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The uncertain future of state DMVs

Oct 12, 2016
If autonomous cars don't have drivers, will we need licenses to operate them?
People wait in line outside of the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Los Angeles, California.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

The bathroom of the future will be smarter

Aug 31, 2016
Hygiene, inclusivity and water supply are just a few of the future toilet troubles.
Portable toilets in Ueno Park, on April 3, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

What's the future of 'the American dream'?

Aug 22, 2016
When it comes to shaping the country's future, it's important to ask what we're aiming for.
Futurist Brian David Johnson argues that rethinking the future can actually lead to change.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Rising seas could swamp crucial infrastructure

May 31, 2016
A look at what climate change might mean for Los Angeles' built environment.
The view north from a bluff in Westchester down to the Ballona Wetlands, which is surrounded by dense residential and commercial development, crucial roadways, and a drainage channel to the Pacific Ocean several miles to the west. Los Angeles International Airport is nearby, as are active oil fields and the largest yacht marina on the West Coast.
Mitchell Hartman/Marketplace

Meet Sweden's Secretary of the Future

May 10, 2016
Kristina Persson says to prepare for the future, first we have to start by talking about it.
Kristina Persson focuses on Sweden's future. 
newsoresund/Flickr

For public good, not for profit.

A model for higher education where all learning counts

Apr 19, 2016
The technology behind bitcoin could help create a new way to measure education.
The technology behind digital currencies could power new education credentials.
Fox Photos/Getty Images

The future of hospital care could look a lot like home

Apr 5, 2016
A growing body of research suggests the "hospital-at-home" model leads to better quality care.
The "hospital-at-home" model may lead to better quality care for patients, according to research.
Carsten/Three Lions/Getty Images

For our future, someone has to think about dirt

Mar 29, 2016
Growing so much corn and soybean puts water supplies at risk.
Farmers are trying to mitigate nitrate pollution from fertilizers and soil erosion in their production practices. But some say we need to shift away from corn and soybean production as the nation's biggest crops to other, more sustainable ones.
Annie Baxter/Marketplace