What’s Going Right in a World Gone Wrong

With so many problems in the world, it can be easy to skip over what’s actually working. But while progress often isn’t linear, history tells us that a lot of societal issues have actually improved. The experts on this panel help us see those bright spots and reframe our thinking to include hopeful visions for the future. Greg Jackson, a professor at Utah Valley University and the host of the “History Doesn’t Suck!” podcast joins Google Labs editorial director Steven Johnson and the host of the “What Could Go Right?” podcast, Zachary Karabell, for a wide-ranging discussion at the 2026 Aspen Ideas Festival about breaking through the doom and gloom.