Ideas change everything

The power to think ahead in a reckless age

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Bina Venkataraman |

TED2019

• April 2019

In a forward-looking talk, author Bina Venkataraman answers a pivotal question of our time: How can we secure our future and do right by future generations? She parses the mistakes we make when imagining the future of our lives, businesses and communities, revealing how we can reclaim our innate foresight. What emerges is a surprising case for hope -- and a path to becoming the "good ancestors" we long to be.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

In a forward-looking talk, author Bina Venkataraman answers a pivotal question of our time: How can we secure our future and do right by future generations? She parses the mistakes we make when imagining the future of our lives, businesses and communities, revealing how we can reclaim our innate foresight. What emerges is a surprising case for hope -- and a path to becoming the "good ancestors" we long to be.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Learn more about Bina Venkataraman's work.

About the speaker

Bina Venkataraman

Journalist, author

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Bina Venkataraman is the Editorial Page Editor of the Boston Globe, a professor at MIT and the author of "The Optimist's Telescope."

Learn more

The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age

Bina Venkataraman | Riverhead Books (2019)

Bina Venkataraman - *The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age*

"Why you should think about being a good ancestor — and 3 ways to start doing it"

Yes, we know it takes plenty of time and energy to be a good person in the here and now. But due to the major threats facing our society and planet, we need to consider our impact on future generations, too. Bina Venkataraman explains why, and she tells us how we can start acting in ways that benefit those to come.

null - "Why you should think about being a good ancestor -- and 3 ways to start doing it"

"How a simple if/then ritual can help you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals"

We all have important things we want to accomplish, but there are so many distractions and stumbling blocks that can get in our way. Here, writer Bina Venkataraman shares a startlingly easy strategy that we can use to defeat future challenges.

null - "How a simple if/then ritual can help you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals"

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Learn more about Bina Venkataraman's work.

Bina Venkataraman: The power to think ahead in a reckless age | TED Talk