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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...
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?
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?
It seems that we’re all striving for happiness, compassion, creativity, and calm — and frankly, it’s stressing us out. What if instead of striving, we tried a little rewiring? Mind-centered interventions from meditation to music to recalibrating mental models can put us on a path toward personal and societal wellness, allowing our minds to thrive.
Two weeks before the first woman of color became Vice President, an angry mob that included members of the white supremacist group Proud Boys, stormed the US Capitol. As Ibram X. Kendi puts it, “we’re engaged in this struggle between two forces: racial progress and racist process.” Watch recent conversations that offer ways to recognize, reckon with and repair societal rac...
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...
Aspen Ideas Festival’s signature event gathers an audience of 2,000 in the Benedict Music Tent. Big thinkers and doers engage in candid conversations about their work, our world, and the future. The Afternoon of Conversation is an experience for the curious, igniting discussion in a marathon of big ideas.
It feels like the world is falling apart -- how can big business help?
We put them in harm’s way all over the world, and when they return to us — often physically and mentally debilitated — we have a bad habit of forgetting their sacrifice. What do we owe our veterans, what can we learn from them, and what new strategies can we use to keep them healthy and productive in civilian society?
Of course, Black history shouldn’t just be a month-long nod on our yearly calendar — it is inextricable from American history and fundamental to the very soul of our nation and our past, present, and future. We’ve put together a collection of talks, podcasts, and interviews from Aspen Ideas speakers that celebrate Black joy, community, and genius while grappling with the i...
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...
Everywhere you look, there’s a headline about the power of artificial intelligence and how it will impact our lives in ways we have not yet imagined. From advancing medicine to personalizing education and even understanding animal language, many possibilities lay ahead as machine learning gets smarter. But there are just as many perils, including misinformation, bias, priv...
Finding ways to ground ourselves on a planet too often in turmoil can foster the resilience we need to function at our best. By maintaining close personal ties, learning new skills, engaging in civic activities, spending time in nature, enjoying the arts, and seeking counseling, we can support our physical and mental health in profound ways. Aspen Ideas: Health experts sha...
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...
With many students returning to school from the comfort of their living rooms, educators are using this unique period to address long-standing problems of equity.
Global conflicts and health crises have put into stark relief deeply-ingrained gender roles in society. Yet the past years have also seen record-high numbers of women running for political office and holding executive positions in Fortune 500 companies. Where are we seeing progress, and where do we still desperately need to make headway? How is feminism adapting to tumultu...
Today's kids are coming of age against a backdrop of political, social, technological, and economic upheaval. While these circumstances are shaping a precocious generation that is changing society and redefining cultural norms, kids are also struggling with mental health issues, the pressures of social media, and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on key developmental years....
Whether you love setting New Year’s resolutions or ignore them entirely, there’s still a certain mix of nostalgia and excitement over the ending of one year and the possibilities that lay ahead. We’ve gathered five big ideas that offer some food for thought as you head into 2024, including a new mindset for thinking about careers, a glimpse into the history of the cosmos,...