Culture

a white coffin in the middle of a lush forest

Alternative funeral options are changing how we honor our dead

A small, yet growing number of people are starting to choose funeral options outside traditional burial or cremation.

Science fiction books that predicted the future with terrifying accuracy

Science fiction writers have anticipated a variety of modern inventions, from cars to organ transplants. Some books barely seem like fiction.

Tim Brinkhof

Psychology

The most undervalued problem-solving tool? Lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking is a way of approaching problems. It deliberately forgoes obvious approaches in favor of oblique or unexpected ones.

Matt Davis

Fertility

Breaking the taboo of male infertility

Male infertility contributes to up to half of infertility cases. Why is it so hard to talk about?

B. David Zarley

UTEC an organization that is helping young people overcome poverty

Building Community

Can friendship keep at-risk youth off the streets?

In partnership with Stand Together

Carlos felt addicted to the thrill of crime at a young age. Today, he yields a different, positive influence on the streets with UTEC.

Linda Wang

Building Community

How Old Skool Café helped this teenager overcome adversity after trauma

In partnership with Stand Together

After suffering a violent gang beating, Desiree Maldonado experienced major medical and emotional issues. She turned from a shy and nerdy 14-year-old kid to a hard and angry rebel. This is how one restaurant job changed her trajectory.

Lise Metzger

Startups

Disrupting the fear of failure

6:02

Failure is a universal experience, yet the stigma attached to it undermines our ability to talk about it openly and honestly. One provocatively named organization, F*ckup Nights, is hoping to turn the tide.

Archaeology

Will Hunt finds humanity underground

In Will Hunt’s book Underground, the journalist and "urban explorer" details his expeditions through caves, mines, tunnels, catacombs, and sewer systems around the world and the depths of the information he's found.

B. David Zarley

Series| Catalysts

The mental health movement for Chicago’s inner city youth

5:19

In partnership with Stand Together

A remarkable transformation is taking place in several inner-city Chicago schools, and it's resulting in fewer gangs, drugs, and homicides. Could this new model of group therapy be the cause, and is it scalable?

Mental Health

Wilderness experience helps army vet adjust to life after war

Meet Thomas Weinheimer, an army veteran whose 53-day wilderness experience on a North Carolina trail helped ease his transition back to civilian life.

Teresa Carey

Mental Health

Wilderness therapy: A path to healing for Veterans

10:12

These long-distance treks use the power of nature over three to six months of exploration to help heal the invisible wounds of war, and the results are incredible.

Mental Health

This artist heals wounds of violence with tattoos

Brian Finn tattoos over scars from self-harm, violence, or human trafficking for free or at a discounted rate in order to help people heal.

Teresa Carey

Books

Generalist vs. specialist: Which is the best path to success?

5:47

How many Mozarts and Tiger Woods are there in any given generation? A generalist himself, bestselling author David Epstein says you have to give yourself permission to choose the wrong pursuit or work in a job that’s not your ultimate dream career. These small “failures” are actually major learning experiences that help you inch closer to greatness.

Sections

Video

Freethink

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