Research

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

Filter: Society

3

min

Rediscovering the collective dimension of freedom

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

2

min

De-influencers or re-influencers?

Criticism of consumer society is of all ages, but now it’s coming from an unexpected corner.

1

min

Can art and imagination spur climate action?

Exploring other ways to increase our moral judgement on climate change

1

min

The planet as an emerging category

On living with – not on – the planet.

11

min

Vibegeist: rave until the grave

The revival of rave and rage in the roaring twenties.

1

min

How will the metaverse and web3 influence social media?

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

16

min

The early days of cyberpunk

As man becomes machine and machine becomes man.

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.

2

min

Gen Z chooses anonymity over fame

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

2

min

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?

2

min

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?

11

min

An introduction to the Stack

Learn more about our framework that helps us understand the anatomy of digital systems.

16

min

A beginner's guide to the metaverse

Both praised and feared by many, the 'promises' of the metaverse are highly contentious. Sebastiaan Crul aims to separate the wheat from the chaff.

9

min

Can digital technology save humanity?

How the Digital Revolution will change the rules of the game

1

min

Feel-good philanthropy

1

min

Will the metaverse be a “pornoverse”?

1

min

What to think of the Corona Pass?

2

min

The future of the anti-establishment, conservative right

2

min

Climate litigation and civil society

2

min

What would a sufficiently sustainable ordinary life look like?

1

min

On realizing we are not alone

2

min

We need more downward mobility

1

min

Will a post-corona era arrive in the coming years?

1

min

Vaccine diplomacy

8

min

How do we distil a good narrative from 2020?

16

min

The Retroscope 2020

6

min

Disinformation and the false believe we are autonomous in our search for knowledge

7

min

Human death as a boost for the use of ecological materials

6

min

QAnon and knowledge

Will generative AI bring the productivity increases we need?

Information technology and the lack of corresponding increases in productivity

Are we heading towards post-human intelligence?

Rethinking being human in a more-than-human world

Beyond planetary boundaries: towards Earth systems justice

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

FreedomLab Selects: Rinus van de Velde — The Armchair Voyager

Vivian Elion analyses the surrealistic exhibition of Rinus van de Velde through the lens of metamodernism.

Romantic robots: a new love paradigm

Will our society's progressive values lead us to embrace a new romantic paradigm?

Health is the luxury to fall sick and recover

Towards an enriched concept of the normal and the pathological

ChatGPT and the place of the human being in an automated society

An unconventional reflection on Hannah Arendt’s philosophy

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

Pills, pills, pills

Sebastiaan Crul discusses the inevitability of techno-fixes in a world haunted by crises

The case for climate radicalism

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