Shiny Things

How to be fully excited about the future, explained

And Breathe image

Unsplash

I’m Quinn Emmett, and this is science for people who give a shit.

Every week, I help 15,000+ humans understand and unfuck the rapidly changing world around us. It feels great, and we’d love for you to join us.

Welcome back, Shit Givers.

Programming note: The regular newsletter will be off the next two weeks for family time, but if I have time before then (haha), I’ll send you something fun.

This week: How to be excited about the future, explained.

Plus, the news:

  • 🌊 The tipping point for the Atlantic Ocean

  • 👶 An RSV shot for babies

  • 🥕 Examining the “N” in SNAP

  • 🤖 Profiting from AI tools

  • And more!

Did you know we record an audio version of all of our essays? Subscribe to our podcast feed and listen to this essay now 👇️

How To Give A Shit header

Last week’s most popular Action Step was buying, selling and eating fresh local produce with GrownBy.

Together With The Goodnewsletter

Goodnewsletter

Ever feel weighed down by everything that’s going on in the world? Me too.

I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to find a balance between staying informed and taking care of myself.

When I found the Goodnewsletter, I realized that consuming news doesn’t have to be draining; in fact, it can be hopeful! Which is — honestly — what we all need a little more of.

Want an ad-free experience? Become a Member.

SHINY THINGS

We can love them and know they’re not enough.

I love shiny things. LOVE.

For example, precision medicine is awesome. Or — it will be awesome. Soon. At some point. For some of us?

Wait! Don’t go.

Again I want to be crystal clear: I’m INCREDIBLY excited about the technologies and treatments that will reinvent and redefine medicine, food, power, and more.

Truly. I soak this stuff up. Oh, we can do surgery on fetuses in the womb now? We can probably cure blindness soon? We can make drugs in space? Fuck yeah, sign me up. Plug it into my veins.

There’s a reason so many movies hinge on finding the antidote to some terrible, timely poison. An antidote worth its weight in gold because everybody needs it.

But what if — hear me out — we stopped poisoning everyone in the first place?

Subscribe to Shit Giver Membership to read the rest.

Become a paying subscriber of Shit Giver Membership to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In

A subscription gets you:
Ad-free everything
Vibe Check: Our news homepage, curated daily just for you. Never doomscroll again
Essays: deep-dive bangers from Quinn and special guests
Half Baked: Weekly briefs to help you think and act on specific, timely issues as they happen
Not Important: Delightful monthly updates with my favorite books, music, movies, TV, recipes, whatever floats my boat
Lifetime thanks for directly supporting our work

Reply

or to participate.