Contributor

B. David Zarley

Senior Staff Writer

Contact

b.david@freethink.com

B. David Zarley is a senior staff writer for Freethink, where he covers health and medicine, including infectious disease, psychedelic research, mental health, and the brain. A graduate of SUNY Fredonia, his work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Verge, Jezebel, Frieze, Sports Illustrated, VICE, Paste Magazine, and numerous other publications. He lives in Chicago and can be reached via Signal by request. Send him story ideas!

Building Community

This social enterprise is cleaning up Chicago one street at a time

This nonprofit is not only polishing the streets of Chicago, but providing a "clean slate" for its interns. Those with a criminal background, dealing with addiction recovery, or domestic violence, are welcome to take part in job training and counseling.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

mRNA vaccines could change everything in the fight against disease

Traditional methods of vaccination have come up against difficult challenges. They can also be expensive and time-consuming to produce. New RNA vaccines are faster, cheaper, and safer, and show great potential to meet evolving threats.

B. David Zarley

Transportation

Getting aerial ridesharing off the ground

It’s been the ultimate futuristic dream for decades: flying cars! But now, the future finally has a deadline. At least to start, it will land in the form of a small air taxi operated by Uber, not something you’ll park in your garage.

B. David Zarley

In the midst of a crisis, Venezuelans are training self-driving cars

Hundreds of thousands of formerly middle class Venezuelans, thrown into poverty by economic collapse, are now sitting at computers as they help train self-driving cars to identify and avoid obstacles.

B. David Zarley

Art

Chico MacMurtrie's art transcends the southern border

If all goes to plan, six robotic sculptures will arc across the border dividing El Paso and Ciudad Juárez in the fall of 2020.

B. David Zarley

Urban Living

The future of micromobility in Africa

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, improvements to infrastructure shift focus from cars to micromobility. The city’s transportation plan calls for hundreds of kilometers of bike lanes and pedestrian pathways for increased safety.

B. David Zarley

Sustainability

Paving the way with recycled roads

The world is facing a massive build up of waste. But this solution of recycled roads may pave the way for a cleaner future.

B. David Zarley

Daan Roosegaarde is a Dutch architect on a mission to create a more efficient and beautiful world through innovative

Sustainability

Merging nature and sustainable design: An interview with Daan Roosegaarde

From towers that create pockets of clean air to a luminescent bike path that glows like children's ceiling stars, Daan Roosegaarde's entire practice is centered around the beauty of living with nature and removing pollution from urban life.

B. David Zarley

Public Health

Uganda begins massive new Ebola vaccine study

The Ebola outbreak in the Congo is now the second deadliest on record. How can we stop the devastation? A study in Uganda could hold the key for a new vaccine.

B. David Zarley

Food

Clean meat: A new protein is making its way onto the chef's table

Clean meat is becoming a more widely known, and much loved food category. But do you expect to see it on your gourmet plate any time soon? These chefs think yes.

B. David Zarley