Happy new year, everyone!

Our former intern, Emily Waltz, alerted me to Edge.org, where 160 scientists and thinkers — including Nature‘s own news & features editor Oliver Morton — have answered the question, “What are you optimistic about?” You’d think that a bunch of scientists would have little to say that’s uplifting — especially in areas such as, say, climate change, cancer or population growth — and a few live up to that expectation, but some of the answers are downright upbeat.

Here’s a small sampling:

“I am optimistic that the ascendance of open access postings of articles to the internet will transform scientific and medical publishing.” — Beatrice Golomb, professor of medicine, University of California San Diego

“I am bullish about the mind’s ability to unravel the beliefs contained within it—including beliefs about its own nature.” — Mahzarin Banaji, Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics, Harvard University

“I’m optimistic about the prospects for science to become a much more broadly participatory activity rather than today’s largely spectator sport.” Neil Gershenfeld, MIT

“The trends in China and India and elsewhere toward educating literally millions of people with scientific, engineering and technical degrees is tremendously positive.” — Nathan Myrhvold, CEO of Intellectual Ventures

“I am optimistic about humanity’s coming enlightenment.” — Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia

But would it really be a group of scientists if at least one didn’t say something along these lines?

“In short, we should neither be too despondent nor too elated at the trajectory of current events.” — Robert Trivers, evolutionary biologist, Rutgers University.

So tell us — what are you most optimistic about???