Five Best Ideas of the Day: January 2

1. Never doubt the power of play to transform communities.

By Natasha Gardner in 5280 Magazine

2. It’s time to start connecting the dots between executive compensation and better corporate citizenship.

By Judy Samuelson in the Guardian

3. To fight contamination of lake water, these floating toilets grow there and clean themselves.

By Nsikan Akpan at National Public Radio

4. We owe approaching breakthroughs on String Theory to science’s patience for nurturing new ideas.

By Brian Greene in Smithsonian Magazine

5. “Nothing stops a bullet like a job:” A small investment in summer jobs for teens in Chicago reduced violent crime in the city.

By Emily Badger in the Washington Post

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C.