Seeing the light

• The Edge's World Question Center poses its annual question, this year's being, "What are you optimistic about?"

Pencil in a few hours to read the 160 responses, from a veritable who's-who of contemporary science. One of my favorites comes from Jared Diamond:

Good Choices Sometimes Prevail

I am cautiously optimistic about the state of the world, because: 1. Big businesses sometimes conclude that what is good for the long-term future of humanity is also good for their bottom line (cf. Wal-Mart's recent decision to shift their seafood purchases entirely to certified sustainable fisheries within the next three to five years). 2. Voters in democracy sometimes make good choices and avoid bad choices (cf. some recent elections in a major First World country).