These are today's best ideas
By Will Oremus in Slate
By the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
3. Smart swarming robots could be our best defense against new weapons from Russia and China.
By August Cole and Amir Husain in Defense One
4. To fight declining bee (and butterfly) populations, get lazy with your lawn mowing.
By Susannah Lerman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
5. How fighting corruption can help end conflict across Africa.
By George Clooney and John Prendergast in Foreign Affairs
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C.
TIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.