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Future Perfect Archive

Archives for September 2019

Future Perfect
Don’t want to read privacy policies? This AI tool will do it for you.Don’t want to read privacy policies? This AI tool will do it for you.
Future Perfect

If you take a minute to teach this AI, it’ll teach you something in turn.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
A US charity tries something new: letting poor kids choose their donors insteadA US charity tries something new: letting poor kids choose their donors instead
Future Perfect

For decades, Western sponsors picked foreign kids to help. What if kids picked them instead?

By Kelsey Piper
Future Perfect
McDonald’s rolls out meatless Beyond burgers in CanadaMcDonald’s rolls out meatless Beyond burgers in Canada
Future Perfect

The fast-food chain is the latest to try out meatless meat offerings.

By Kelsey Piper
Future Perfect
Is this the most important century in human history?Is this the most important century in human history?
Future Perfect

A philosophy argument about the critical importance of our present era.

By Kelsey Piper
Technology
Jeff Bezos says Amazon is writing its own facial recognition laws to pitch to lawmakersJeff Bezos says Amazon is writing its own facial recognition laws to pitch to lawmakers
Technology

The tech giant’s hope is that federal lawmakers will adopt much of its draft legislation.

By Jason Del Rey
Future Perfect
Scientists have found air pollution particles in pregnant women’s placentasScientists have found air pollution particles in pregnant women’s placentas
Future Perfect

This is the first study to show just how close soot can get to the fetus.

By Sigal Samuel
Science
The WHO is concerned Tanzania may be hiding Ebola casesThe WHO is concerned Tanzania may be hiding Ebola cases
Science

The agency issued a rare statement saying health officials in the East African country aren’t being transparent.

By Julia Belluz
Future Perfect
It turns out money can kind of buy happiness after allIt turns out money can kind of buy happiness after all
Future Perfect

A new paper argues that, actually, winning the lottery totally does make you happy.

By Kelsey Piper
Climate
12 excuses for climate inaction and how to refute them12 excuses for climate inaction and how to refute them
Climate

Using moral clarity to counter defeatism around the climate crisis.

By Eliza Barclay and Jag Bhalla
Future Perfect
An AI learned to play hide-and-seek. The strategies it came up with on its own were astounding.An AI learned to play hide-and-seek. The strategies it came up with on its own were astounding.
Future Perfect

A new release from OpenAI shows how complex behavior emerges.

By Kelsey Piper
Climate
The climate change policy with the most potential is the most neglectedThe climate change policy with the most potential is the most neglected
Climate

Using public clean energy R&D to spur innovation is overlooked and underfunded.

By David Roberts
Future Perfect
How a wealth tax could totally remake charity in the United StatesHow a wealth tax could totally remake charity in the United States
Future Perfect

Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman have a plan that could force foundations to pay out right away.

By Dylan Matthews
Future Perfect
You can finally buy Impossible Foods’ meatless burger in grocery stores, starting FridayYou can finally buy Impossible Foods’ meatless burger in grocery stores, starting Friday
Future Perfect

Here’s where to get the popular plant-based meat so you can cook it at home.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
The next global pandemic could kill millions of us. Experts say we’re really not prepared.The next global pandemic could kill millions of us. Experts say we’re really not prepared.
Future Perfect

We’ve got a bad habit of paying attention to pandemics only when it’s too late.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
A Russian lab containing smallpox and Ebola explodedA Russian lab containing smallpox and Ebola exploded
Future Perfect

It almost certainly won’t cause a pandemic, but the accident is a reminder that deadly pathogens aren’t as secure as we’d like them to be.

By Kelsey Piper