Why Optimism Wins

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 and George Bush’s ‘mission accomplished’? 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.

In his book The Bright Side, Sumit Paul-Choudhury makes a vital and transformative argument: that optimism is not only the natural state of humanity, but an essential one. Without optimism we would never have survived the unpredictable – and often hostile – world we evolved into. Yet optimism is not reserved for times of extremity. Its benefits manifest throughout our everyday lives: our relationships, careers, bodies and minds. And it will play a critical role in overcoming the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Sumit Paul-Choudhury is an astrophysicist-turned-journalist, former editor-in-chief of New Scientist magazine and has served as a judge for the Baillie Gifford Prize (then Samuel Johnson Prize), the Wellcome Prize and the Costa Book Awards. The Bright Side is his first book.

Presented by Conway Hall.

This is an all ages event. Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult.