Freethink

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Collection
The End of Death as We Know It?
A collection of features, essays, and op-eds mapping the frontier of longevity research and the people working to bring healthspan gains to everyone.
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The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
Progress is a grand project for humanity
Jason Crawford
Workers assemble cars in an early 20th-century automotive factory, surrounded by vehicle parts and tools.
Books
How Ford built “an efficiency engine” around the Model T
Brian Potter
Two molecular structures are shown on patterned floral backgrounds; each structure is displayed on a solid-colored rectangle in front of a large red flower illustration.
Engineering
The left–right twist that could rewrite tech
Scientists are harnessing chirality — the left- and right-handedness of molecules — to build better batteries, sharper displays, and more.
Philip Maughan
More Stories
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.
A gold DNA double helix structure is surrounded by three syringes with needles on a blue background.
2025: We’re not in a crisis. We’re in a transformation.
“We’re living in an extraordinary moment in history. We are at a moment here in 2025 where we have world historic game-changing technologies now starting to scale.”
Series| The Freethink Interview
40 generations of historians waited to read these scrolls. Now, we can.
A microchip with arrows pointing to it. Text below reads, "This Controls Everything" on a yellow background.
Series| 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.”
A close-up view of the Sun's surface, showcasing its bright, textured, orange appearance against a black background.
Series| The Freethink Interview
The solar revolution turning sunlight into synthetic fuel
“10 years ago, my colleagues and I looked at the prognosis for Climate Change, and it looked pretty hopeless. There really was no way out.” But something happened – something good.
A curated selection of thought leaders whose voices deserve to be heard now more than ever.
A collage with vintage industrial images, a map, a car, a mushroom cloud, and the text “The Spirit We Lost” alongside the number 9 in the top right corner.
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
How technocracy made us doubt progress
The 20th century left us with fatalism, defeatism, and a hollowed-out vision of the future. Techno-humanism can restore our belief in progress.
Jason Crawford
A large, modern industrial building with “Cologix” signage, surrounded by parking lots, roads, and green lawns in a suburban business area.
The Race to AGI
The AI vibe shift: From doom to realism
Existential anxiety surrounding AI is giving way to more realistic concerns about its potential impact on the workforce and beyond.
Rohit Krishnan
Silhouette of a person holding a briefcase, walking with red circuit-like lines radiating from their head on a beige background.
AI
No, AI won’t take all the jobs. Here’s why.
When you consider the mechanics of integrating AI into the job market, the idea that it will take all our jobs quickly falls apart.
Daniel Jeffries
Collage of vintage technology images, including a flying car, machinery, and early airplane, over a grid background with the text "The Spirit We Lost" and the number 9.
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
We used to celebrate science and innovation
From the Brooklyn Bridge to the polio vaccine, society once honored signs of progress with parades, fireworks, and festivals.
Jason Crawford
A collage with a DNA strand, a virus, a tomato, an airplane, an autonomous car, and the text "The Unlimited Horizon 8" on a grid background.
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
What if humans mastered every aspect of nature?
A bold vision of a 10x better future where humanity has mastered biology, energy, and matter to unlock unprecedented progress.
Jason Crawford
A man in a suit stands at a podium with the presidential seal, speaking at an event with signs that read "Winning The AI Race" and "ALL-IN.
The Race to AGI
Governing AGI: Model laws, chip wars, and sovereign AI
The US must regulate AI in a way that protects society, preserves America’s competitive edge, and fosters innovation — all at the same time.
Rohit Krishnan
An open doorway made of computer circuit boards leads to bright daylight and a blue sky outside, with electronic components covering the surrounding surfaces.
AI
The age of industrialized imagination
By slashing costs, AI will spark a creative renaissance in the entertainment industry, leading to more working artists, not fewer.
Daniel Jeffries
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The Great Progression
America’s next grand mission: Build an AI-powered society for all
America’s new mission isn’t just to invent the new technology of AI. It must invent the systems that then make the most of AI.
Peter Leyden
A man in a black tuxedo and sunglasses stands in front of a blue backdrop with the Breakthrough Prize logo and text.
The Race to AGI
Silicon Valley has entered its superstar engineer era
In the race to AGI, tech companies are borrowing playbooks from sports, finance, and film to land elite talent. Here’s why.
Rohit Krishnan
Abstract geometric design with red and black grid patterns, a central white rectangle displaying the text "The Unlimited Horizon," and the number 8 in the top right corner.
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
AI can dramatically expand human agency
If we get AI right, it will accelerate empowerment, enabling people to learn any subject, start any business, and realize any vision.
Jason Crawford
A pair of black smart glasses with a digital display showing the time, temperature, and icons on the lenses against a blue gradient background.
Opinion
A personal assistant for everyone: The promise of ambient AI
We’re leaving the app era and entering the age of ambient AI: intelligent help that’s always on, but never in the way.
Daniel Jeffries
A man with gray hair and a mustache sits smiling in front of a blue background with "Freethink" and "Big Think" logos.
The Great Progression
Google AI exec: “The mistake would be thinking this is hype.”
Bestselling author and Google Labs’ Editorial Director Steven Johnson talks about the future of AI at Freethink’s Great Progression event.
Brandon Stewart
A man in a patterned shirt speaks on stage in front of a screen displaying "THE GREAT PROGRESSION 2025-2050" and the BIG THINK logo.
The Great Progression
Siri co-founder: “No matter how smart AI gets, it’s not going to solve all our problems by itself.”
Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri and VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, talks about the future of AI at Freethink’s Great Progression event.
Brandon Stewart
A woman with long blond hair wearing a striped shirt smiles while standing in front of a purple backdrop with "BIG THINK" and "EXPAND YOUR WORLD" logos.
The Great Progression
This conservationist is trying to bring extinct species back to life
Ryan Phelan, co-founder of Revive & Restore, talks about the future of conservation at Freethink’s Great Progression event.
Brandon Stewart
A collage featuring cows, a molecule model, charts, machinery, and the text "The Problem-Solving Animal" with the number 7 on a grid background.
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
Problem-solving is fundamental to human nature
Believing in the next solution is not blind optimism or even wishful thinking — it is a recognition that humans are problem-solving animals.
Jason Crawford
The Great Progression
Hard Reset
Several electric cars enter adjacent charging or battery-swapping stations under a white and yellow structure labeled "ample" with the slogan "Electric cars for everyone.
Series| Hard Reset
Five-minute EV refills? This tech is wild
A black robotic hand holding a small red object against a blue and beige gradient background.
Series| Hard Reset
How durable, inexpensive robotic hands are made
We met the team at PSYONIC, the minds developing one of the world’s most advanced robotic hands.
A person rides a bicycle between two modern white buildings under a clear blue sky, with large text reading "RESET THE CITY" above.
Series| Hard Reset
24 hours in an illegal, car-free community
What happens when you ban cars? Step inside the first walkable neighborhood of its kind in the US.
Gold lunar lander model with NASA and flag decals on a blue gradient background.
Series| Hard Reset
Moon landings are back, baby! Feat. Firefly Aerospace
“These investments we make in exploring our universe have always paid dividends. That drive to explore these frontiers is what forces us to be creative and inventive.”
A man with glasses and a beard holds a cylindrical object labeled "Transport Document" outside in front of an industrial backdrop.
Series| Hard Reset
Inside the insane lab making fuel from thin air
Come with us to visit Terraform Industries, the start-up harnessing artificial photosynthesis to make fossil-free fuel.
A man with glasses pours liquid from a plastic bag into a toilet against a blue background.
Series| Hard Reset
Why use pristine drinking water for toilets?
Future Explored
Freethink's premier newsletter exploring the incredible technologies moving the world forward.
A collage of images of satellites and spacecraft.
Collection
Future Explored
This is Future Explored, your guide to world-changing technology. Each month, we explore the past, present, and future of innovation.
A spacecraft flying near the surface of a large, rocky asteroid in space, with a fiery sky in the background
Asteroids
This startup is racing to mine the final frontier
AstroForge isn’t afraid to take risks if it means being the first to mine asteroids for the rare metals we need for many clean energy technologies.
Kristin Houser
A side view of a humanoid robot with a sleek, rounded head and segmented body.
AI
Humanoid helpers are now entering our homes
Robotics startup 1X Technologies is now sending its humanoid robots into homes to help people with chores and provide companionship.
Kristin Houser
Get inspired with the most innovative stories shaping the world around us.
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Aerial view of a rural settlement with huts on the left, and a heat map of African croplands on the right, highlighting agricultural regions.
How local innovators are transforming the world 
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
These changemakers show that social innovation thrives when it draws on the knowledge and lived experience of the people impacted.
Alasdair Lane
Two women in patterned clothing stand in a forest. Aerial and crowd images are overlaid.
Why we need social innovation now more than ever
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
Social innovation is proving that when we work together across sectors, lasting change is possible.
Why are traditional climate solutions falling short in the American South?
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
Decades of disinvestment left Black communities in the South fighting for clean air and water. Now they’re showing the nation what justice looks like.
Jamie Carson
Three people stand outside a brick building, facing forward. The woman on the left wears a "Black Health Matters" shirt, the man in the center wears a blazer, and the woman on the right wears glasses and a blue blazer.
When pollution poisons a community, what does justice look like?
In partnership with Skoll Foundation
Toxic waste sites surround Black communities in the South, poisoning their air, water, and health. This is how they’re fighting back—and winning.
A police cap is covered with binary code on a bright yellow background.
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:
A person sits at a desk looking thoughtfully to the side. Behind them is a bookshelf full of books and a lit hanging lamp. The background has colorful static interference.
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?
Individual with blue and red face paint, wearing a yellow headband and a necklace, in an outdoor wooded area.
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.
A person wearing a headscarf and carrying a basket picks tea leaves in a green hilly landscape with a waterfall in the background.
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.
Industrial facility emitting smoke from multiple smokestacks under an overcast sky.
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.
Two women and a young boy stand in front of a house while five individuals stand on the roof in the background.
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.
Original Series

This is a show about rebuilding the world from scratch and reimagining everything from first principles.

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