I went to the hottest online club in quarantine
Four extroverted friends looking to dance, drink, and be merry during quarantine created an online club where people from around the globe can come together to socialize and regain some normalcy.
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Catalysts
Online eye exams will change the way we buy glasses
The FDA recently lifted restrictions against an online eye exam provider to help optometrists reach their patients during the pandemic. Will vision care go virtual for good?
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Challengers
Air Jordan designer’s lessons for startups
While there have been an array of challenges for startups during COVID-19, Jason Mayden is preparing for long-term success in a post-pandemic world.
How to keep hospitals safe with a pandemic still raging
This coronavirus screening app is helping 25,000 hospital employees get to work faster and safer.
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Challengers
This carbon-negative dream house ships in a box
A startup described as the “IKEA of houses” is determined to make beautifully-designed, energy efficient homes affordable for everyone.
Can an app help you have better sex?
An app created by a sex therapist is helping couples learn how to have better sex by exploring their own desires and discovering their partner’s.
Are handshakes gone for good?
The spread of COVID-19 has turned an age-old gesture into a faux pas. As more people are wary of spreading germs, handshakes are becoming less of a cultural norm, but are they gone for good?
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Challengers
This virtual world could be the next Fortnite
This virtual universe has already captured the interest of thousands of gamers and it stands to make a positive impact in the gaming industry as a whole.
Telemedicine is the new normal. But can it survive after COVID?
As medical professionals struggle to meet the needs of patients during the coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine companies have become welcome allies that could drastically alter the future of healthcare.
The science behind your crazy pandemic dreams
If you’ve been having strange dreams and poor sleep during lockdown, you’re not alone. The anxiety-inducing pandemic, less activity, and more screen-time have many more people struggling with insomnia than usual.
The rise of virtual therapy
In a time when the need is great and the future is unknown, virtual mental health services like BetterHelp are bringing relief and hope.
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Challengers
Preschool is broken. Silicon Valley is fixing the system.
Wonderschool is empowering educators to offer affordable, private preschool classes from their homes, making early childhood education more accessible to every child.
No man left behind: The extreme measures to bring missing soldiers home
This team of anthropologists, historians, forensic scientists, and military officers is helping find missing soldiers’ remains and return them to their families.
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Challengers
Healthy fast food start up takes on the McDonald’s empire
This LA-based business wants to radically alter the fast food industry by selling healthy fast food at the same low cost as competitors like McDonald’s.
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Biohackers
DIY biohacking: Do(n’t) try this at home
Dr. Josiah Zayner believes scientists are dragging their feet on realizing CRISPR’s potential, so his do-it-yourself CRISPR kit allows people to experiment with gene editing at home.
The road to reopening, according to a Nobel Prize winner
In this episode of the Freethink Progress Report, we attempt to answer a question on all of our minds: what will it take for routines to return to normal in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns?
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Catalysts
Business boot camp for low-income entrepreneurs
By developing the skills of entrepreneurs in low-income communities, this nonprofit is empowering people to generate sustainable income and become a force for economic growth in their neighborhoods.
Fighting child exploitation with big data
Last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 18 million reports of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Now, they’re using a new technology to confront this issue with the force necessary to eradicate it.
Facing the fear of death in virtual reality
With a virtual reality death simulator, this immersive experience helps people address the uncomfortable subject of mortality and face their fear of dying.
The new space race has officially begun
The space race to the moon, a new “zombie” satellite discovery by an amateur astronomer, and more top stories in our weekly Progress Report.