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A 2018 UN report on climate change urged swift and unprecedented action to curb the rise of the planet’s temperature. Experts argue that avoiding a crisis will require significant breakthroughs in technology, a full stop on fossil fuel projects, fundamental changes to the way we feed the world, and ubiquitous carbon policies. Who will lead the charge towards a multilateral...

Black History Month shouldn't be the only time we talk about the inextricable role of race in US society. But conversations with friends, family, and coworkers about race and racism can be self-defeating. Listen as prominent voices from the Aspen Ideas To Go podcast explain the roots of the US's fraught racial politics and the ways racism continues to shape society. Their...

Britain's withdrawal from the European Union is a settled question, but the long-term impacts it will have on Britain and Europe remain unclear. Brexit left British society bitterly divided and British isolated from the rest of Europe after decades of congeniality and shared prosperity. Will other EU countries follow Britain's example? How will Britain's economy take this...

Urban areas around the world are growing at rates not seen since the throes of the Industrial Revolution, and they're facing pressures never experienced before.

Public health experts warn the 21st century could see unprecedented challenges in fighting infectious diseases. The ubiquity of world travel means epidemics can become pandemics with ease, and the development of antibiotics has, perversely, catalyzed the rise of "superbugs" that resist treatment. How can governments, with competing interests and ideologies, work alongside...

If the 2016 US election felt volatile and vitriolic, the forecast for a cordial 2020 isn't looking good. The nomination process is dividing Democrats, Republicans are closing ranks around an embattled President Trump, and distrust of news media is at an all-time high. Is there hope for unity across political affiliations? Can we learn to trust journalists again? What are t...

The unflinching humanity that Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied is part of what makes his legacy so lasting. In addition to his preeminent civil rights work, he spoke out about worker protections, access to housing, and warmongering. Watch and listen as Aspen Ideas speakers, some who worked with Martin Luther King, Jr., explain how he indelibly shaped the world.

It wasn't so long ago that journalists and news anchors were some of the most trusted figures in America. Traditional journalism faced challenges before the 2016 election when "fake news" appeared and online media began to supplant print and cable news. How will journalism adapt to a changing technological and political landscape? What does it mean to be an arbiter of trut...

People are connected more than ever before, yet record rates of loneliness, depression, and social fragmentation plague society. In an era where news travels around the world in minutes and you can learn intimate details about strangers with a few taps on a smartphone, how do we forge healthy relationships with other people, society, and even ourselves?

From the vast cosmic expanse to our own microbiomes, the universe is full of mysteries waiting to be explored. Studying the unknown doesn't just sate our quintessential human curiosity — the world around us can inspire huge leaps in technology, medicine, art, and even philosophy. Step into the forefront of scientific research across disciplines, as told by experts at Aspen...

How can Yo-Yo Ma help sixth graders learn earth science? How does ballet strengthen the mind along with the body? The below clips, which feature dance, music, and performance art pieces performed at the Aspen Ideas Festival, are tantalizing parts of whole sessions that explore how the arts can heal and educate. Watch a clip or two and gain a deeper appreciation for how per...

Before you commit to another diet, workout app, or "life-changing" routine, hear what experts on the cutting edge of psychology and physiology are saying about how to change habits. Understand how mind, body, and spirit come together to make a healthy person. From endurance athletes to happiness researchers, experts on the Aspen Ideas Festival stage share insights you can...

See the world through the eyes of a bird, dive into the culture wars, and hear how AI is revolutionizing health care with our top ten Aspen Ideas To Go episodes from 2019! Some are serious (Bill McKibben has a message about climate change everyone should hear), some are surprising (wait until Tara Westover sings), and others, like Ibram X. Kendi explaining antiracism, wil...

Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar — some of the political leaders who have taken the Aspen Ideas Festival stage are now running to be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020. What's ahead for the news media, pollsters, and the candidates, themselves? Journalists and political experts debate what the 2020 candidates could and should do to win. Check out our collecti...

More and more, companies are embracing the concept of corporate purpose as Americans' perceptions of big business have shifted. While declaring a purpose beyond profit is a starting point, how do you actually deliver on it to drive positive change for communities and society?

What are we doing here? Is there a higher purpose to the lives we lead? What does it mean to have a good life? What happens when we die? For millennia, people have been asking these central questions about what it is to be human. The search for answers and adherence to belief systems are crucial to how many people make sense of their pasts, live in the present, and envisio...

Are we in a golden age of storytelling? From podcasts to novels, fine art to live performance, pop-ups to monuments, YouTube, Netflix and Instagram, the ancient art form of storytelling is being reimagined across all platforms, granting greater access for millions of individuals to share their stories. For centuries, artists have been pioneering methods to tell a story. Ex...

Race has divided our country since colonization, with some calling slavery America's original sin. The history of the US, from the Civil War to Jim Crow and Black Lives Matter, is defined as conspicuously by racial strife as it is by great achievements. So what does racial progress actually mean in practice? How can political, business, and community leaders confront the t...

The highest court often seems distanced from our day-to-day lives, but the rulings that come out of the Supreme Court are woven into the fabric of the nation. Though it aims to be apolitical, the court regularly hears cases that involve some of the most contentious questions dividing the nation, and its decisions can change the course of our social, political, and economic...

In America, millions of people struggle with mental illness including depression, anxiety, and more. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that one in five adults experience mental illness each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34. Our experts discuss tackling mental health in developing nations; helping first responders, wh...