Let Robots Handle Your Emotional Burnout at Work But as robotics and computing evolve, some researchers foresee a future where technology can relieve the long-held emotional burden of some of these professions. They think we owe it to the service workforce to offer a new frontline of robotic protection. In fact, they think it’s far overdue–but does that actually mean just automating these jobs away?

    How to Dress for Ultimate Privacy In the age of surveillance, achieving invisibility through fashion isn’t a futuristic idea–it’s already possible.

    Beats: Disability “Disable” is an active verb, and disability describes the social and environmental barriers that prevent access just as much as an individual body’s physical reality.

    Beats: Food Food structures our day, and food systems shape our world

    The Power of Play: A Reading List A crash course on how fun and leisure can change the world

    Batteries Not Excluded The supercomputer in your pocket and your next car rely on them–so what will we do if we run out of lithium?

    The ID Question

    Who decides who you are? You, or the world around you?
    Anjali Ramachandran
    Nov 22, 2017
    A vast stack of containers on a ship

    Postcards From a Supply Chain

    A series that traces consumer goods back through the global shipping system to their source.
    Dan Williams
    Jan 21, 2015

    A Noxious Problem

    Smog in cities and smoke in the home cause a huge range of short- and long-term health conditions. Why is the world’s biggest public health crisis only getting worse?
    How We Get To Next
    Oct 24, 2018

    Beats: Space

    Space is where we project our dreams–and our nightmares–of the future.

    Beats: Food

    Food structures our day, and food systems shape our world

    Beats: Disability

    “Disable” is an active verb, and disability describes the social and environmental barriers that prevent access just as much as an individual body’s physical reality.

    Beats: Health

    Access to health care is as much a matter of public policy as it is the size of a person’s pocketbook; within a doctor’s office, many factors affect the quality of treatment.

    Moving Beyond the “Radio Voice”

    Humans can learn to understand a huge variety of accents and dialects. So why do we usually hear the same sorts of voices?
    Hannah Harris Green
    Aug 24, 2018 2 min read

    War-Gaming for Peace

    Politicians, generals, and NGOs around the world regularly play through “war games.” But, increasingly, these games aren’t simulating war-they’re simulating how to keep the peace.
    Paul Dean
    Oct 29, 2018 5 min read

    Going Viral: How the Humble Text Message is Fighting Ebola

    Cell phones are the most effective way of spreading awareness information in affected regions.
    Ken Banks
    Aug 28, 2014 2 min read