The common thread of progress

"Does a YIMBY advocate who writes about single-stair reform in Austin have anything to say to a biomedical researcher experimenting with transcription factors at a longevity startup? Would an AI researcher who believes the Singularity is coming this decade and a farmer who writes about ag tech sit down for a chat? What about the founder of a new city in California and the climate team launching calcite particles into the stratosphere via balloons?"

"The strength comes from realizing that, actually, there is something we have in common: A vision of the bold, ambitious technological future. A restless energy, dissatisfied with stagnation and sclerosis. A techno-humanist philosophy that holds human life and well-being as its north star. All of us - from technologists to policy wonks to storytellers - are contributing in our own way to the grand project of human progress."

Progress is a broad concept presenting the challenge of finding common ground among activists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and storytellers. Diverse participants—YIMBY advocates, biomedical researchers, AI researchers, farmers, city founders, climate teams, professors, philanthropists, capitalists, policy wonks, storytellers, and unconventional coders—bring distinct priorities and methods. A unifying element is a vision of a bold technological future, restless energy against stagnation, and a techno-humanist focus on human life and well-being. Recognizing individual contributions as parts of a larger progress movement reframes local efforts as collective advancement, reduces loneliness, and provides inspiration. A conference showcased talks spanning AI, metascience, climate, and urbanism.

Read at Big Think