What are you optimistic about?

It's a new year and up at the Edge John Brockman is asking the now-traditional annual "big question", a wide-open query put to many smart people, mostly scientists from all disciplines. Last year John asked "What is your dangerous idea?". This year, he has somehow reversed the lens: "What are you optimistic about? Why?". 160 people contributed their answer. Here a few by some of my favorite thinkers (and, incidentally, TED and TEDGLOBAL speakers or friends):

• Philosopher Dan Dennett: The evaporation of the powerful mystique of religion.
• Psychologist Daniel Goleman: Transparency.
• The New Scientist's Alun Anderson: The sunlight-powered future.
• Psychologist Steven Pinker: The decline of violence.
• Howard "Smart Mobs" Rheingold: The tools for cultural production and distribution are in the hands of 14 year olds.
• Biotechonomy's Juan Enriquez: Leading millions out of poverty in a single generation.
• Science historian George Dyson: The return of commercial sail.
• Former Microsoft VP Linda Stone: People are using tech effectively to mediate toward a healthier global community.
• Biologist Brian Goodwin: Our ability as a species to respond to the challenge presented by peak oil.
• "Collapse"'s Jared Diamond: Good choices sometimes prevail.
• Google's Chris Dibona: Widely available, constantly renewing, high-res images of the Earth will end conflict and ecological devastation as we know it.
• Human genome decoder Craig Venter: Evidence-based decision-making will help transform society.
• Social networks researcher Clay Shirky: Evidence.
• Forecaster Paul Saffo: Humankind is particularly good at muddling.
• Anthropologist Helen Fisher: "Free love".
• Writer Cory Doctorow: Copying is what bits are for.

TED curator Chris Anderson was also asked. His answer: Systemic flaws in the reported world view:

Paradoxically, one of the biggest reasons for being optimistic is that there are systemic flaws in the reported world view. Certain types of news -- for example dramatic disasters and terrorist actions -- are massively over-reported, others -- such as scientific progress and meaningful statistical surveys of the state of the world -- massively under-reported. Although this leads to major problems such as distortion of rational public policy and a perpetual gnawing fear of apocalypse, it is also reason to be optimistic. Once you realize you're being inadvertently brainwashed to believe things are worse than they are, you can... with a little courage... step out into the sunshine. ... So for example, the publication last year of a carefully researched Human Security Report received little attention. Despite the fact that it had concluded that the numbers of armed conflicts in the world had fallen 40% in little over a decade. And that the number of fatalities per conflict had also fallen. Think about that. The entire news agenda for a decade, received as endless tales of wars, massacres and bombings, actually missed the key point. Things are getting better. If you believe Robert Wright and his NonZero hypothesis, this is part of a very long-term and admittedly volatile trend in which cooperation eventually trumps conflict. (Full text)

What are you optimistic about? Click on "comments" below and share.

Comments

[cfeagans]

I thought I might point out to those looking for the Jared Diamond quote the correct link: http://edge.org/q2007/q07_5.html#diamond

[hadesim]

mirc
mirc
Türkçe Mirc
mirc indir

[hadesim]

mirc
mirc
Türkçe Mirc
mirc indir

[red]

thank you

chat sohbet muhabbet mirc

[batteries]

We specialize in laptop battery,laptop AC adapters. All our products are brand new, with the excellent service from our laptop battery of customer service team.

[abidiks]

Thank you very much for this useful article.

sohbet güzel sözler güncel haber mirc indir

[herefast123]

ibm thinkpad x60 battery

[herefast123]

acer travelmate 3200 battery

[fibercement]

Dış Cephe
Fibercement
Hekimboard
Turksiding

[herefast123]

dell inspiron b120 battery

[herefast123]

dell latitude d830 battery

[herefast123]

Genuine Fujitsu FMV-AC322 19V 4.22A 80W AC Adapter NEW

[herefast123]

9V 3.95A Adapter for LITEON PA-1750-01
Liteon 19v 4.74A 90W PA-1900-05 Notebook AC Adapter New

[herefast123]

asus a32-w7 battery

[herefast123]

gateway m325 battery

[herefast123]

asus s5000 white battery

[herefast123]

apple 24V 2A 48w 7.7mm*2.5mm small head adapter
apple 24V 2A 48w 9.5mm*3.5mm big head adapter

[solariz]

thanks for this post admin
Oyun oyna Yeni oyun

[ugr]

mirc and sohbet
mırc and and sohbet odaları

[red]

Thank you very much for this useful article. I like it.

sohbetsohbet chat
sohbetkameralı sohbet chat
mircmircmırc
sohbetcinsel sohbet cinsel sohbet

[Briace]

i'd like intrudce a website you will have the opportunity to wholesale jewelry The site is very clear when it comes to providing you with all the jewelry wholesale information you need fashion jewelry,handmade jewelry

[midyatguncel]

Taşın ve gümüşün sanata dönüştüğü kent Midyat
Midyat
Midyat
Midyat Resimleri mutlaka gezip görülmesi gereken bir yer

[colkancan]

göğüs büyütücü
sex shop
Penis büyütücü

[colkancan]

sex shop
zayıflama hapı

[Helen Doris]

That is area where technology touches our lives — and our children’s lives — is education.
pay day loans in canada
pay day loans in canada