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Society

Essays and videos on social issues, history, political life and the future

Animals and humans Anthropology Archaeology Automation and robotics Cities Demography and migration Economic history Economics Education Environmental history Fairness and equality Future of technology Gender Global history History History of technology Human rights and justice Information and communication Making Nations and empires Politics and government Poverty and development Progress and modernity Public health Race and ethnicity Religion The ancient world The environment The future War and peace Work

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Illustration of interconnected neurons with red, spiky dendrites on a blurred orange background.

essay

Neuroscience

The empty brain

Your brain does not process information, retrieve knowledge or store memories. In short: your brain is not a computer

Robert Epstein

A woman sitting on stairs with a designer handbag and gold trainers, wearing black leggings and a colourful jumper.

idea

Economics

Conspicuous consumption is over. It’s all about intangibles now

Elizabeth Currid-Halkett

Medieval painting depicting a battle scene with knights on horseback wearing armour and helmets against a colourful backdrop.

essay

Language and linguistics

English is not normal

No, English isn’t uniquely vibrant or mighty or adaptable. But it really is weirder than pretty much every other language

John McWhorter

A painting of five labourers working on a construction site with tools and machinery, while a scenic landscape is seen in the background.

idea

Social psychology

A belief in meritocracy is not only false: it’s bad for you

Clifton Mark

An empty room with a chair against a wall on the right, scrunched paper on the floor by a bin, and electrical sockets on the wall.

essay

Work

Fuck work

Economists believe in full employment. Americans think that work builds character. But what if jobs aren’t working anymore?

James Livingston

idea

War and peace

What did Hannah Arendt really mean by the banality of evil?

Thomas White

A large group of people in bikinis and swimwear, body-painted in bright colours, posing and flexing muscles outdoors.

essay

Gender and identity

Gender is not a spectrum

The idea that ‘gender is a spectrum’ is supposed to set us free. But it is both illogical and politically troubling

Rebecca Reilly-Cooper

Vintage photo of Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr in hats and suits walking down a street with trees and buildings in the background.

idea

History of science

What Einstein meant by ‘God does not play dice’

Jim Baggott

Illustration of an astronaut in an orange spacesuit running on a red-orange alien planet with a blue trail beneath him.

essay

Cosmology

Exodus

Elon Musk argues that we must put a million people on Mars if we are to ensure that humanity has a future

Ross Andersen

A spacecraft orbiting Saturn with its rings visible above and the planet’s atmosphere below, in dark space.

idea

Philosophy of science

Why philosophy is so important in science education

Subrena E Smith

A metal car game piece on the “In Jail” square of a Monopoly board. The background shows blurred text and board squares.

idea

Sports and games

Monopoly was invented to demonstrate the evils of capitalism

Kate Raworth

A woman in a yellow saree standing among large piles of colourful clothes outdoors, with trees in the background.

video

Beauty and aesthetics

This is the final resting place of your cast-off clothing

14 minutes

A giant video screen displaying a face in a snowy city park, with two people under a red umbrella nearby.

essay

Knowledge

Escape the echo chamber

First you don’t hear other views. Then you can’t trust them. Your personal information network entraps you just like a cult

C Thi Nguyen

Close-up of a woman with brown eyes and long hair smiling, showing noticeable dental issues and freckles on her face.

essay

Fairness and equality

Poor teeth

If you have a mouthful of teeth shaped by a childhood in poverty, don’t go knocking on the door of American privilege

Sarah Smarsh

A vintage photo of 15 mugshots of women, arranged in a 3x5 grid on a beige background page.

idea

Computing and artificial intelligence

Algorithms associating appearance and criminality have a dark past

Catherine Stinson

Four people with bicycles watch an aeroplane take off, seen from behind under a cloudy sky.

essay

Future of technology

The golden quarter

Some of our greatest cultural and technological achievements took place between 1945 and 1971. Why has progress stalled?

Michael Hanlon

A man sitting on a bed in a damaged room, looking outside where debris lies on the floor and a red building is visible through a broken window

essay

Making

Chabuduo! Close enough …

Your balcony fell off? Chabuduo. Vaccines are overheated? Chabuduo. How China became the land of disastrous corner-cutting

James Palmer

A busy open-plan office with workers at desks using computers. Decor includes colourful artificial plants and toys.

essay

Economics

Are coders worth it?

In today’s world, web developers have it all: money, perks, freedom, respect. But is there value in what we do?

James Somers

Diorama depicting astronauts on the Moon’s surface with a lunar module, US flag and filming crew under studio lights.

idea

Knowledge

You don’t have a right to believe whatever you want to

Daniel DeNicola

Medieval painting of three individuals in robes, one holding a sword and shield, another stirring a pot over a fire, while the third person watches on.

idea

Human rights and justice

Why the trial by ordeal was actually an effective test of guilt

Peter T Leeson

A naked woman in a bed with a man partially visible, in a room with red walls and a wooden bed frame, clothes on the floor and a light fixture on the wall.

essay

Sex and sexuality

Pornucopia

Critics say that porn degrades women, dulls sexual pleasure, and ruins authentic relationships – are they right?

Maria Konnikova

Close-up photo of a human eye with the word “Google” reflected on the pupil, showing the website’s homepage on a computer screen.

essay

Information and communication

The new mind control

The internet has spawned subtle forms of influence that can flip elections and manipulate everything we say, think and do

Robert Epstein

Black and white photo of a lively gathering, people laughing and conversing around a table with wine bottles and glasses.

essay

Meaning and the good life

The meanings of life

Happiness is not the same as a sense of meaning. How do we go about finding a meaningful life, not just a happy one?

Roy F Baumeister

Close-up of a smiling mouth with braces, showing pink lips and metal orthodontic brackets on teeth.

idea

Anthropology

It’s not that your teeth are too big: your jaw is too small

Peter Ungar