Research

Explore our collection of articles on the leading megatrends in technology, politics, and society.

Filter: FreedomLab Fellows

11

min

When the selfie becomes an avatar

How Instagram is preparing itself for the metaverse

2

min

Is Texas becoming too self-confident?

Texan rebellion is likely to shake up federal politics in the U.S.

1

min

Picking up the crypto pieces

Companies are on the lookout for opportunities during the crypto crash

1

min

Extending the self with Instagram's augmented-reality face filters

Are we moving towards a culture in which our digitally positioned self is more important than our actual self?

15

min

Venetian, young and farming: three lessons from the new generation of Italian farmers on agri-food sustainability

Julia Rijssenbeek and Maya Turolla turn the spotlight on young farmers championing the transition to sustainable food systems.

2

min

What is Russia's view on climate change?

Melting ice caps in the Arctic are incentivizing Russia’s exploitation and extraction of natural resources representing the last straw of the Anthropocene.

2

min

The energy transition is not a hobby

With the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, we have to face the fact that our dependence on fossil fuels poses a structural problem.

3

min

Russian digitalization through a Cosmist lens

To understand Russian politics, we need to understand Russian Cosmism, a philosophy that supports the digitalization of the Arctic.

4

min

Russia’s strategic exploitation of the Arctic

A long-standing resource-dependent economy, a melting Arctic, and technical capabilities have thrown the Arctic into the spotlight for Russia’s upcoming economic strategy.

1

min

According to the IPCC, we are failing

The IPCC urges us to rethink our climate adaptation and mitigation plans. Can we still be on time to stop the climate from changing?

11

min

Resisting the green gold

Deconstructing my purchasing choices: why is it so hard to change behavior?

2

min

The chemical industry is out of control

We have no idea about the long-term impacts of chemical production on our planet. Is it time for a 'guilty until proven innocent' approach?

2

min

The sour aftertaste of the Glasgow COP26

1

min

How a decline in trust can be a driver for new political leadership

1

min

The emergence of big tech mesh networks

1

min

Non-fungible tokens are all the rage

1

min

Who do we trust in the Stack war?

2

min

Blurring boundaries with mixed reality toys

7

min

Could Europe fix the internet?

Europe aims to restore competitiveness and sovereignty in the digital realm through policies on data-sharing, AI, and open internet.

5

min

Horror in times of uncertainty

Horror movies allow us to safely explore extreme scenarios... what do they tell us about our current fears?

5

min

The age of digital mega-ecosystems

Digital ecosystems have the potential to address consumer needs, but obstacles still exist in their implementation.

4

min

Every bit has a price

2

min

Building bridges to the crypto space

2

min

Apple’s silent transition into the next computing paradigm

2

min

Our cities as AR gaming arenas

6

min

Breaking down data & AI silos

8

min

The emergence of the decentralized stack

Is the future open-source?

2

min

Megablockbusters: A societal forum for the negotiation of social values

2

min

Can’t live with social media, can’t live without it

8

min

Where architecture and IT meet

Breaking the bottleneck

Can state-led initiatives relying on market mechanisms help us achieve our decarbonization goals?

Are we heading towards post-human intelligence?

Rethinking being human in a more-than-human world

Learning to waste

All manufacturing produces waste, even the clean energy industry. Critical clean energy technologies – EV batteries, solar panels, wind turbine blades – lead to a massive problem with waste management

Are weapons still a sin stock?

Changes in narratives, economic structures and the nature of technology could be altering the status of defense stock.

The Deep Transitions Framework; an elaboration

A theoretical and empirical elaboration on the Deep Transitions Framework, designed to contribute to a just, equitable and healthy planet.

Sticky dependence: Europe’s reliance on Russia

Although Europe wants to decouple from Russia, our countries’ dependence is stickier and more complex than we might have estimated

Is AI still artificial?

Definitions are becoming obsolete as tech and science blur the boundaries between the natural and the artificial

The planet as an emerging category

On living with – not on – the planet.

Geopolitical nonalignment in the 21st century

Escalating tensions in Taiwan and Ukraine are pressuring the world to choose an alignment, yet many nations refuse to choose sides.

Is Texas becoming too self-confident?

Texan rebellion is likely to shake up federal politics in the U.S.