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

Disaster Response

Airbnb offering free temporary housing to refugees of Russo-Ukrainian war

Airbnb has announced that it will help temporarily house up to 100,000 refugees of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

B. David Zarley

Urban Living

Are urban villages the solution to sprawl?

Urban sprawl leads to a number of modern problems. Urban villages, with their focus on walkability and local services, may be a solution.

Scotty Hendricks

Blockchain

NFTs are extending the life of street art

To extend the life of their street art, creators are linking them to NFTs that can then live on the blockchain in perpetuity.

Kristin Houser

Drugs

Traditional Thai cannabis cooking is back on the menu

Cannabis cooking has long simmered in Thailand. With the ruling junta’s new drug policies, the traditional dish is now making its way onto restaurant plates.

B. David Zarley

Education

Are colleges necessary?

Student debt, sticker price, a pandemic, and economic uncertainty has Gen Z rethinking education.

Hope Reese

Public Health

Reasons to be optimistic in 2022

It can be tough to feel positive after the past two years. But a closer look at the recent past provides reasons for optimism in 2022 and beyond.

Johan Norberg and Tony Morley

History

A papyrus reveals how the Great Pyramid was built

The papyrus contains an eye-witness account of the gathering of materials for the Great Pyramid.

Robby Berman

World-class choir performs advent carols in VR

The Church of England is releasing performances of advent carols in virtual reality to bring Christmastime to social-distancing parishioners.

Kristin Houser

Food

Viral TikTok recipes fill the menu at virtual restaurants

The new virtual restaurant TikTok Kitchen will feature menu items inspired by viral TikTok recipes, including baked feta pasta.

Kristin Houser

Food

Inside the world’s most advanced cultivated meat facility

UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) is offering consumers tours of “the world’s most advanced cultivated meat production facility.”

Kristin Houser

Sections

Video

Freethink

We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.