Culture

A black and white image split into two sections: a half globe on the left and a crowd of people on the right, with the text "More Humans Are Better" in the center and the number 3 in the top right corner.

The overlooked virtues of a crowded world

In a world of rising cynicism, a celebration of our capacity to create, adapt, and thrive.

Jason Crawford

A graphic titled "Humanity vs. Nature" showing a human evolutionary timeline, biocentrism, ecocentrism, and ethos depictions of nature, including a tree, a bird, and marine life.

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.

Jason Crawford

Entertainment

How the internet changed news, according to The Onion

Freethink spoke to Onion staffers about parodying news from the print era into the digital age.

Tim Brinkhof and Stephen Johnson

Art

Ukrainian artists turn to NFTs to tell their stories

A Kyiv gallerist and Puerto Rican art gallery are auctioning off NFTs of art created in conflict to support Ukrainian artists.

B. David Zarley

Sports

Watch John McEnroe take on past versions of himself on the court

Thanks to AI, digital avatars, and robotic cannons, John McEnroe is taking on his toughest opponent: himself.

B. David Zarley

Sports

The NBA’s Golden State Warriors use data to optimize the fan experience

The Warriors are using data in an attempt to deliver the best — and best targeted — fan experience possible.

B. David Zarley

Music

Kendrick Lamar deepfakes made by South Park creators’ studio

Rapper Kendrick Lamar harnesses the artistic power of deepfake technology in the new music video for his song “The Heart Part 5.”

Kristin Houser

Hacking

North Korean citizens are jailbreaking smartphones to bypass censorship

In the face of severe punishments, North Korean hackers are finding clever ways to access forbidden content.

Stephen Johnson

Archaeology

Derinkuyu: Mysterious underground city in Turkey found in man’s basement

A basement renovation project led to the archaeological discovery of a lifetime: the Derinkuyu Underground City, which housed 20,000 people.

Frank Jacobs

Coronavirus

WeChat users try to keep Shanghai lockdown protest video ahead of censors

WeChat users have turned to all manner of tricks in a cat-and-mouse game with CCP censors to keep a video about the Shanghai lockdown online.

B. David Zarley

Democracy

The future of classified intelligence may be sharing it

Faced with an enemy adept at information warfare, the US and allies are turning to a new, unusual way to use classified intelligence.

B. David Zarley

Why are extreme beliefs exploding?

7:21

Jamie Wheal considers it a "collapse of meaning."

Genetics

This “family tree of all of humanity” shows how all of us are linked

Researchers have mapped the genetic ties between every person who ever lived, in the "first draft" of our shared family history.

Teresa Carey

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