Optimism is Not Insane
In which Hank talks about our cognitive bias toward bad news, how that affects us, and why there are, in fact, lots of reasons to be optimistic about the future of humanity on the Earth. All of this was inspired by the people I met in Seattle while helping launch this Kickstarter for a space telescope (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1458134548/arkyd-a-space-telescope-for-everyone-0?ref=live).
Also, one of the guys behind that project wrote a book that heavily inspired this video and it is really really good and very interesting. I suggest you buy and read it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451614217?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=1451614217&linkCode=shr&tag=vlogbrothers-20
Now I want to be clear that I don’t think humanity is safe, or that we’re not in the middle of a significant mass-extinction event, or that we’re royally screwing up the planet, or that future generations won’t be astounded by our arrogance…
I do, however, think that there is a very good chance that humanity will still be creating and solving problems thousands of years from now. Because creating and solving problems appears to be the two things we’re best at.
Awesome moving graph came from http://www.gapminder.org
source
Thankyou bro. I'll be optimistic, working hard so that i can meet people i love no matter how far. And work hard on law so that i can make better changes on these law that's consuming people's heart, i want to nourish it instead.
i admire hank green so much
Wow Hank is baby
WHERE GETTING AND WE WILL GET EVEN BETTER AS WE GET OLDER
I love how the script is something Hank could totally right today but the video is unmistakably 2013 YouTube. DFTBA, 2013 Hank.
I hope you have finally noticed that our human advancements have been at the cost of other species suffering and extinctions and that may be too high a cost.
If you don't have a pessimistic view of the human race, then you are just a damned fool.
We have literally 10 yrs to live now!!! Covid is mutating like madddd…
Study up on climate change, and then look at the stranglehold that Ayn Rand's hateful cult has on our society….THEN tell me that our species will survive. We are in OVERSHOOT, and rapacious capitalism is determined to annihilate all life on the planet.
This was your best video ever. Thank you for your optimism!
Hope we can pull together and make a way.
I like Hank, great topic!
Said starting at 2:20:
"But usually, we adapt, and capitalism adapts, and technology adapts, and my God, even Congress adapts."
That statement is so true, but it's also funny just by those last few words…HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! 😀
Brilliant!
Ah. Well. Here we are.
This video was recommended by youtube after 7 years! WOW
Ironically, Hank is now a dad too.
Three more years to go…
Congress adapted terribly
Optimism is cowardice.
Happy Belated Birthday, I hope you see this and remember your own words 🙂
Yeah, we're superheroes, slaughtering billions of animals and leading to extinction of a lot of species out of greed.
Thanks for the reminder that everything is going to be alright!
"we have ten years left to live on the earth!" – Hank Green 2013. that's funny now bc they keep saying that in ten years time, all the shit we did to the earth will be irreversible and we're screwed. Haha.
RIP Hans Rosling.