Navigating back to school this year has been challenging to say the least. With switching policies and protocols, everyone is just trying to get through the fall one day at a time. Viewpoints speaks with two education experts about the biggest barriers to learning and what online education technology can really offer students.

Suffering from a travel bug that can’t be quenched this year? Chicago writer, Jessica Mlinaric believes that if you look hard enough you don’t have to leave your town or city to experience something new. We cover some of the interesting, historical sights around Chicago and how you can explore your own area.

Hurricane Laura ramped up to a Category 4 hurricane late last month and was the strongest storm to hit the Louisiana coast in more than a hundred and sixty years. Each year, the most powerful storms during the Atlantic hurricane season typically form between the end of August and early October. We speak with two experts to better understand the history of hurricanes and the destruction they wreak each year.

Without inventors like Benjamin Franklin or visionaries like Elon Musk, the world would look a bit different. Both of these people and countless others followed their passion, but sometimes it can be hard to slow down and take a risk. We speak with Kickstarter co-founder, Yancey Strickler about some of the barriers to entry creatives face today and how to find support within a community.

Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer at the age of 43 on August 28. We honor his legacy and his many contributions to film from starring in Black Panther to his portrayal of baseball player, Jackie Robinson in the 2013 movie 42.

Today, ex-government employee, Edward Snowden is recognized around the world for his role in leaking highly classified information about government mass surveillance. We explore the benefits and consequences of modern surveillance and how both private business entities and governments are acquiring information from millions of Americans.

It’s only September and this year’s wildfires in California are already worse than last year with still months left in peak fire season. We explore the growing challenges facing Californians and what the future holds for The Golden State.

It’s no surprise that many of us are always looking for new ways to de-stress and relax this year. Whether you’re cooking, driving or just relaxing, the music of Frank Ocean is a fantastic choice.

The U.S. has the largest prison population in the world with more than 2.3 million inmates. Each year, prisons cost taxpayers 80 billion dollars. But with two thirds of those incarcerated returning back behind bars within a few years, clearly something is broken. We discuss how some popular reforms do more harm than good and what needs to change within the system.

All humans need some amount of rest – whether that’s five hours or eight. But how we sleep and the quality of that slumber can vary widely. We speak with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, a professor at California-Berkeley, who says getting restful sleep is the single biggest thing we can do to vastly improve our mental and physical health.