History and Society

History and Society

A person with short gray hair, wearing a dark jacket and a gray-blue scarf, looks at the camera against a plain light background.
13mins
Sex, gender, and the debate over identity explained by Berkeley professor Judith Butler.
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5mins
Geniuses and prodigies are captivating. But generalists rule the world.
John Templeton Foundation
Abstract illustration of segmented, wood-textured shapes arranged in an oval formation on a green background.
7mins
This network physicist is mapping the world's most significant data to create the most beautiful visualizations of information we have ever seen.
John Templeton Foundation
A figure stands beneath a tree with a serpent coiled on the branches, in a dense, shadowy forest clearing.
6mins
Aimless wandering is essential for understanding yourself. Here’s why.
A hand pinches a small spiral galaxy between its fingers against a background of stars in space.
4mins
Science has opened so many doors to humanity’s understanding of the world. Scientism shuts them. Here’s how to tell the difference.
a close up of a person with freckles on his face.
1hr 25mins
Richard Reeves explains the big problems facing men today — and why no one is talking about them.
A pair of scissors appears to cut through a black and white illustration of a DNA double helix.
4mins
Forget AI. Gene editing is still our most powerful — and dangerous — technology.
8mins
Educator Irshad Manji emphasizes that diversity is a fact of life, and it should be harnessed to unite society rather than divide it. Recognizing that humans tend to react defensively […]
White handwritten text reading "I am not a robot" appears distorted and crossed with a horizontal line, set against a black background with scattered small white dots.
5mins
How World War II codebreaker Alan Turing invented modern AI.
a close up of a brain on a blue background.
8mins
A University of Oxford professor explains how conscious machines are possible.
Silhouette of a person with outstretched hands pressed against a red, translucent surface.
6mins
This is not your average dream interpreter. Nightmares, as explained by a neuroscientist.
Illustration of two boxers in vintage-style attire, with one boxer extending a punch toward the other against a yellow background.
4mins
“If intelligence is the ability to respond to any argument, wisdom lies in knowing which parts of an argument to respond to.” Harvard debate coach Bo Seo explains how to argue better.
The text "8 BILLION" appears with an illustrated globe replacing the "O" in "BILLION" on a black background.
6mins
What beavers and earthworms can teach us about working with, not against, Mother Nature.
a man sitting in a box with a plant in it.
8mins
Americans without friends have increased 400% in recent years. Here’s why.
A black-and-white painting depicts a man with tousled hair, a mustache, and a suit with a tie, facing forward against a textured background.
8mins
What makes some scientists culturally significant, while others remain in obscurity? Well, there’s a science to it.
a collage of a woman's face with a colorful background.
1hr 19mins
Steven Pinker explains how to cultivate greater rationality in today's complex world.
A close-up of a soap bubble reflecting bright, colorful windowpanes against a dark background.
7mins
Find food, have sex, not die. That’s pretty much all we need to do — but why do we make it so complicated?
a painting of a woman and a man with the words is it liberation?.
7mins
Sexual attitudes are more man-like than ever. Here’s what that means for women.
A man in a blue shirt sits in front of a vivid blue and turquoise swirling abstract background.
1hr 34mins
Master creative thinking in 90 minutes, with expert Tiago Forte.
5mins
The formula for rational thinking explained by Steven Pinker.
6mins
Why marriage is thriving — and dying — in different American classes.
A cluster of yellow flowers with green leaves grows from cracked soil, with visible roots, on a solid blue background.
6mins
History’s most remarkable leaders had this one trait in common. We can harness it too.
5mins
Expert Michael Spitzer explains how culture can “tune” your musical taste.
3mins
Washington University professor John Inazu tells us how we can make peace inside a raging culture war.
7mins
How to maximize wins and minimize losses, explained by four experts on game theory.
6mins
Chloé Valdary shares the ancient Stoic principle that can defeat modern despair.
7mins
Humans are musical animals four million years in the making, explained by music expert Michael Spitzer.
7mins
How the Big Bang gave us time, explained by theoretical physicist.