WorksThe great reinforcer
Alongside all the successes of science in the Covid era, the pandemic has also sparked an outbreak of viral misinformation and sloppy research, revealing the glaring flaws in our scientific system.
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Critics of scientific reform maintain that transparency comes at the cost of speed. What can disciplines of science learn from each other to break free of this crisis and expand our universe of knowledge?
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Although many commentators have asserted a tradeoff between health and the economy, comparing the debt to the financial crisis, economists are uniformly in favour of spending to suppress the virus.
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As rental prices continue to climb in San Francisco, tech firms have looked to relocate in other cities. Without major housing reforms, the next Silicon Valley will face the same fate.
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Crises upend plans, force people to re-evaluate their priorities, and bring into focus new goals. Financial markets give us hints of what we can expect from the aftermath of Covid-19.
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While rents have been soaring for years in urban areas around the world, one Australian city has weathered the storm. What can the world learn from the experiences of Sydney?
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Bad incentives, muddled theory and no practical use. The condition of the social sciences has been blamed on a great variety of things; what’s really at fault and how do we know?
The daily grind
Before grinding mills were invented, the preparation of flour for food was an arduous task largely carried out by women for hours every day. How did it affect their lives and why does it remain a tradition in some places even today?
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Building traditionalist architecture today is derided as inauthentic pastiche. But this perspective turns a blind eye to the dramatic and sophisticated ways that design has been applied throughout history.
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Some of the greatest advances in technology have emerged from bringing intelligent people together to solve problems. How do tech clusters develop & how can we use them to replicate past successes?
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Electrical interference has restricted what humans can observe with existing telescopes. In order to continue making leaps as a species, now is the time for us to build a telescope on the far side of the moon.
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Scientific research today is afflicted by poor reliability and low utility, despite the best efforts of individual researchers. If we want to stimulate research that is both accurate and useful, it’s time to put science to the challenge.
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Many have argued that innovation develops in a simple linear fashion – from research to experimentation to engineering. History suggests the relationship between science & innovation is reciprocal.
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New technologies can be dangerous, threatening the very survival of humanity. Is economic growth inherently risky, and how do we maximize the chances of a flourishing future?
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In spite of major technological progress, tech is often envisioned in the media with pessimism and dread. How have people’s attitudes towards tech companies changed over time and what’s in hold for the future?
Epidemic disease and the state
Western democracies appear to have floundered in their responses to Covid-19. Is there a relationship between health and freedom, and can it be unraveled?
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Many low-income countries are unable to provide effective governance for their citizens, trapped in a cycle of slow growth and persistent corruption. Charter cities may provide an answer.
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Polls show that the majority of Americans want to reduce their consumption of meat, but many struggle to do so. What practical steps can we take to increase animal welfare and reduce their suffering?
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Modern psychiatry appears to be at a standstill, wanting for better treatment and a substantive theoretical framework. Evolutionary theory has the potential to reinvigorate the field.
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Throughout history, states struggled to maintain power, having to rely on private agents and enforcers to fund themselves and govern their citizens. How did they transition to the states we see today?
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For a time in recent history, R&D labs seemed to exist in a golden age of innovation and productivity. But this period vanished as swiftly as it came to be. How did it happen, and why did it fade away?
