Edge: What are you optimistic about? Why?

Loren MichaelLoren Michael Registered User regular
edited January 2007 in Debate and/or Discourse
[quote=The Edge Foundation]WHAT ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT? WHY?

As an activity, as a state of mind, science is fundamentally optimistic. Science figures out how things work and thus can make them work better. Much of the news is either good news or news that can be made good, thanks to ever deepening knowledge and ever more efficient and powerful tools and techniques. Science, on its frontiers, poses more and ever better questions, ever better put.

What are you optimistic about? Why? Surprise us! [/quote]

sort of in the vein of a new year thread, as it ideally considers our past experiences and achievements to consider the positives about the impending future. what are you optimistic about? the above links to a list of 160 contributors and their thoughts. i thought this thread might serve as a place to discuss your own spin on the question, along with those of some of the individuals on the list, like:
I am optimistic about our ability as a species to respond to the challenge presented by peak oil, the end of the cheap energy era that has lasted about 200 years, and to enter a new cultural phase in our evolution. There are several key developments that, despite the unprecedented challenge of this transition, encourage me to believe that we can make it. These come from both our scientific and technological insights into ways of resolving some deep problems in present cultural habits, and from shifts of perception that are occurring in cultural values.
I'm optimistic about death. For the first time in the history of life on Earth, it is possible—not easy, but possible—for conscious animals like us to have a good death. A good death is a great triumph, and something to be sought, accepted, and cherished. Indeed, a good death should be recorded and broadcast as a moral example to us all.
Despite our perennial mischief, I believe that we have made unmistakable progress in our morality. Our powers of empathy appear to be growing. We seem to be more likely now than at any point in our history to act for the benefit of humanity as a whole.
I'm optimistic that, having been liberated from the myth of intrinsic meaning, human beings will gain the capacity to make meaning, instead. And that this unique ability will give us the opportunity to disobey biology's commands.

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Loren Michael on

Posts

  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator Mod Emeritus
    edited January 2007
    Personally, I think All That You Can't Leave Behind" was a refreshing return to form and their best since Achtung Baby, but Vertigo and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb were both disappointing and irrelevant.

    Irond Will on
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  • The Green Eyed MonsterThe Green Eyed Monster i blame hip hop Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    "I'm optimistic about death"? Fuckin A.

    Anyway, I guess I'm optimistic about ... uhhh ... my personal income and financial security moving forward. There's even a semi-realistic chance that I'll be able to own property within the next 3-5 years, which is comforting, maybe even sooner than that! That's all I can think of right now.

    Oh and the GS Warriors are playing better basketball than they have in a long time, that feels good.

    Oh and I'm also optimistic that I might be able to get involved in some editing and/or some publishing, which is obviously totally unrelated to financial income, but definitely related to my personal sense of well-being.

    The Green Eyed Monster on
  • PodlyPodly you unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic about love and the fact that David Foster Wallace is still alive.

    Other than that, not much...

    Podly on
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  • _J__J_ Pedant Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2007
    I’m optimistic about the health and vigor of my pessimism.

    _J_ on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic that I won't die from a horrible and painful disease. I am optimistic about not going hungry or be malnourished.

    Couscous on
  • Loren MichaelLoren Michael Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    i'm optimistic about radiohead. also, the proliferation and acceptance of skepticism and atheism.

    i am optimistic that my next cell phone will be smaller than my current one, and that the next civilization game will be even better than the last.

    i am optimistic that i will go to china next school year, for a school year, and that i will become that much more fluent in chinese.

    Loren Michael on
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  • Ain't No SunshineAin't No Sunshine Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic about gene chip technology and its ability to rapidly diagnose genetic diseases that would otherwise take many years, many doctors, and many millions of dollars to figure out.

    I'm optimistic about cognitive behavioral psychology and finding solutions to the problems on the "last, greatest medical frontier" - the ones that society misunderstands, and that cause so much pain to the mentally ill and their families.

    I'm optimistic about engineered grains, vegetables and artificially grown meats that can provide a more efficient means to effectively feed the world's population.

    Ain't No Sunshine on
  • PodlyPodly you unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    i'm optimistic about radiohead

    this one's optimistic

    Podly on
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  • RichyRichy Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I am optimistic that I will finish my PhD while getting several journal papers published, and get a professor job at my first-choice university. I am optimistic that this will be a stepping stone to my eventual conquest of the world.

    Richy on
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  • VishNubVishNub Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I thought this would be about the pro wrestler. Disappointingly.

    I'm optimistic about my lady friends next semester.

    ... Oh. and Frisbee. I think we'll do well this season.

    That's pretty much it though.

    VishNub on
  • ZsetrekZsetrek Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Poldy wrote:
    i'm optimistic about radiohead

    this one's optimistic

    This one went to market.



    As opposed to most of the people on these boards, I'm not really very cynical at all - so I'm optomistic about pretty much anything.

    Except Iraq.

    Zsetrek on
  • Whiniest Man On EarthWhiniest Man On Earth Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic about the chances of humanity to die off within the next few generations.

    Whiniest Man On Earth on
  • MeizMeiz Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic about people one day realizing that idealistic goals, however at the present being unattainable, are not foolish and one day humanity as a whole achieving them.

    Meiz on
  • ArdorArdor Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic that people as a whole will eventually realize the benefits of using long term solutions (when applicable) instead of using short term solutions that have a tendancy to cost more significantly in time or money in the longer run.

    Here's to hoping for some great advancements in the space technology field for an idea of how we will battle limited/scarce resources and the future of the human race.

    Ardor on
  • JohannenJohannen Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I am optimistic that I will cure death. I'm actually quite an optimist if you hadn't noticed yet.

    Johannen on
  • Bliss 101Bliss 101 Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic that altruism will prevail.

    And I'm optimistic that we'll see the first true Artificial Intelligence within our lifetime.

    And I'm optimistic about my health and happiness improving. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm optimistic about life. Weird.

    Bliss 101 on
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  • ÆthelredÆthelred Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    If we're doing big things, then I'm optimistic that more will be done to tackle global warming. We already had a tacit admission from the US govt. this week (or last mebbe) that it's happening.

    Æthelred on
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  • RichyRichy Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Bliss 101 wrote:
    And I'm optimistic that we'll see the first true Artificial Intelligence within our lifetime.

    I'm working on that. That and world domination. I'm optimistic about achieving both.

    Richy on
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  • Low KeyLow Key Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic about orangutans

    Low Key on
  • Premier kakosPremier kakos Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic that... I'm awesome.

    I'm also optimistic that we'll see the beginnings of transcendence in our lifetime.

    Premier kakos on
  • PonyPony Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm optimistic that as I get older, technology, specifically in the field of health and gerentology, will continue to advance so I can look forward to living healthily to like 107.

    Pony on
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