Ambitious futures, grounded in science

Existential Hope explores how advances in science and technology might enable better futures. In contrast to narratives of fear or fatalism, we emphasize what's possible, and how people can help shape what comes next through our podcast, course, and workshops. An initiative by the Foresight Institute.

THE EXISTENTIAL HOPE Podcast

Conversations with scientists, technologists, and thinkers about the ideas that could shape a better future—explained clearly, explored deeply.

Elle Griffin | researching the ideal society, from utopian books to real-world examples

Andrew Critch | What AGI might look like in practice

Anna Gát | How to create communities that connect, even when people disagree

Isabelle Boemeke | What everyone gets wrong about nuclear energy

Sam Bowman | What’s holding back progress (and how to fix it)

Amy Proal | Rethinking chronic disease

Jacques Carolan | The future of brain health

David Duvenaud | Exploring the Cruxes and Possibilities of Post AGI Futures

Ken Liu | What AI Reveals About Humanity

Fin Moorhouse | Why We Need to Aim Higher Than Survival

Sam Arbesman | On Vibe Coding, AI, and the Magic of Code

Pablos Holman | On Creating Technology That Actually Matters

Andrew White | Building an AI Scientist to Automate Discovery

Anthony Aguirre | Tools or Agents? Choosing Our AI Future

Michael Nielsen on Hyper-entities, Tools for Thought, and Wise Optimism

Jim O'Shaughnessy | On Investing in Infinite Human Potential

Mary Lou Jepsen | A Handheld Device to Defeat Cancer

Ed Finn | How Science Fiction Can Inspire Real-World Innovation

Niklas Lundblad | How AI Can Accelerate Science & Its Own Adoption

David Baker | Using AI for Science to Solve Humanity's Biggest Problems

Aaron Stupple | Raising kids for an unknown future

Clay Routledge | Why meaning and agency matter now more than ever

Steven Pinker | On why the future looks better than you think

Ada Palmer | On How Speculative Worlds Can Help Us Demand A Better Future

Allison Duettmann & Beatrice Erkers | A Vision of Existential Hope for the New Year

Eli Dourado | On Accelerating Progress

Kristian Rönn | The Darwinian Trap That Explains Our World

Foresight Fellow Special | Siméon Campos: On Governing AI for Good

Foresight Fellow Special | Amanda Ngo: Innovating With AI for Wellbeing

James Pethokoukis | Conservatism Meets Futurism

Roman Yampolskiy | The Case for Narrow AI

Stuart Buck | What is Good Science?

Hannu Rajaniemi | On being a sci-fi author and biotech entrepreneur

David Pearce | A Future without Suffering

Danielle Strachman | Education, Agency, and the Ability to Experiment

Gus Docker | Beyond Survival: Envisioning A Technologically Enhanced Utopia

Jason Crawford | Progress: An Ever-Evolving Journey

Trent McConaghy | From Starships to Tokens: Pioneering Futures

Existential Hope Special: Six Hopeful Visions of the Future

Emilia Javorsky | The Future of AI, Bioengineering, and Human Empathy

Joe Carlsmith | On Infinite Ethics, Utopia, and AI

Jason Crawford | How technology expands human choice and control

Nathan Labenz | What are the Best-Case Scenarios for AI?

Autonomous Vehicles Special: Andrew Miller on Self-Driving Futures

Eric Gilliam | What history can teach us about doing better science

Adam Marblestone | Solving Science’s Biggest Gaps

Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston | The Future Loves You

Existential Hope Hackathon Winners | The Flourishing Foundation

Worldbuilding special: 3rd place | FloraTech

Worldbuilding special: 2nd place | Rising Choir

Worldbuilding Special: 1st Place | Cities of Orare

Liv Boeree | Game Theory, Moloch & Our Hopeful Future

Daron Acemoglu | New Paths For Human-Technology Synergy

Sara Walker | Unraveling Life's Beginnings with the Cosmic Perspective

Kevin Kelly | Pioneering Visions of a High-Tech Future

David Deutsch | On Beauty, Knowledge, and Progress

Anders Sandberg | Grand Futures & The Post-Human Coral Reef

Lee Cronin | Catalyzing Progress through Chemistry

David Leigh | Exploring the possibilities of nanotechnology

Adam Brown | A Theoretical Physicist's Take on the Future

Robin Hanson | On Futurism & His Best Career Advice

Creon Levit | On the edge of space technology

Richard Mallah | How Aligned AI Could Help Us Create A Flourishing Future

Morgan Levine | On the Future of Aging

Anthony Aguirre & Anna Yelizarova | On Worldbuilding

Chiara Marletto | The Science of Can & Can’t

Christine Peterson | On a Positive Turning Point for Human Longevity

Anything that is not forbidden by the laws of physics is possible.

David Deutsch

Our projects

$10k Meme Prize

Worldbuilding Course

AI pathways

Discover all ways to engage

library of existential hope

Discover how the future can flourish and which tools help you make progress.

Technologies

Discover which technologies can make a difference, and how you can leverage them for good.

Biotech

Nanotech

Neurotech

Biosphere & climate

Computing & AI

Intelligence

SPACE & Cosmology

Existential Hope News & Opportunities

Explore news and opportunities from the world of science, technology and existential hope.

Reimagining techno-optimism for a better future

Reboot is a publication and community reimagining techno-optimism for a better collective future.

New book: Abundance

A sharp, hopeful take on how we can reignite progress and aim higher for humanity’s future.

A Brief History of the Future

A Brief History of the Future is a six-part documentary series about our futures – and how we can reimagine them.

Contact

Let's collaborate on
positive futures.

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