How to talk to aliens
Let's imagine aliens exist. You have the extraordinary task of crafting a message that they might conceivably understand. How would you do it? And what would you say? Daniel Oberhaus has a few ideas.
Ship’s logbooks are the first records of climate change data
With the weather and ice data from old ship’s logs, Dr. Kevin Wood realized it was possible to reconstruct the history of sea ice in the Arctic to better understand climate change.
Sifting through sound: using soundscapes to understand ecosystem health
“Ecoacoustics” is an emerging field of research. Instead of chasing down isolated animal sounds, researchers are using all of the acoustic properties of a location to answer ecological questions.
Meet the artist who paints with dna clues
When Maayan Harel paints a portrait, her subject isn't sitting in front of her. She doesn't even have a photograph...
This nail gun wielding drone looks terrifying, but could save lives
According to OSHA, one in five workplace deaths in 2017 were in construction. Can nail gun drones help save lives?
Can mosquito-repellent clothes stop the deadliest animal on Earth?
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are War, Death, Famine, and Pestilence — what Revelation doesn't tell you is...
Female scientists were written out of history books. margaret rossiter changed that.
Margaret Rossiter has made it her lifework to spotlight female scientists who were written out of history books through systematic censorship. Read our Q&A with this groundbreaking historian.
Take a trip to Johns Hopkins' new psychedelic research center
Johns Hopkins is throwing its considerable clout behind the fast-growing field of psychedelic research, pouring $17 million into a research center to study the hallucinogenic drugs.
Could another measles outbreak open up Pandora’s Box?
The global resurgence of measles has sparked renewed scientific interest in this old foe. If the theory — which is contested — turns out to be true, a measles infection could be less an isolated bout of illness and more a Pandora’s box.
Preparing for climate change
Climate change is increasingly reshaping our world, but communities across America aren’t losing hope — they’re taking action. Learn how 18 communities are using science to guide community-based decision-making.
What dinosaur poop tells us about ancient life
Coprolite, aka dinosaur poop, is giving scientists a surprising glimpse into the world of the dinosaurs. Learn what industry leader Karen Chin has been learning from dino dung.
This nonprofit gives bikes and people new life
Working Bikes has spent nearly two decades rescuing bicycles from the waste cycle to give people purpose, access to jobs, and independence.
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.
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.
Researchers found a species of stony coral ready to withstand climate change
At current trends, more than 90% of the world’s coral reefs will be massively degraded by 2050. Researchers have found a species of stoney coral that has sparked new efforts for coral reef restoration.
Human composting could help crowded cities bury their dead sustainably
Working toward sustainability, cities are searching for ways to make funerals more eco-friendly. Green burials and human composting could be the solution.
These scientists extract plastic from bacteria
By 2050, there may be more plastic by weight in the ocean than there are fish. Canadian innovator Luna Yu hopes to change this by turning waste into biodegradable plastics.
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.
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.
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.
Life jackets are used to create jewelry, opportunity for refugees
Hordes of bright orange lifejackets are strewn across the rocky beaches of the Greek island of Lesbos. Discarded...
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.
A language goes extinct every two weeks. here’s a plan to save them.
Volunteers worldwide are documenting the world's rarest languages in a project called Wikitongues.
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.
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.
Scientists grew a mini brain in a lab. It has human-like brain waves.
For the first time, a lab-grown mini brain has brain waves. Researchers can now launch new ways to study brain disorders. But the question of consciousness in the brain-like organoid could raise concern.
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.
Prosthetics as fashion: designers transform prosthetic leg covers into wearable art
Alleles is a premier boutique where amputees can be fitted for fashionable limb covers that make their prosthetic limbs stylish and eye-catching. These designers hope their fashions will help reduce the stigma that comes with prosthetics.
The world's first floating dairy farm
In the search for more sustainable methods of global food production, one couple in the Netherlands is taking an unconventional approach: they have become the operators of the world's first and only floating dairy farm.
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.
The Crib: A place to call home
For young LGBTQ adults, this is the shelter that accepts many people that are too often turned away.
The first GMO salmon is coming to a store near you
After a 30-year struggle, Atlantic salmon modified with a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon has been approved by the FDA. Its producers say it solves problems related to climate change, ocean pollution, and food scarcity. Skeptics call it playing god. Both call it the Frankenfish.
This woman is on a mission to turn beer into food
Jacquie Berglund is using the profits from her beer company to buy organic produce from local farmers and distribute the produce to food banks in the area.
Advanced prosthetics are not only powerful, they’re beautiful
"There's a deep, deep relationship between the functionality of the device and a person's identity of what their body is."
These pioneers are building the sustainable food systems of tomorrow
In a new Freethink original series, Michael O'Shea goes around the world to introduce us to the scientists who are working hard to ensure that we can feed our future world.
This musician transforms scientific data into elaborate melodies
When we convert complex data into sound and listen to it, quite often what emerges is something we can understand through sound, even though we could never understand it visually.
Hope grows for patients with spinal cord injuries
Severe spinal cord injuries resulting in total paralysis are usually considered permanent, with no hope of recovery. And yet, in a handful of patients spanning multiple levels of severity, movement is being regained.
Should we legalize gangs?
Gangs are a major cause of violence and organized crime. Here’s why countries should think twice before trying to...
Wearable robotic suits could be coming to a store near you
What can lift 500 pounds in each hand, walk for miles and miles with a heavy load, or leap over obstacles in a single bound? Humans - with the help of wearable robotics.
This Chicago urban farm grows opportunity, jobs
Growing Home’s organic urban farms use agriculture as a vehicle for providing job training for people with...
How the technology behind deepfakes can help us create a better world
Deepfakes have ignited fierce media criticism and call into question the public’s ability to discern fact from...
For the disabled, using virtual reality for education opens up new possibilities
His daughter couldn’t go on school field trips with her classmates, so Craig Chaytor designed a virtual reality...
Scientists sidestep restrictions on cannabis research by taking their lab mobile
This mobile lab, run by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, is one of several workarounds developed...
Is the future of therapy… virtual? A look into virtual reality therapy
The immersive world of VR may have therapeutic benefits for people combating phobias, anxiety, and PTSD.
In the US, rural hospitals are closing. Can medical drones fill this healthcare gap?
“Whether you live in the developed world or the developing world, the further you travel outside of a major city,...
Hip-hop fans are getting creative in the kitchen thanks to this rap inspired food competition
“T-bone steak, cheese eggs, and Welch’s grape.” Yo Stay Hungry competitions are simple: teams of contestants...
A dangerous job: Snake milkers risk their lives to save others
A very small number of very daring people are responsible for all of the world’s antivenom.
The final Maker Faire
The maker movement is grieving a big loss with the shutdown of Maker Media. Freethink's Alexandra Cardinale spoke...
The forgotten parent: How one father is making sure teen dads don’t go overlooked
As the founder of Fathers New Mexico, Barry McIntosh is on a mission to help young fathers understand how important...
Why did measles explode in 2019?
Humanity is locked in an arms race with diseases: we update our vaccines, and diseases evolve new ways to try to...
The future of healthcare could look a lot like the 1900s
For many cancer patients, being treated at home is just as safe, more affordable, and more convenient than being...
Macgyver medicine can save lives
The package is simple and dirt-cheap—a plastic bag with a condom, a syringe, a rubber tube, and a card with...
How this non-profit weaves a family of support for struggling teens in Baltimore
“Everyone - no matter their age, race, or background - needs a network of supportive relationships to help them...
Is autism a mysterious medical condition or part of the spectrum of human diversity?
Rethinking Autism: Interview with NeuroTribes Author Steve Silberman
How science is learning to admit mistakes
A shocking amount of scientific studies can’t be reproduced. Do we need to change the culture of science?
Sometimes it really does take a village
Building a new, community-based foster care system
A day in the life of a 'violence interruptor'
Freethink followed Andre T. Mitchell, the founder of Man Up!, and his violence interrupter team for a day in...
Should violence be treated as a disease?
Epidemiologist Dr. Gary Slutkin of Cure Violence says we need to treat violence as a disease and a public health...
Can cognitive behavioral therapy break the cycle of violence?
CBT is a promising way to reduce violence, so why has it been so hard to scale?
The ride home from prison
The "Ride Home Program" sends drivers to pick up former inmates on their first day of freedom to help ensure a...
A mother’s wish for her son’s killer
DeVitta Briscoe never had a chance to request a lighter sentence for the man who shot her son.
Rising stars in criminal justice reform
These key players are working from outside the system to lead the criminal justice reform movement.
Exclusive interview: how Miriam Krinsky is leading us to a smarter & more equitable justice system
Her organization is bringing together a new generation of prosecutors with a shared vision of fair, compassionate,...
Civilian oversight is a solution to police misconduct. But is it effective?
Creating a civilian review board to oversee police conduct seems like a straightforward solution to disciplinary...
Do we need more police or better police?
American cities are safer than they used to be, but they’re still quite violent, and many economists think they’re...
Community policing is back in vogue. But does it work?
As police departments look for ways to rebuild trust with their communities, an increasing number are turning to...
Why drugs are hurting more people than ever – and what to do about it
Is the solution to dangerous drugs... making them safer?
Science funding is wasting young careers. Here's how to fix it.
Basic science funding is a mess. Fixing it could radically improve the pace of innovation.
Hacking the brain's comms network – without surgery
When nerve cells in the brain communicate, they create tiny electric fields that can be sensed – and sometimes...
Prison education can break the "revolving door" of recidivism
Over 600,000 people will leave prison this year; here's how we can help them never return.
A tumor-killing virus could treat eye cancer and save children's sight
The only treatment for retinoblastoma is surgical removal of the eye—but scientists may have found another way:...
Tiny satellite “constellations” could bring the entire world online
SpaceX is out in front, but the race for global satellite internet is getting crowded.
The plan to wipe out mosquitoes using genetic engineering
The world's richest and poorest people are teaming up against humanity's deadliest predator.
The first private moonshot is ready to launch
The Israeli group's moon mission will be ride-sharing on a SpaceX rocket.
A "LinkedIn for cancer" helps myeloma patients find help – and hope
The site aims to help scientists discover new treatments – and empower patients to advocate for their own care.
Training the body to fight off drug-resistant bacteria
A new strategy, called host-targeted defense, could help solve antibiotic resistance by upgrading the immune system.
How NASA scientists learned to stick with super long-term goals
When the New Horizons spacecraft launched in 2006, Pluto was still a planet and the iPhone didn't exist.
Supercharging photosynthesis can grow 40% more food
We need a lot more calories to feed a growing world, and these scientists may have figured out how to get them.
Finding a new drug in one-third the time and one-thousandth the cost
How a pediatric cancer drug went from discovery to clinical trials in five years and just $500,000.
Living drugs may be the key to beating genetic disease
Engineering bacteria in the microbiome could fix previously untreatable genetic disorders.
What is cystic fibrosis—and what is it like?
What you need to know about this genetic disease, explained by someone who knows it inside and out.
How redesigning labs can demystify genetic science
"Scientists work in high-security buildings that are banned to the public and then wonder why they are misunderstood."
A hidden benefit of banned antimicrobial soap: Treating cystic fibrosis infections
The FDA banned triclosan from hand soap, but new research shows that it can supercharge old antibiotics.
Why we need a universal flu vaccine
Two scientists explain why the flu is still such a problem, a century after it killed 50 million people — and what...
Paige and the virus hunter
Drugs couldn’t stop her infection — so she asked Ben Chan to get her a virus, instead.
Air travel could be stopping the next plague
Our hyper-connected world might be protecting us against devastating plagues.
Neuroscience has a low-tech answer for a good night's sleep
Neuroscientists say that we may be ignoring a basic fact that could defuse the "screen-time wars" between parents...
Driverless cars go off-roading
Computer-game simulations can train self-driving cars to navigate in the real world.
"q" probably won't make you rich, but it's an experiment worth watching
It's not the next Bitcoin (or a path to riches), but it's an intriguing idea.
We're mapping 100 trillion human cells (and all of their genes)
The "Human BioMolecular Atlas" will map the active genes in over 200 types of cells and 80 different organ systems.
A skin graft cures cocaine cravings (in mice)
A CRISPR skin graft looks like a promising way to deliver gene therapy.
Personal genetics might solve the opioid crisis – and the pain crisis
Why does pain hurt more for some people? Why do others feel nothing at all?
AI will make you smarter
Artificial intelligence will multiply your own intelligence, in ways that will surprise you.
Why are unsolved murders on the rise?
The evidence suggests that most murderers get away with it. Here's what we can do about that.
To eradicate TB, we need old-fashioned ambition
The Ebola outbreak sparked more medical innovation in two years than TB has in decades, even though TB is killing...
What's the deal with the giant mosquitoes after hurricanes?
These suckers grow to be three times larger than other mosquitoes, but they may not be as bad as you think.
Meet the 380 trillion viruses inside your body
Scientists aren't exactly sure yet what the "virome" is up to, but it's probably important.
The first “telepathic” social network is used to play tetris
Researchers claim that BrainNet is “bringing us a step closer to a ‘social network of brains.’”
What we learned from a decade of commercial space travel
Businesses have gotten to space; now what?