Humans have never had it so good. We are wealthier, happier and more comfortable than any previous generation thanks to the march of science and technology. So why have we become so gloomy about the modern world and so pessimistic about the future? Why have we convinced ourselves that Earth’s bounty is about to run out? Why have we lost faith in the capacity of mankind to find solutions to our problems?

In this publication, Nick Cater and Brendan O’Neill discuss what happened to the ideals of the Enlightenment and the spirit of progress that created the modern world.