Was Gamification a Terrible Lie? Turning work into play was sold as a miracle for increasing productivity–but was that ever really plausible?

    Does Siri Believe in God? A theological guide to chatbots and the world’s major religions.

    Where We Live and How We Die What a year of death looks like around the world.

    The Aesthetics of Feeling Safe Rape is added to the lengthy list of the things a woman should keep in mind before going out, in addition to skin oil and bra lines and the effect that gravity can have on our hair.

    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?

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

    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

    Fowl Plague

    Pandemics have threatened humanity in the past–and avian influenza may well be the next one due.
    Duncan Geere
    Aug 4, 2017

    The Human Machine

    A series about the increasingly blurred lines between us and our machines.
    Ian Steadman
    Aug 23, 2017

    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.

    Food Sharing Apps Could Reduce Billions of Pounds of Waste

    Connecting supermarkets with charities.
    Simon Copland
    Jun 24, 2015 2 min read

    A Darker Future For Us All

    The battle against light pollution is on.
    Ros Donald
    Jun 17, 2015 4 min read

    How a Shock Diagnosis Lead to a Genetic Discovery and the Awakening of an Innovator Within

    When her child was diagnosed with a rare disease, Sharon Terry made is her mission to enable researchers find a cure.
    Ken Banks
    Sep 30, 2014 4 min read