Research

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

Filter: Short-form articles

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The planet as an emerging category

On living with – not on – the planet.

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A new dawn for nationalist parties?

For many, the brutal geopolitical awakening caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China threatening to invade Taiwan means freedom is back on the political agenda...

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Who has to pay the costs of climate change?

Issuing appeals for hundreds of millions in emergency funding to help victims of climate change might soon be a standard procedure.

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"Creative" AI is recreating the creative industry

In the past few months, creative AI systems such as DALL-E and Midjourney have taken the internet by storm with their “artistic” creations.

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How will the metaverse and web3 influence social media?

Brace yourself, the 2D newsfeeds gracing our screens might soon be part of internet history.

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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.

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The fragmentation of social media

When Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian are starting to revolt, you know Instagram is getting into trouble...

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The return of industrial policy

The Dutch government is rethinking industrial policy—more coordination is on the horizon.

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AI regulations may see a Beijing effect

Is Europe too late to cause a Brussels effect on AI technology?

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Globalization can still be a force for good

A general narrative is emerging that international trade and cooperation are on the decline. Is it accurate?

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Is Texas becoming too self-confident?

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

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Picking up the crypto pieces

Companies are on the lookout for opportunities during the crypto crash

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Gen Z chooses anonymity over fame

Why are Gen Zers more likely to prefer online anonymity compared to millennials?

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From labor to exploitation: the dark side of blockchain games

What does it take to create a flourishing virtual economy?

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Resurrecting the dead in the digital era

Will deepfake videos, the latest and most versatile medium to eternalize the dead, impel us to regulate digital immortality?

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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?

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Emerging markets face tough financial challenges

Will emerging markets' recovery be halted by increasing financial problems?

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Technology on a leash

By sharing ownership and control with producers and governments, our smart devices are no longer what they seem

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Politics should focus more on the Good Life

How can we reinstate the concept of the Good without downplaying the systemic risks threatening our global society?

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The rise of CBDCs

Pim Korsten gives a rundown on the opportunities and risks of the rise of central bank digital currencies.

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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.

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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.

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Autocracy and the End of History

Is the ideological confrontation between the liberal-democratic and autocratic world order on its way to becoming the global political issue of our century?

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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.

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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.

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A cultural cluster bomb

What will be the lasting impact of the cancellation of Russia?

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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?

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Dominating the first TikTok war

How the selfie-president and TikTok videos are helping Ukraine dominate social media

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Who pays the price for a resilient economy?

Europe is trying to develop a resilient economy that is less reliant on others. Yet, are we willing to the pay the price for our independence?

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How will the pandemic affect the future of edtech?

The pandemic has ensured the implementation of edtech in school systems. Will pedagogical or technological aspects be prioritized?

Breaking the bottleneck

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

Beyond planetary boundaries: towards Earth systems justice

Linking new developments in Earth systems research to the Deep Transitions Framework

Has AI become indistinguishable from life itself?

Developments in AI lead to new speculations about the role of technologies in the evolution of life.

Urban greening should focus on equity, not nature

The external valuation of nature in city planning could withhold green areas from becoming accessible to all

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.

Human sensors will feed the global mega machine

Intelligent systems will increasingly solicit our ‘help’ to gather data

The return of the incumbent?

A reflection on the demise of Big Tech and the return of industrial incumbents

The case for climate radicalism

The impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt all across the globe.

Rediscovering the collective dimension of freedom

How the classic political philosophy of liberalism can broaden our individualistic interpretation of freedom.