The startup using “digital twins” to protect homes from wildfires
Stand Insurance is using computer simulations and “digital twins” to help homeowners make their properties fire resilient.
How AI is being drafted for a digital cold war
“Technology has always been co-opted for war, but truly intelligent AI, let alone a superintelligence, is a different beast entirely.”
The Freethink Interview
In this groundbreaking series, we host intimate conversations with tech and business leaders on the bleeding edge, exploring how technology works and its impact on people and society.
Future Explored
Freethink's premier newsletter exploring the incredible technologies moving the world forward.
Tracy Chou built a startup to “deep clean” your socials
Tracy Chou’s Block Party is helping people enjoy the benefits of social media while staying safe both online and IRL.
Silicon chips are no longer sustainable. Here’s what’s next.
To take our tech to the next level, we need a more energy-efficient semiconductor. Gallium nitride could be it.
EndUser
Human-centered stories of how technology is transforming our everyday life.
AI chatbots may ease the world’s loneliness (if they don’t make it worse)
AI chatbots may have certain advantages when roleplaying as our friends. They may also come with downsides that make our loneliness worse.
How tech is turning science into a hobby
From astronomy to video games, consumer technology is helping people pursue their interests while also advancing community science.
Beyond screen time: Rethinking kids’ tech use with the “Goldilocks hypothesis”
The “Goldilocks hypothesis” asks parents to think beyond screen time and consider the habits that teens build around technology use.
Get inspired with the most innovative stories shaping the world around us.
Hard Reset
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The Freethink Interview
The war over microchips is coming, says Chris Miller | The Freethink Interview
“When we think about technology, we think of social media, search engines, apps on our phone; but undergirding all of this are chips.”
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Hard Reset
3x faster air travel at a fraction of the price: this jet engine could change everything
“This is a system that will enable the sub-thousand dollar ticket from San Francisco to Tokyo in 3.5 hours.”
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Hard Reset
The most secure wireless connection ever: Your body
What if your body could become a USB cable? Ixana, a cutting-edge wearable hardware company, is revolutionizing how we connect our devices by using our bodies as conductors.
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Hard Reset
How the DIY engineering boom will change the world
$20,000, 100 days, no job, 1 garage. This family built a self-driving car during the pandemic. Now, they’re starting a company.
Freethink Voices
Why harmony with nature is a myth
Slowing growth and limiting development isn’t living in harmony with nature—it is surrendering in a battle.
How humanity transformed its fate
From surviving on wild plants and game to controlling our world with technology, humanity’s journey of progress is a story of expanding human agency.
Life was dirty, difficult, and dangerous for almost everyone who ever existed
9 minutes of cruel history may cure the anti-progress delusion.
A new vision for the advancement of humanity
The world needs a moral defense of progress based in humanism and agency.
T-minus
Humanity is reaching new heights in space exploration. Make sure you’re part of the journey.
T-Minus: Kessler Syndrome
Experts answer 10 big questions about the nightmare scenario that could send us back to the pre-Space Age.
T-Minus: 10 milestones in commercial spaceflight
T-Minus looks back at 10 major milestones in the commercial space industry — including several SpaceX triumphs.
T-Minus: 10 space startups to watch
Today’s aerospace industry includes hundreds of startups, all vying to be the next SpaceX. Here are 10 that could actually do it.
With Our Partners
Stories focused on interesting solutions to big problems.
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Police spend 40% of their time on paperwork. Can AI help?
In partnership with Axon
Axon’s AI innovations promise to free officers from desks, but not without questions of ethics. CEO Rick Smith addresses concerns and community trust:
Series|
In The Arena with Evan Baehr
Adapting education for an ever-changing workforce
In partnership with Arena Hall
At a time where AI is constantly shifting the workforce, how can you ensure your skills are cutting edge?
Indigenous Peoples standing up to corporate greed
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
Indigenous Peoples’ lands are key to combating climate change, but corporate greed puts them at risk. Meet the land and environmental defenders fighting to hold them accountable.
Meet the guardians of Earth’s last untouched lands
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
This group makes up just 6% of the global population, but protects up to 80% of our remaining biodiversity. Meet the most committed keepers of planet Earth.
The hidden crisis of environmental racism – and the fight against it
In partnership with McNulty Foundation
Those on the frontlines of environmental degradation have the best solutions. This is their fight.
The unsung heroes restoring America after disaster
In partnership with McNulty Foundation
When disaster strikes, the workers helping us rebuild are often exploited. Here’s a solution to protect and scale this urgently-needed labor force.
The next gen leaders transforming Haiti
In partnership with McNulty Foundation
More than crisis and chaos. Meet the new leaders who are reshaping Haiti, starting with an education system that honors their true identity.
Why aren’t we automatically registered to vote? With this program, we could be
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
SecureAVR, also known as the “Motor Voter of the 21st Century,” makes registering to vote seamless and secure at the DMV. With millions more potential voters, here’s how this system could enhance democracy across the country.
Registering to vote is unnecessarily complicated. Here’s 1 simple solution:
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
Maps say this place doesn’t exist. But that’s not true
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
Maps say these places don’t exist, but that’s not true. Millions of people live in unmapped regions around the globe. Here’s why it’s critically important that we help close map data gaps.
Original Series
This is a show about rebuilding the world from scratch and reimagining everything from first principles.