The Beacon Project

Major Update from the Beacon Project

Two years I left academia with the daft ambition of starting a new type of social science lab.

Jun 16 • Daniel Yudkin

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May 2026

Chapter 2: A Theory of Gifts

Eight principles of a human universal

May 27 • Daniel Yudkin

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April 2026

The Solution to the Liberal Conundrum is Hiding in Plain Sight

How to preserve freedom and moral order

Apr 1 • Daniel Yudkin

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March 2026

"Seeing each other's dreams as part of our own": A conversation with author and filmmaker Pete Davis

For most of my life, the word “community” evoked images of boring town hall meetings and community centers with faded carpets and janky foosball tables.

Mar 18 • Daniel Yudkin

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What it's like to answer questions from highly opinionated Americans with too much time on their hands on live national TV

My recent C-SPAN appearance

Mar 11 • Daniel Yudkin

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"Our minds are playing tricks on us all the time": Navigating Dialogue in a Polarized World

A conversation with Caroline Mehl, Co-Founder & Executive Director at the Constructive Dialogue Institute

Mar 4 • Daniel Yudkin

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February 2026

What does it mean to be brave right now?

Watch now | A conversation with Ted Johnson, columnist at The Washington Post

Feb 12 • Daniel Yudkin

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January 2026

A Very Busy Month at the Beacon Project

Some updates on our work

Jan 29 • Daniel Yudkin

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What Do Americans Think They Owe Each Other?

A large-scale study of civic responsibility

Jan 7 • Daniel Yudkin

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December 2025

Radical Curiosity: Learning Together Across the Divide

A Conversation with Mónica Guzmán

Dec 17, 2025 • Daniel Yudkin

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Welcome to the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Makes Everyone Seem Crazier Than They Are and Drowns out the Exhausted Majority

A conversation with Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology at NYU and Director of the Center for Conflict and Cooperation

Dec 3, 2025 • Daniel Yudkin

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November 2025

What Thanksgiving Soup taught me about being an American

Reflections on the "contribution mindset"

Nov 27, 2025 • Daniel Yudkin

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