Tag Archives: Optimism
Miscellany, and an apology for long silence
I’ve been away from this blog recently, trying to devote some more time to fiction writing (but not yet quite comfortable enough to talk about that personal creative process, as I know others do). Working on this blog has been, … Continue reading
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The case for optimism, cont’d: “You can’t change the world if you don’t believe it’s changeable”
Sam Harris interviews Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, authors of Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, as they make the case for optimism (much as Hans Rosling does). Read the interview for all the details of their … Continue reading
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Why government matters, cont’d: Rescuing Detroit
If you want to convey a message of grit, hope, and determination, you can hardly do better than Clint Eastwood in this great Superbowl spot: Bob Cesca points out the obvious irony: My only issue here is the unspoken fact … Continue reading
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Newt Gingrich is right (about exactly one thing)
I never thought I’d say this, but Newt Gingrich is right. Call him a blowhard. Call him an egotist. Call him a moral hypocrite. Call him a bomb-thrower. Call him undisciplined and incapable of follow-through. Call him one of the … Continue reading
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“The issue is not absolute optimism, but optimism through action.”
Wael Ghonim, whose activism helped fan the flame of the Egyptian revolution, makes the case for optimism: I believe that anyone participating in effecting change cannot be a pessimist. This is why, when it comes to Egypt’s future, I am … Continue reading
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“Anonymous extraordinaries”: Fighting for their dreams, with hearts singing
Why make the case for optimism, you ask? After listening to young people like Natalie Warne, and Courtney Martin, and Sarah Kay, and Adora Svitak (especially Adora Svitak), not to mention witnessing the courage and conviction of the UC Davis … Continue reading
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“The Cosmos is a magnet. Once you’ve been there, all you can think of is how to get back.”
A video for Carl Sagan Day: My thoughts on last year’s Carl Sagan Day here.
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“The most important thing in the world”
Naomi Klein speaks to the Occupy Wall Street crowd (a transcript of the prepared remarks here): Alright, I have to get this out of the way: it’s unfortunate, and rather funny, that the “human microphone” solution to the amplification ban … Continue reading
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The case for optimism, cont’d: The need for vision, and letting visionaries soar
Echoing Philip Reeve, Neal Stephenson calls on science fiction writers to once again imagine a bold future — “an over-arching narrative” that provides “a shared vision” — that can inspire scientists to make it real: Good SF supplies a plausible, … Continue reading
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Please be true: Beating cancer, and the speed of light
A couple of things to get excited about: 1) Doctors are exploring a new method of fighting cancer — by training the immune system to destroy it. So far, the results have been dramatic. And if these experimental treatments prove … Continue reading
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