Social Change

Social Change

Book cover of The Devil Is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson featuring two black birds; text on left reads "an excerpt from" on a light blue background. “The Devil Is a Southpaw”: A novel by Brandon Hobson
A preview of the latest novel by the National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson.
Six brain MRI scan images are arranged in two rows, showing various cross-sectional views of the human brain, with the bottom row featuring a blue and pink color overlay.
3 min
Can you measure love? 3 experts discuss
From neuroscience to philosophy, experts reveal why compassion may be the most important human skill we have.
Unlikely Collaborators
A raised hand with bracelets is shown in focus against a blurred background of people indoors. Mapped: If America were 100 people, this is what they’d believe
Nearly 30 would be "nones" — an amorphous group that spans from zealous atheists to the vaguely spiritual.
A Möbius strip made from paper with printed text is displayed against a dark background.
16 min
Lawrence Wright: Fiction goes where reporting cannot follow
“As a reporter, you can look into the eyes of the people you're talking to and try to evaluate what they're thinking when they say what they say. But you are not really gonna get into their brain. There's only one artistic form that allows you to do that. “
Large white letters spelling "AGI" are displayed on a platform in front of steps, with additional bilingual signs reading "REASONERS" and "CHATBOTS" in English and Chinese. The China factor in the great progression of the next 25 years
A firsthand look at China’s material progress and clean-tech revolution -- and what could happen if we let an authoritarian state steer AI's future.
An orange arrow looping to the right is overlaid on a collage of black-and-white portraits of philosophers. 5 great thinkers who rejected their own ideas
Philosophers rarely change their minds. These thinkers did — often at social and professional cost.
A person with short brown hair, wearing glasses and a collared shirt, is seen from behind with one hand adjusting their hair.
Members
How to Ask Better Questions
This class, led by experts like Natalie Nixon and Jonah Berger, teaches the transformative power of questioning—through shadow, open, and bridging inquiries—to enhance relational intelligence, foster authentic connections, and promote effective leadership and collaboration in personal and professional contexts.
A drawing of a group of people soaring in a plane, embodying cosmism. Cosmism: The 19th-century movement to reach space and immortality
In revolutionary Russia, a group of forward-thinking philosophers offered an alternative to both futurism and communism.
Split image: Left side shows a silhouette of a person with hands on hips against a starry sky; right side shows an older man in a yellow jacket against a plain white background.
7 min
One neuroscientist’s deep dive into perception and reality
Everything you experience is filtered through your brain, and everyone’s brain is different. Neuroscientist Christof Koch explains how understanding this can deepen your connection to the world around you.
Unlikely Collaborators
Close-up of a classical painting showing a woman in a white headscarf looking upward with her lips pressed together; background is dark.
7 min
True free speech, explained in 6 minutes
Free speech can amplify hatred, but it also protects the fight against it. Founder of The Future of Free Speech Jacob Mchangama explains.
Pencil drawing of an adult hand holding a child's hand, surrounded by colorful, illustrated borders with various faces and map elements. Can picture books change the world?
Sikh American scholar and historian Simran Jeet Singh on helping kids imagine — and create — a more empathetic world.
John Templeton Foundation
Two ancient coins depicting explicit erotic scenes with human figures in sexual positions, shown against a black background.
40 min
The Roman Empire, explained in 39 minute
"One of the ways you can see the Roman Empire is it's the worldwide web of its day."
A man looking at a meteorite.
20 min
How two freak accidents shaped human evolution
“So many things could have happened in a different way that we wouldn't be here at all, both individually, for sure, and certainly as a species.”
Close-up of a person's eyes looking up, with white abstract doodles and lines superimposed over their forehead, symbolizing thoughts or imagination.
3 min
How to expand your influence, according to 2 experts 
Your body language sends messages before your mouth does. Author Robert Greene and negotiation expert Daniel Shapiro PhD explain the key characteristics of nonverbal power and emotional presence that shape how others perceive you.
Unlikely Collaborators
Five World War I soldiers in uniform stand and sit near sandbags in a trench, with a sign reading "Surrey Lane" visible in the background—evoking camaraderie amid the Ring of Fire on the front lines. Not just the Western Front: “Ring of Fire” rediscovers WWI’s global story
Historians Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst reexamine the pivotal conflict from a grassroots perspective.
A black-and-white portrait of smiling Katie Gatti Tassin with glasses is centered on a collage featuring a close-up of a dollar bill, a checkered pattern, and a vintage microphone. The Katie Gatti Tassin interview: “Go the extra yard — not the extra mile”
The host of the Money with Katie Show has some priceless advice for women on how to approach pay-rise negotiations.