---
title: "In Tech We Trust: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
date: 2015-07-07T11:24:11Z
modified: 2015-07-07T11:24:11Z
permalink: "https://redmonk.com/jgovernor/in-tech-we-trust-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 4141
categories:
  - Uncategorized
timestamp: 2015-07-07T11:24:11Z
tags:
  - Uncategorized
---

The “[rational optimists](http://www.rationaloptimist.com/)” say we’re moving in the right direction, and how can you argue against [Hans Rosling’s bubble charts](http://www.gapminder.org/) or [Bill Gates’ multibillion dollar positivism/activism](http://www.gatesfoundation.org/)?

This morning the optimism was in high gear. Within about 10 minutes on Twitter we had

The BBC announced [the Micro Bit](http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/makeitdigital/micro-bit), a potentially worthy successor to the BBC Micro, in getting kids to code. One of the lovely organisations behind it is called [Technology Will Save Us](https://www.techwillsaveus.com/).

> Today we announced the launch of the BBC micro:bit. We've already begun creating hacks and… [http://t.co/No3Gxx48wO](http://t.co/No3Gxx48wO) [pic.twitter.com/re4cPN2zzt](http://t.co/re4cPN2zzt)
> 
> — TechWillSaveUs (@techwillsaveus) [July 7, 2015](https://x.com/techwillsaveus/status/618373584734580738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



And even better

https://twitter.com/ITredux/status/618363790090833920

Well thats good news. But there is more.

https://twitter.com/mdm\_mav/status/618180139072008192

Or how about reforestation?

> “We are going to counter industrial scale deforestation using industrial scale reforestation” [http://t.co/oZoPU618O4](http://t.co/oZoPU618O4) amazing cc [@timoreilly](https://x.com/timoreilly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 
> — we're done here (@monkchips) [June 19, 2015](https://x.com/monkchips/status/611850127955857408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



Or perhaps we don’t need tech per se, just the power of our imaginations

> Could human imagination save us from extinction? | Andrew Simms [http://t.co/GuFyidTDOW](http://t.co/GuFyidTDOW) Including the invitation to respond
> 
> — Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) [July 7, 2015](https://x.com/RichardJMurphy/status/618374628445188097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



An argument based on empathy doesn’t seem so dumb when we have stuff like this

> Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. [\#LoveWins](https://x.com/hashtag/LoveWins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 
> — President Obama (@POTUS44) [June 26, 2015](https://x.com/POTUS44/status/614435467120001024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



But then we live in a society that reveres banks over countries and communities. Optimism or not we’re clearly facing real and substantive challenges and dangers – mass extinction is pretty compelling evidence. Science is not a Cargo Cult, whatever the deniers might claim, though it increasingly looks like a religion in terms of the the faith we put in it. I am in the lucky position of being half-American so I am naturally pretty optimistic, but I am also a European so I believe in resource constraints. We all have a lot of work to do. Technology can’t save us. Only we can do that, by choosing how to use it.