One of the fundamental questions for those studying and advocating progress is around understanding what variables can move the needle for the type of progress that you might want to see in the world. It's a key focus of the "progress studies" discipline and a question that has received increased attention from academics and public intellectuals in recent years.

As with any "big idea" progress means a lot of different things to different people and not everyone comes into the discussion with the same priors. Some experts are primarily focused on material progress while others emphasize the importance of moral progress. So to start the discussion, we asked each expert to define the term as they see it from their specific vantage point.

The world isn’t ending! But we are likely at the beginning of a profound transformation.

An interview with economist Tyler Cowen on why American progress has seemed to stall and how we can get it back on track.

WIRED founder Kevin Kelly explains why progress often looks like dystopia to the untrained eye.

Futurist Ari Wallach asks, "how do we want to be remembered?"

When you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easier to miss it.

Who will lead humanity in the Metaverse? Roblox and Minecraft gamers.

These dissolvable pills aren’t meant to be swallowed, though.

The East India Company issued stocks to minimize the risk on their unpredictable but highly lucrative voyages. The rest is history.

The Industrial Revolution changed music forever, thanks to a combination of technological advances and clever entrepreneurs.

Anything, good or bad, about Henry Ford can be contradicted — except his ambition and his work.

The spray uses snippets of DNA to gum up virus replication.

Who should be compensated?

Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Holmes – are these celebrity CEOs good for their business?

Kublai Khan wasn’t the first ruler in history to issue paper money, but his Yuan dynasty did take unprecedented action to ensure this revolutionary form of currency retained its value.

Venus Life Finder could launch as early as 2023.

Should you blast the A/C even when you're not at home?

The new material may make marine uranium extraction economically feasible.

DAOs don’t have a C-suite. How are they led?

By creating a type O kidney, they hope to make more organs available for transplant.

Oxygen isn't strictly necessary for combustion, but it is ideal. Any advanced (alien) civilization probably uses oxygen to burn things.

When constructed well, post-training survey questions can provide a wealth of information that helps guide future design decisions.

The Rubbee X requires almost no setup and is far cheaper than a brand new e-bike.

Anyone up for a crisp, blonde ale?

Argentina's black market for cash is embracing crypto — but it's not what crypto proponents expected.

New stamp-sized ultrasound adhesives produce clear images of heart, lungs, and other internal organs.

When scientists tested this hydrogel on mice, they had cleaner teeth than most humans.

Research shows how temperature can be used to manipulate circadian rhythms.

Not too hot, not too cold...