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Faced with litanies of bad news, it is easy to become disheartened about the future of human society. But there are two reasons to think that change for the better is possible. First, enormous social change has taken place in the recent past. . In many countries, women can now vote, obtain abortions and become heads of government. Outspoken . and , at least on some measures. Support for strong action on climate change is growing. Social media exists. Whether or not one approves of all these changes, they have happened, and fast.

Second, anthropology and archaeology are revealing that a human society can take myriad forms. This is “both disorienting and inspiring”, says at University College London, who believes the diversity of past societies opens up possibilities for reshaping our modern ones. at Utah State University agrees. “We can look at the past as experiments with sustainability, as experiments with governance structures,” she says. “We are just experimenting with making life better.” What, then, might we change?

The civilisation myth: How new discoveries are rewriting human history

In an evolutionary eyeblink, our species has gone from hunting and gathering to living in complex societies. We need to rethink the story of this monumental transition

“One thing that’s fairly new is the degree of systemic racism and oppression that’s baked into some of our societies,” says at…