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Enter the Quiet Zone, Where WiFi and Cell Service Are Banned

‘Comfort Women’ Memorial Statues, A Thorn in Japan’s Side, Now Sit on Buses

As a Japanese Mountain Village Shrinks, So Do Its Prospects for Kabuki

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• What I Learned From Writing Letters To Strangers Across America
  Writing letters to strangers in almost all 50 states became an outlet to process anxieties about the pandemic. And a reminder of all the ways we are connected.
• Finding Love — And Feeling Worthy Of It — In 'Felix Ever After'
  Kacen Callender's new young adult novel centers on a queer, trans teen trying to find out who's behind a traumatizing transphobic act — a quest that takes him on an emotional roller coaster.
• South Korean Bestseller 'Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982' Gives Public Voice To Private Pain
  A slim book about an everyday woman's life in South Korea became a runaway bestseller (and a movie), tapping into a growing feminism in this punishingly patriarchal country. It's now out in English.
• In 'Minor Feelings,' Asian American Racial Trauma Is Laid Bare
  Cathy Park Hong's essays serve as a major reckoning, pulling no punches as the author uses her life's flashpoints to give voice to a wider Asian American experience, one with cascading consequences.
• VIDEO: Elon Musk's Next Quest Is A Mind-Machine Meld. Let's Consider The Implications
  The tech entrepreneur recently said he is making implants that connect our brains to our devices. So let's explore the ethics of human upgrading — and what technology has already done to us.
• VIDEO: The Military Discovered A Way To Boost Soldiers' Memories, And We Tried It
  Researchers have found that giving your brain an electrical stimulation while you sleep can lead to quicker learning and improved memory. Future You's episode 6 explores what this will mean in 2050.
• VIDEO: What If Aging Wasn't Inevitable? The Quest To Slow And Even Reverse Aging
  Scientists have developed promising clock-turning treatments for mice. Could pills that mimic the benefits of exercise help humans? In this Future You: the effort to stop the symptoms of growing old.
• Packing Hacks: How To Get Everything You Need For A Trip Into 1 Carry-On Bag
  With some planning, you can get everything you need for a trip down to one carry-on bag. Road warriors share their hacks — so you can travel with a lot less hassle.
• Beyond The Grind: Find Meaning In Travel — Abroad Or In Your Backyard
  You can discover new things about the world when you travel, or even — if you apply a traveler's mindset — close to home. "It takes humility," says artist and author Jenny Odell.
• Move Objects With Your Mind? We're Getting There, With The Help Of An Armband
  You know "the Force" that binds all things — the one that can let your mind move objects? The latest Future You video demos an armband that allows users to control objects with thoughts.
• Higher, Better, Stronger, Faster — Brain Science Is Trying To Get There
  A headset that electrically stimulates your brain while you practice a motor skill claims to help you improve in less time. What might this mean for human abilities by 2050?
• Can You Travel In Groups Without Going Crazy? NPR Wants To Hear From You
  NPR is putting together a guide on navigating the social dynamics of travel, and we need your help. Tell us, how do you deal with group dynamics when traveling?
• How Computer-Assisted Telepathy Helps Humans Communicate
  The next phase of human evolution seems headed toward merging biological bodies with machines. In the first video of Future You, Elise Hu connects to a network and plays a game with her thoughts.
• How Mind-Controlled Robot Suits Could Enhance Our Limbs
  In Episode 2 of Future You, Elise Hu explores mind-controlled exoskeletons that could let paralyzed people walk or the able-bodied gain super strength.
• Netflix's 'Tuca & Bertie' Puts The Lady Birds In Charge
  In bringing a cartoon toucan and an anxious songbird to screen, show creator Lisa Hanawalt has done something still rare: made an animated show about women friends, by women friends.

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