We've got some issues facing us now that require some long-term planning. Global warming will not be solved immediately; we won't see results of climate-positive actions right away.
Which makes it hard for creatures bent toward instant gratification. So how do we modify our behaviors in ways that provide benefits a while from now, perhaps not in our lifetimes?
Bina Venkataraman examines who we are and what we're capable of in the book The Optimist's Telescope. She joins us to expand on the metaphor of the title.