Steven Pinker thinks we’re worried about the wrong things

from If You're Listening · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Matt is joined by psychologist and science writer Steven Pinker to discuss doomsday predictions, climate anxiety, and how best to split the balance between pessimistic fatalism and naïve optimism when considering the future.Listen to the full 1959 'Letters to the Unborn' Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app.Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

What this episode covers

Matt is joined by psychologist and science writer Steven Pinker to discuss doomsday predictions, climate anxiety, and how best to split the balance between pessimistic fatalism and naïve optimism when considering the future. Listen to the full 1959 'Letters to the Unborn' Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

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Steven Pinker thinks we’re worried about the wrong things

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This episode was published on January 31, 2026.

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