Max Roser Wednesday; panel on optimism June 28

What should I ask Max Roser?

I interview him on Wednesday for “The Torch of Progress”, the speaker series of Progress Studies For Young Scholars. Info & free registration here.

Upcoming events (all times Pacific):

• Deirdre McCloskey: Thu, Jul 2, 10am

• Joel Mokyr: Wed, July 8

Live events open to the public, please register! Many more to come, including Anton Howes.

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Event: Doing Better at Staying Optimistic with Tamara Winter and Trevor McKendrick

Saturday, June 28, 12 noon Pacific time. Register here

How important is optimism for human progress? Have we become less optimistic in our society? Why, and how can we get it back? What does it mean to be optimistic in your own life? And how can we—indeed, why should we—stay optimistic when so many terrible things are going on all around us?

In this panel discussion, Tamara Winter and Trevor McKendrick will join me to discuss these questions and more. Part of my “Doing Better” series hosted by the Interintellect.

Purchase tickets on Eventbrite.

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Video: Patrick Collison on R&D funding, Effective Altruism, fallibilism, and more

The Torch of Progress, Episode 3

I talked to Patrick Collison for the second episode of “The Torch of Progress”. Topics include his prescription for R&D funding, Effective Altruism and existential risk, why students should learn for a while before choosing a path, and why his Twitter bio is “fallibilist, optimist.”

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Video: Doing Better at Funding Scientific Research with Michael Nielsen and Celine Halioua

Video of the panel discussion I did with Michael Nielsen and Celine Halioua, hosted by the Interintellect. Topics included the difficulty of starting new fields, and whether longevity research is underfunded.