In person at RSA House, and live on YouTube: Optimism is central to the human psyche: it seems to give us an advantage in both everyday life and in addressing great collective challenges Sumit Paul-Choudhury, former editor-in-chief of New Scientist, visits the RSA to make a vital and transformative new argument: that optimism is not […]
Long Now London is meeting on the third Thursday of January to coincide with the public launch at the RSA of “The Bright Side” by Sumit Paul Choudhury – a deeply researched investigation into the psychology, philosophy and practice of optimism. Sumit has chalked the horse with us and member of our London community. Sumit […]
We are joined by the former Editor-in-Chief of the New Scientist and astrophysicist-turned-journalist Sumit Paul-Choudhury on Tuesday 21 January to discuss his book, The Bright Side. A deep dive into the power and science of optimism, that will change the way you think for good. Optimism, irrational though it might be, is central to the […]
What should we expect from the world – benevolence, cruelty or indifference? Former New Scientist editor-in-chief and Imperial Physics alumnus Sumit Paul-Choudhury will explain how the answer to this age-old question lies in the concept of optimism. Often dismissed as a lazy or naive attitude to life, Sumit will argue that it actually raises – […]
What does Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition have in common with the chicken that crossed the road? Or James Baldwin’s campaign for civil rights with the development of AI? Or even Crossrail with George Bush’s ‘mission accomplished’? Optimism, irrational though it might seem, is central to the human psyche: it appears to provide us with an […]
I’ll be in Amsterdam for a couple of days for the Dutch launch of THE BRIGHT SIDE: EEN OPTIMISTISCHE GESCHIEDENIS VAN DE MENSHEID. For advance copies, interview requests and media opportunities, please contact Sylvie Steffers at Alfabet Uitgevers.
At a time when cynicism is often mistaken for honesty, and being honest about the state of things can mean sinking into despair, what is the role of optimism? Can we afford to be optimistic? Astrophysicist-turned-journalist Sumit Paul-Choudhury’s answer to the latter is a resounding yes. In The Bright Side : Why Optimists Have the […]
Discover why optimism, irrational though it might seem, is not only a natural human trait but a vital one for our survival. Join Sumit Paul-Choudhury, astrophysicist-turned-journalist and former editor-in-chief of New Scientist, as he presents his groundbreaking debut book, The Bright Side. In this thought-provoking talk, Sumit weaves together stories from Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition […]
Optimism, irrational though it might be, is central to the human psyche: it seems to give us an advantage both in everyday life and in the evolutionary race. What does Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition have in common with the chicken that crossed the road? Or James Baldwin’s campaign for civil rights with the development of […]
An online event for UK civil servants, from the Open Innovation Team
Sumit Paul-Choudhury will be at the Oxford Literary Festival to talk about the power of optimism with broadcaster and author Matthew Stadlen.
Come and hear about reasons to be cheerful from two professional optimists: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, former editor-in-chief of New Scientist, is author of The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World and “reluctant futurist” Mark Stevenson, author of “The Optimist’s Guide to the Future”. Together, they’ll explain why things aren’t as bad as they might seem – and how they could be even better.