May the Fourth be with you! The Star Wars franchise has been part of my personal mythology since I was a child; I remember seeing Return of the Jedi in the theater! These stories are a great example of how science fiction can shape our view of the present and guide us toward (or away from) certain futures. Here are some questions about the future (and today) that you can explore with your family.

How will biotechnologies help us flourish in the coming decades? In a recent panel, I read the audience my “ad from the not-too-distant future” that I based on marketing copy from Stitch Fix, a personal styling company that chooses clothes based on human and machine insights. How does this ad-from-the-future make you feel about upgrading your body? What would change your mind?

Healthy brains—particularly as we age—are crucial to our productivity, creativity, and happiness. But how do we measure changes in brain health before (currently irreparable) damage has been done? Can digital biomarkers be the key to providing a personalized—perhaps even preventative—approach to brain health? What do we know right now? What questions do we need to ask?

Dr. Tiffany Vora shares her 3 key insights after graduating from Homeward Bound, a community that is building, supporting, and engaging a global network of thousands of STEMM women in positions of leadership.

On World Penguin Day, Dr. Tiffany Vora invites Jessica Barder to write about her fascinating experience with penguins. Take a look at these beautiful encounters with penguins and find out how you can do your part in penguin conservation - even if you are halfway around the globe.

Looking for your next good read? The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson is a riveting and inspiring book. It’s remarkable because it reveals the hidden side of world-changing science: the personalities, relationships, struggles, and dreams of the folks actually doing the work. Isaacson reveals the world of scientists with vivid brushstrokes that made me say out loud, over and over, “Yes, that’s exactly what it’s like!”

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.