Social Change

Social Change

A person in a black hat and coat raises a black square and a blue square against a clear sky, symbolizing their moral ambition.
In "Moral Ambition," Dutch historian Rutger Bregman argues that all would benefit from a collective redefinition of success.
10mins
“We control nothing but influence everything.” Political scientist Brian Klaas on how every decision we make - both massive and miniscule - shapes our futures.
Line chart showing body mass index (BMI) trends for various countries. Lines are labeled by country, with silhouetted figures for normal, overweight, and obese categories on the left.
Waistlines are expanding in most countries, except for a skinny list of nations bucking the trend.
A mosaic of 36 square tiles, each showing a different fragment of various human faces, combined to create a composite image of diverse facial features.
12mins
Is “identity synthesis” the remedy for racial injustice? This political scientist says no.
Elderly woman with a gentle smile wearing a turquoise blouse and a neck scarf.
8mins
Dr. Temple Grandin shares how we can unlock the hidden gifts of neurodivergent minds.
Two hands fitting together puzzle pieces with the words "mindset" and "capabilities", against a backdrop featuring the word "execution" and an image of a rocket launch.
For human-centered leadership to achieve a “tipping point," people, productivity, and profits must be aligned.
Illustration of a vampire bat with outstretched wings.
At work we're often asked to be decisive — but how can we make an informed choice without complete information?
A group of people standing in a circle.
Human civilization has always survived periods of change. Will our rapidly evolving technological era be an exception to the rule?
A woman holding a baby's hand, symbolizing the bond between families.
Smaller family networks, more great-grandparents, and fewer cousins.
A man in a Chinese costume is holding a candle, exemplifying the essence of Taoism.
While Taoism can be paradoxical and abstract, it also offers daily life lessons.
A woman sitting on a chair in a room.
6mins
MakeLoveNotPorn founder Cindy Gallop says women need to stop giving a damn what people think.
Unlikely Collaborators
A group of feminists holding a purple flag in front of a crowd.
Feminist "man-hating" appears to be a myth.
A Strauss-Howe inspired painting depicting the bond between a woman and a boy.
An influential series of books argues that the history of the world is the history of generations. Is it right?
A map showing the world's major cities.
According to the CDC, 50 countries worldwide have drinkable tap water. But look closer, and the picture is more nuanced.
A silhouette of a boy jumping into the water.
12mins
Thinkers like Richard Reeves, Louise Perry, and Judith Butler discuss parenthood and the future of the sexual revolution.
BetterHelp
A painting of a group of people standing in front of a church.
Science and philosophy seem to be separate fields, but philosophical advancements have made the world more accepting of debate and unorthodox ideas.
A black and white photo of two men walking down a path in Papua New Guinea.
Australian soldiers fighting the Japanese recruited native New Guineans to their campaign.
A group of people sitting around a desk signing papers during a Kinsey study.
There are issues with Kinsey's data, but his books revolutionized Americans' thinking about sex and sexuality.
A statue of justice holding scales on a blue background.
Is true equality achievable — or even desirable? Go on a journey through the strange and unsettling "Land of Justice."
John Templeton Foundation
A happy woman rewilding onsite, surrounded by baskets.
"The more I unleash myself from the tethers of domestication, the happier I feel."
Ideal models of family life have been broken by societal, technological, and cultural shifts — and we need to rethink our options.
A man and woman in top hats explore Berlin nightclubs via pneumatic tubes.
You could send your potential paramour a perfume bottle, a cigar cutter, travel plans — or maybe some cocaine.
Judith Butler in a black jacket and grey scarf.
A primer on Judith Butler’s theory of gender and performativity.
A Tolkien-inspired painting portraying a man and woman amidst a mystical forest.
Ignoring the legacy of William Shakespeare is difficult for any writer, let alone one as quintessentially English as "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien.
two people of same gender standing next to each other.
Over the past two decades, the proportion of those who identify as bisexual increased from 1.2% to 4.5%.
A black t-shirt featuring pictures of friends.
Since 2012, the amount of time that teenagers spend socializing in person has plummeted. Is it a coincidence that depression is more common?
a blue and pink umbrella laying in the grass.
To advance the gender-affirming healthcare of all those who transition, we must also understand the nature and causes of those who detransition.
a circular diagram with the names of different types of people.
The Foo Fighters are at the dead center of the map, so all the other bands are happier, sadder, angrier, or hornier.