77 Micro-Doses Of Optimism: A Counter Punch To Gloom
A quest to unearth reasons that rekindle our spirits again.
The Next Big Think! will send you insights and links to keep you ahead of societal shifts.
A CounterPunch To Gloom
In the midst of today's turbulent times, the sweltering heat of swamp-ass summers, and the haunting haze of smoke-filled skies, we are yearning for signals of hope.
“What if it all works out?” this statement has been hanging around my wrist for the past two weeks. My friends’ brother creates these ‘growth mindset’ bracelets and gives them to the team he manages to shift their perspective. And it’s got me thinking, how do we intentionally reorientate the feelings of fatalism that are so present in modern culture?
If you read Kids Tell Us What They Think 2050 Will Be Like— it sounds like a puff piece, but it tracks against what we see in the field. When thinking about the future many people, especially young people, oscillate between two extreme possibilities. On one end, the bleak forecast of humanity’s demise driven by climate change; on the other, a vision of a hyper-technological wonderland where tech fixes everything. The disparity in these visions of the future is both striking and disconcerting.
The diversity in our thinking about what the future looks like seems limited and calls us to cultivate a deliberate and mindful practice—an exercise in envisioning what the world might look like if, against all odds, everything indeed works out.
Hence, let us embark on a quest—to unearth 77 reasons that rekindle our spirits, spark optimism, or simply stop the cringe cycle. By doing so, we can start to reassert our agency in re-forecasting fragments of the future that we proactively desire and unite us around our shared dreams.
77 Micro-Doses Of Optimism
CLIMATE
This Development Wants Residents to Ditch Their Cars. In Phoenix.
In major milestone, wind power was Britain’s largest source of electricity in the first quarter
Billie Eilish Partners With Reverb to Plot Solar-Powered Headlining Set at Lollapalooza
MIT engineers create an energy-storing supercapacitor from ancient materials
Forget Oil. New Wildcatters Are Drilling For Limitless ‘Geologic’ Hydrogen
A New Job for Electric Vehicles: Powering Homes During Blackouts
How an indoor vertical farming company stays sustainable yet profitable
Libraries, schools and museums have opened their doors so passers-by can take a break
Toyota claims solid-state EV battery tech breakthrough could offer +900 miles driving range
A Thriving Garden at a Former Coal Mine Is Feeding Thousands
Spain’s latest weapon against wildfires? Wild horses
HEALTH
How Americans Learned to Stop Worrying and Take Vacation This Summer
Workout ‘Weekend Warriors’ Just As Healthy As Those Who Exercise Daily, New Study Shows
The Victory for Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills Is Just the Beginning
This Startup Just Raised $32 Million To Keep Cancers From Recurring After Surgery
Steve Jobs’ Son Launches New VC Firm With $200 Million To Fight Cancer
Zimbabwe’s therapeutic ‘friendship benches’, coming to a city near you
The slow running revolution: how to move at a ‘sexy’ pace – and really enjoy the race
Chronic Illness TikTok Through the Eyes of a Doctor
TRAVEL
Fairbnb.coop Launches in the UK to Promote Community Tourism
Japan Airlines' clothing rental service aims for sustainable tourism
Federal Reserve credits Taylor Swift with boosting hotel revenues through her blockbuster Eras Tour
You Can Book a Hot Air Balloon Ride to the Edge of Space in 2024 for $133,000
32 Free Things to Do to Make the Most of Your Summer Travels
Don’t Want to Check It? These 6 Luggage Services Will Forward Your Bags to Your Destination
WEALTH
ESG investing is not dead, or even in decline—it is growing up
Chicago Suburb Pays Reparations to Black Residents in a ‘Test Run for the Whole Country’
Ticket to freedom: free bus rides for women spark joy for millions in Karnataka
FOOD
America’s First Regenerative Organic Ice Cream Hits Freezers Across The Country
José Andrés Is the First Chef to Serve Good Meat’s ‘No-Kill’ Chicken in the U.S.
Revolutionary culinary collective Ghetto Gastro is bringing its goods to Target
HelloFresh Launches Dog Food as Consumers Splurge on Pet Meals
Chocolate brand Tony's Chocolonely adds legal locks to protect its mission forever
EXPERIENCE/CULTURE
Vibrating haptic suits give deaf people a new way to feel live music
NFL Will Air A Slime-Filled Version Of The Super Bowl To Keep Young Audiences Engaged
When and where to see the August super moon and the rare super blue moon later this month
Parenting influencers try something new: Giving their kids privacy
People have to chill: experts say TikTok’s ‘Aged’ filter isn’t that accurate
But even for all the skincare freak outs there is some nice reflection happening post-morbidity (contemplating youth society / gratitude for the ability to age)
SPORTS
At least 85 out LGBTQ athletes competing in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, a record
ESPN Tests All-Female ‘SportsCenter’ in Bid to Spotlight Women’s Sports for Bigger Crowd
A Viral French Ad Shows How Women’s Soccer Can Be Just as Exciting as Men’s
Wout van Aert leaves Tour de France to be with pregnant wife: 'It's an easy decision'
Game, set, match: Why luxury loves tennis (In the US, tennis participation grew by 1 million players in 2022 with more than 23.6 million playing)
She Brought Golf’s Leaders To The Negotiating Table
EDUCATION/WORK
New immersive AR experience brings student creativity to life
This no-frills college helps students get a degree quickly, simply and affordably
Artificial intelligence is already changing how teachers teach
D.C. spice shop owner creates affordable spaces for Black businesses
RETAIL
Five sustainable Thrive Market practices that are ahead of the curve
TECH
Europe moves ahead on AI regulation, challenging tech giants’ power
This AI-for-fashion lets you to launch and run a clothing line with just a prompt
A.I. May Someday Work Medical Miracles. For Now, It Helps Do Paperwork.
AI Art: Joon Moon’s Augmented AI Shadow: Chasing Stars in Shadow
AI Art: Refix Anadol Unsupervised at MoMA
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
The New Yorker makes an argument for Slow Ideas
A psychologist explains how you can train your brain to improve your future self now
The best books to read this summer for a positive perspective
That moment when you’re nodding off is a sweet spot for creativity
How to Be More Alive: Hermann Hesse on Wonder and the Proper Aim of Education
August Break: A Moment to Unwind and Recharge!
As we step into August, we're taking a well-deserved pause—a time for deep reading, thorough investigations, and vacation (also new family members, Go Abbey)! But fear not, we'll be back in September, ready to share our weekly insights once more.
We hope you've savored this week's dose of optimism! It's these micro-doses that keep us going. Let us know if you enjoyed it, and we will put make it a habit to do once a quarter ;).
Curiosity is contagious; if you like this newsletter, please share it!!
Penned by Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney, founders of the Thought Leadership Group at The Harris Poll. To learn more about the Thought Leadership Practice, just contact one of us or find out more here.