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History tells us that all freedoms are conditional. In 1920, the Soviet Union became the first country in the world to legalize abortion, as part of a socialist commitment to women’s health and well-being. Sixteen years later, that decision was reversed once Stalin was in power and realized that birth rates were falling. The pressure […]
If current global trends are correct, in 2025, around 41 million people will die from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—which include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness, and severe mental illness—representing around 74 percent of all deaths globally. Despite major advances in medicine over the past few decades, the numbers dying from NCDs are still on […]
Public health is under pressure. Across health care systems around the world, funding is declining, exhausted professionals are leaving the field, and in the US state legislatures are pulling back needed legal authorities. At the same time, outbreaks of diseases such as measles and dengue are increasing, adding more urgency and responsibility to the work. […]
In 2025, there will be a course correction in AI and geopolitics, as world leaders increasingly understand that their national interests are best served through the promise of a more positive and cooperative future. The post-ChatGPT years in AI discourse could be characterized as somewhere between a gold rush and a moral panic. In 2023, […]
Next year will mark a turning point when people worldwide finally recognize that their health is not only physical and mental, but also social. Social health focuses on relationships; it is the dimension of your overall health and wellbeing that comes from connection with family, friends, coworkers, and community. The focus on social health has […]
In 2024, wealth concentration rose to an all-time high. According to Forbes’ Billionaires List, not only are there more billionaires than ever—2,781—but those billionaires are also richer than ever, with an aggregate worth of $14.2 trillion. This is a trend that looks set to continue unabated. A recent report from the financial data company Altrata […]
In 2025 we will see AI and machine learning leveraged to make real progress in understanding animal communication, answering a question that has puzzled humans as long as we have existed: “What are animals saying to each other?” The recent Coller-Dolittle Prize, offering cash prizes up to half-a-million dollars for scientists who “crack the code” […]
The birth of ChatGPT brought a collection of anxieties regarding how large language models allow users to quickly subvert processes that once required human time, effort, passion, and understanding. And further, the tech sector’s often stormy relationship with regulation and ethical oversight have left many fearful for a future where artificial intelligence replaces humans at […]
I played poker professionally before I ever wrote about politics or built an election model. What really fascinates me about gambling is the mindset that drives this behavior—a way of thinking that unites a cohort I call “the River.” The River is a sprawling ecosystem of like-minded people that includes everyone from low-stakes poker pros […]
In 2025, AI and climate change, two of the biggest societal disruptors we’re facing, will collide. The summer of 2024 broke the record for Earth’s hottest day since data collection began, sparking widespread media coverage and public debate. This also happens to be the year that both Microsoft and Google, two of the leading big […]