the future is not predetermined
it is open and malleable to change because it depends on knowledge we have yet to create
(i.e., we don't know how to cure cancer, how to build quantum computers, or extend lifespan by 500 years)
and that new knowledge results in 2nd-order unpredictable effects which lead to more questions and consequently more opportunities for new knowledge creation
as a result, the set of all questions is unbounded, which means the set of opportunities to solve them is also unbounded
which means there are infinite new startups to create, more scientific discoveries to be made, and more progress to be had
the secrets are out there
and through challenging the status quo, thinking for yourself, being curious, and putting bold ideas forward to be tested — you have a chance to discover them
and this can only happen in a culture and society that encourages optimism and the marketplace of free expression and ideas
this is the case for freedom, the case for progress, and it's also the case for optimism