Want to take part in solving humanity’s challenges - both big and small? It’s time to have fun and embrace a learner’s mindset. To avoid reinventing current, suboptimal solutions, we needed a radical and creative leap away from the status quo. As the United Nations points out, “innovation, creativity and mass entrepreneurship can provide new momentum for economic growth and job creation.” By treating creativity as a “need to have”, we have the chance to tap unaccessed reservoirs in a solution space.

As a biologist, I’m excited to point you toward some of my favorite art: images and videos of living things. Many of us already find the natural world beautiful. But zooming in with a microscope can give us a whole new perspective. Here are some photomicrographs from Nikon Small World that I enjoyed.

How do we inspire people across societies to build a better future? One way is by gathering together for open discussion, reflection, and collaboration. That’s why I was thrilled to speak at Festival de las Ideas in Mexico. At the Festival, I kicked off the Health segment with the prediction that we are going to live healthier, longer lives thanks to technology. But should we be satisfied with this (admittedly amazing) achievement?

In many of my Future of Health talks around the world, I have called out climate change as a critical area for health innovation. Here are a few reasons why—and why we should be thinking now about how climate change is going to affect the health of our families and communities.

I recently had the wonderful privilege to travel to India for a workshop with the Delhi and Noida chapters of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. As we were designing the experience, I received a special request: Could I talk about how COVID-19 has affected longevity in India?

What does zero discrimination mean to you? Imagine living a full, productive life—and doing it with dignity. This ideal can mean different things to different people, and it’s a great conversation starter for a family dinner.

Are plant-based protein substitutes the future of food? Dr. Tiffany Vora explores this exciting innovation space and shares about its impact on both human and planet health.

This Italian naturalist’s legacy looms large over the sciences. How did Galileo Galilei manage to make these breakthroughs, and more, throughout his remarkable career?

On February 12, we celebrate the birthday of Charles Darwin, the man who made major intellectual contributions to the natural sciences. Darwin was truly an interdisciplinary thinker: his fascination with geology blended powerfully with his love of zoology and botany.

STEM may be getting better for women in several ways, but I believe that we still have a long way to go. Fortunately, I also know that many people around the world are excited at the prospect of lowering barriers to women and girls participating in science and tech. What are some steps that we can take in order to help close the STEM gender gap? Here are three ideas to get you started with the women and girls in your life.

Let’s talk about the future of education. Many of our students are going to have careers that haven’t been invented yet. And they’re going to be using their skills in a world that is radically different from any that has come before.

To meet the challenges of tomorrow, we need to recognize that learning does not just happen in a room or on a screen. True education happens all day, every day, whenever we follow our imaginations to a solution.

Understandable social unease about “the robots taking our jobs” could hold back progress in health and medicine. On the other hand, we run the risk of losing sight of the fundamental humanity of healthcare as we pursue technology that is ever more pervasive and powerful.

Birds are incredibly important to Earth’s ecosystems. And in addition to the sheer enjoyment of being outside and spotting beautiful species, there’s a lot we can learn from our feathered friends.

On December 27, 1831, the HMS Beagle set sail for a 5-year journey around the world. On board was the 22-year-old naturalist Charles Darwin, a recent university graduate who, to be honest, wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do with his life. Luckily for us, Darwin spent those 5 years observing, collecting, writing, and thinking. Here are three brief insights that I’ve extracted from Darwin’s life that could help support your growth as a leader.

Connecting with people about their visions of the future—all around the world—is perhaps the best part of the work that I do. At the HSM Expo 2021 in São Paulo, Brazil, I had the chance to do just that.

While this article was written to explain the rise of the Delta variant, the biological mechanisms described here are relevant to any viral variant. While Omicron seems to cause less severe disease, it is still crucial to get vaccinated, mask, test, and social distance. Check out the links below for reliable sources of health information.

People often ask me to share stories that will inspire their daughters and sisters—as well as the men in their lives—to embrace a STEM mindset. Whose story draws me back, over and over? Dr. Marie Curie.

In July of this year, I led a remarkable entrepreneurship workshop. The twist? I was working with girls, only 9 to 13 years old.