Just Might Work – Freethink

When you’re working on the edge of what’s possible, your ideas are bound to raise a few eyebrows. But sometimes the ideas that seem far-fetched are also the ones that change the world. In this series, we meet the people whose bold ideas might sound crazy...but also Just Might Work.

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Fast fashion is killing the planet. These chemists are fighting back

Your clothes are mostly plastic. These chemists have figured out how to recycle them.

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All Episodes (25)

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NASA’s mission to build the ultimate leak-proof lab

NASA is building a first-of-its-kind biocontainment lab to study samples from Mars — and possibly prevent a Martian plague.

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3 ways to clone yourself before you die

These tech companies are making digital clones of people to live on in a digital afterlife. Would you do it?

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Inside Wisk: The flying taxi ending traffic

Over 1,300 test flights in, Wisk’s self-flying taxi will transform city commutes by 2028.

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Men are finally getting birth control options

Big Pharma won’t invest in male birth control. Meet the scientists doing it themselves.

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The sex workers taking on Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal

Big banks are blocking sex work payments. Is crypto the answer?

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Waves have massive energy. They could power the planet.

Wave energy has incredible potential – and the Navy is racing to harness it.

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Morocco has a doomsday seed vault. We stepped inside.

Deep in the drylands of Morocco, a hidden vault holds the seeds that could save humanity.

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“Art exoskeleton” lets you feel opera

This Philadelphia theater puts robotic suits on guests before they watch Opera.

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Inside the lab creating human eggs from scratch

“In a 50 year timeframe this could become the default way that people choose to have children.”

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This implant can reverse paralysis. And that’s just the beginning.

His brain implant made headlines in 2016. Now, he’s fighting for everyone to afford one.

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Cow burps are dangerous. Let’s hack them.

Cows belch a greenhouse gas called methane, which is 30x more potent than carbon dioxide.

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Aliens may have a signature that a telescope can hear

We’re sending messages into space. Have they been received by aliens?

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The scientists decoding the ancient mystery of fire

We still don’t understand the ancient mysteries of fire. How is that possible?

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Meet the woman who can smell diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s

This woman can smell diseases — and she’s working with scientists to give you her superpower.

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Inside the lab inventing “coffee” without beans to save the planet

Almost all of the last wild forests will have to be destroyed to support the growth of coffee.

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The world’s first 100% accurate tornado detector

Can this recycled technology save the citizens of Tornado Alley?

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Fast fashion is killing the planet. These chemists are fighting back

Your clothes are mostly plastic. These chemists have figured out how to recycle them.

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The secret lab making the most sustainable food in the world

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NYC’s nonprofit DIY internet is taking on Verizon & more

1.5 million New Yorkers lack access to high-speed internet. Can a DIY mesh internet network change that?

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How robots could end animal captivity in zoos and marine parks

Could robotic dolphins help marine parks become more humane spaces where people can learn about and connect with nature?

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Is DMT the best new treatment for depression?

Psychedelic therapy could bring the ancient healing powers of drugs like DMT into mental health clinics.

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Biohackers take aim at big pharma’s stranglehold on insulin

These biohackers plan to give away their instructions for how to make insulin for free.

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Can we hack sugar to be healthy?

Is there such a thing as healthy sugar? Food scientists in Israel are hacking the sugar molecule itself – eliminating the need for subpar alternatives.

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The case for drinking treated wastewater. (Yes, from the toilet.)

Concern over droughts and water pollution have ignited a unique solution for preserving one of our most vital resources — advanced wastewater treatment for human consumption, also known as direct potable reuse.

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Catching the most dangerous thing in space

More than 8,000 tons of space debris orbit Earth, endangering our astronauts and satellites. Can we clean up space before it’s too late?