Social Structures

Social Structures

Book cover of "Ignorance" by George G. Szpiro, featuring red tape bars over the phrases: what we do not know, cannot know, must not know, and refuse to know—reflecting the pervasive power of ignorance.
George Szpiro explores the philosophical ideas that explain why justice — not freedom or efficiency — may better anchor a fair society.
A split image showing a human hand making an "OK" gesture on the left, and an alien hand pointing with a glowing fingertip on the right.
The unanswered questions about sex, love, and pregnancy in space could shape the future of humanity more than we think.
Two men in suits face each other against a yellow background, one yelling with a clenched fist, the other pointing and appearing angry.
23mins
“We can have that fight for a 1,000 years, but we could have a shot at figuring out what we both need and noticing when there's opportunities to make that happen.”
Silhouette of a person in profile against a gradient background of green and blue light.
1hr 37mins
“A lot of the trends in the economy, in family life have just been much harder for working class men.”
Aerial view of people walking on a paved surface, casting long shadows behind them in bright sunlight.
Our minds crave simple, linear narratives. But society rarely follows a straight line.
A man in a suit sits on a chair against a white backdrop, with illustrated green skyscrapers, solar panels, and trees in the background.
1hr 17mins
"The disease is the fact that liberalism, which used to be an ideology of building, has become an ideology of blocking."
Man in a dark shirt smiling against a purple background with black scribbles and a white rectangle, reminiscent of "The Year of Living Biblically," embracing the chaos with serene humor.
A.J. Jacobs looks back at what he learned about religion, himself, and modern American culture during “The Year of Living Biblically.”
Young child sitting on a couch, illuminated by the screen of a tablet they are holding in a dimly lit room.
The digital world will always entail risks for teens, but that doesn’t mean parents aren’t without recourse.
World map illustrating various countries color-coded by their happiness levels with symbols indicating the most and least happy countries in each region.
The Gallup World Poll reveals regional peaks and valleys of happiness across all of the continents.
A group of cult members dressed in white participating in an outdoor gathering or ceremony under a partly cloudy sky.
Or are cults the religions we find distasteful?
A beach along the Great Lakes with waves crashing over rocks and sand.
Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were.
A collage featuring two images of Mr William Crompton, the oldest knocker-upper in Bolton in 1939.
Meet the people paid to rouse the workers of industrial Britain.
A man is taking a bath in a Thermae Romae-style bathtub.
In ancient Rome, collective bathing was the norm. In the West today, it’s the exception — and that’s too bad.
A man surrounded by clocks in a room.
In a world without clocks, people used common activities in place of time units. How long it took you to go to the toilet mattered.
A painting of two sophists engrossed in a book.
Debate is a verbal sport with winners and losers. As such, it is less about the truth and more about who looks and sounds the best.
a close up of a monkey with its mouth open.
7mins
Primatologist Frans de Waal inadvertently popularized the term "alpha male." Now, he’s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an "alpha male" really is — empathetic and protective.
a painting of a building with a red sky in the background.
Adolescents actively shape the transformation of religion and become the bearers of new religious patterns, worldviews, and values.
John Templeton Foundation
a painting of two people in a garden.
Most male mammals have little or nothing to do with their kids. Why is our own species different?
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 group of people's faces with different colors.
We bring multifaceted selves to our interactions, and in these interactions co-create each other again and again. 
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.
There is a strong case to be made that the China has moved too slowly to reverse the effects of its one-child policy.
Hinduism emphasizes the journey, whichever path that takes. And it holds us responsible for our own self-improvement.
tribalism
From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
John Templeton Foundation