What’s the plan if everything isn’t over?

In early 2025, my blissfully ignorant friends started asking for a download of everything I knew about the tech billionaires present at Trump’s inauguration. They knew a few of their names and recognised some of the companies they founded but were broadly sheltered from their histories and their brain melting ideas for the future of humanity.  

As the unenviable subject matter expert, I found myself on the receiving end of horrified looks and the same question every time: “is there any good news?!”

I was an unlikely optimist; amphibious among people recently dunked by the tsunami of distressing information I’ve been acclimating to for years.

As you may be able to tell, I am not often the bearer of good news. The best I’ve ever managed is telling my friends after 9 months of worrying them sick that it turns out I wasn’t going to die - which as a standalone piece of news is fantastic but in context didn’t quite outweigh the 9 months of them believing the opposite. 

But there was, and is, good news! News that I can now share with you:

Human history is full of periods where it looked like it was all over. All the data we have proves that at some point, tides will shift, and we will be so back.