arrows, set against a textured abstract background, evoking themes of speculative evolution.
Speculative evolution explores the strange paths natural selection might have taken — and what that means for humans.
A collage of scientific and space-themed images, featuring an insect, a planet, a human face, a robot, dandelion, star charts, and hints of aliens—all in varied colors and textures.
Some sci-fi aliens are wildly implausible. Others aren’t so far-fetched.
Three men in dark clothing sit and talk on a small boat in a harbor with ships and calm water in the background, under a hazy sky.
"Broadly speaking, it's at least plausible, this might be right."
A collage shows an aerial view of a green planet above images of Indigenous people, some in traditional attire, participating in a gathering or march.
10mins
At COP30, Indigenous leaders came with a message the world can’t ignore: 5% of the global population is safeguarding 80% of Earth’s biodiversity. A $1.8B pledge was made to support their land rights — but will the money follow their lead?
Skoll Foundation
A section of a map labeled "West McKinley Town Site" with surrounding property names and numbers in blue and orange text.
A century ago, an American colony named after Trump's favorite president was thriving on the Isle of Pines. Then came hurricanes and geopolitical reality.
From the vastness of space, Earth at night reveals its exo-earth beauty, with illuminated continents showcasing a tapestry of lights across North and South America. Major cities and regions emerge from the glowing darkness, painting a vivid picture against the backdrop of oceans.
One big goal of science is to find an inhabited, Earth-like planet. But if we find an Earth-like world, will we even recognize it?
Visualization of the timeline of the universe, from the beginning big bang to the present.
The Universe is expanding, the expansion is accelerating, and some galaxies even recede faster-than-light. Can we see a change in real time?
A man in a suit and glasses sits indoors, gesturing with both hands while speaking. The setting includes a brick wall, a lamp, a plant, and a window.
54mins
Members
Chris Miller explains the hidden reason that global superpowers are obsessed with Taiwan.
A book cover titled "The Laws of Thought" by Tom Griffiths appears next to the phrase "an excerpt from" on a split lavender and beige background.
In this excerpt from The Laws of Thought, Tom Griffiths shares how George Boole developed a mathematical theory of logic.
A man with a beard sits and smiles at the camera, surrounded by various historical and documentary images arranged in a collage.
The "Creativity Pioneers" proving that imagination is a practical tool for social transformation.
Moleskine Foundation
Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans. In 2026, that matters more than ever.
A laptop made of a rough, brown, stone-like material with green squiggly lines emerging from its screen, set against a black background.
AI is not a rupture in history, but a continuation of intelligence emerging where information becomes systematically arranged.
A man in a red and gold robe, resembling Julius Caesar, kneels on the ground, reaching out as several men in white robes with raised weapons surround him.
Julius Caesar conquered Gaul but his emotional intelligence was pitiful — and there’s plenty we can learn from his leadership deficiencies.
A young child with curly hair and a blue shirt stands in front of a cloudy sky with two floating soap bubbles and a pink fabric draped behind them.
6mins
Happiness collapses the moment hardship arrives. Joy doesn’t. Historian Kate Bowler explains why joy can coexist with pain — and why that makes it a stronger, more fulfilling emotion.
Silhouette of NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft with antennas poised against a colorful planetary surface, sparking dreams of alien life.
No claim has even made it halfway up the Confidence of Life Detection (CoLD) scale, but 21st century science is just beginning to unfold.
The word "chaos" is repeatedly written in orange over a beige background, with a large, rough black scribble overlaid in the center.
In this excerpt from Think Like a Mathematician, Junaid Mubeen explains how tiny actions can shape complex systems, revealing the limits of prediction and control in our lives.