Future Optimism

September 17, 2021 4:58 PM

What on or offline media or outlet makes you excited for the future?

Years ago, late '90s, early '00s, I had a feeling of excitement about the future as it was unfolding, with political liberalization around the world and new technologies which promised to make life more interesting and diverse.

I remember Wired magazine. Every issue promised wonders and changes just around the corner with large size full color pictures on glossy paper. Now it's mostly PR for large tech conglomerates, some middle-of-the-road popular culture and tepid 'think pieces' about social media and the surveillance state.

So, where do you turn for optimism and feeling of maybe the future doesn't suck, perhaps even techno-optimism, about our world?

posted by signal to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

following because goddam same
posted by john m at 5:57 PM on September 17, 2021 [6 favorites]

Long Now seminars work for me. When they talk about stuff I know, they're sometimes very obviously wrong. But, they're usually optimistic and interesting.
posted by eotvos at 6:10 PM on September 17, 2021

I feel you. Time was, the future was something to look forward to. If fiction is a balm, you might appreciate the SF sub-genre of Solar Punk, which is pointedly optimistic.
posted by mumkin at 6:16 PM on September 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

MIT's newspaper, The Tech (the Arts and Science sections)
Public lectures at the Broad Institute, Midsummer Nights' Science
Australia's University of Technology student magazine, Vertigo
WW University's student mag, The Planet
posted by cocoagirl at 6:31 PM on September 17, 2021

I’m a fan and subscriber of the Future Crunch newsletter. In their own words, they publish “a fortnightly email newsletter, full of good news from around the world, incredible scientific and technological breakthroughs, and our favourite parts of the internet.” They also find and support some really cool charitable projects around the world.
posted by ReginaHart at 7:23 PM on September 17, 2021 [4 favorites]

Came in here to recommend Future Crunch!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:15 PM on September 17, 2021

I have that exact same feeling, especially pertaining to the fragility of our democracy and insufficient efforts to fight climate change. I have to say that the good old NY Times keeps me from falling into despair because it constantly reminds me how much intelligence there is out there, both in the people who create the content and the people I learn about in the stories, whether it's in the realm of science, technology, arts, food, literature, education, philanthropy, business, or whatever. All the individual and collective intelligence that the NY Times makes me aware of on a daily basis gives me hope.
posted by Dansaman at 1:30 PM on September 18, 2021

Yay! No one has mentioned it yet so I get to recommend David Byrne's Reasons To Be Cheerful.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:12 PM on September 18, 2021

As I was reading the weekly Progress Network newsletter, I thought I should add it as a recommendation for future readers of this post. Hi, future people!
posted by ReginaHart at 7:48 AM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]