1. We Need a New Science of Progress by Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen

Progress itself is understudied. By “progress,” we mean the combination of economic, technological, scientific, cultural, and organizational advancement that has transformed our lives and raised standards of living over the past couple of centuries. For a number of reasons, there is no broad-based intellectual movement focused on understanding the dynamics of progress, or targeting the deeper goal of speeding it up. We believe that it deserves a dedicated field of study. We suggest inaugurating the discipline of “Progress Studies.”

Defining progress is notoriously difficult.

2. Collective Intelligence Will End Identity-Based Politics by Geoff Mulgan 

3. We know sourdough’s flavour and texture comes from the activity of microscopic bacteria – but where exactly are they coming from?

4. Agnes Heller, Hungarian Philosopher and Outspoken Dissident, Dies at 90