This is what people from around the world think of Future Crunch. You can subscribe for free right here.
Ah, Future Crunch, how I love thee! STEM nerds, goofballs at heart, making optimism serious business. For this idealist realist, you are the antidote to the bitter political pill we have swallowed here, and a blessed reminder to look beyond our narrow selves, inspired by those who can see the bigger picture. Thank you!
Val Mallinson
Portland, United States
I love that you exist. I open your email first thing in the morning and it is like opening my eyes in a world I really want to be in. You make me proud of humans and put me in awe of what we can accomplish with discipline, direction and digital communication. By the way your writing style is exceptionally good too and I feel like I am having a chat with my older brother (who has always been able to explain anything to me). Now I could go on but I won't because the latest edition is waiting for me there, plump and bulging with good vibes, in my inbox and I am keen to start my day in the best possible way! Keep up the great work. You are appreciated.
Jennifer Quinn
Florence, Italy
Future Crunch is the only newsletter that I've ever recommended, and I recommend it to everyone. It's the perfect antidote to the avalanche of negativity, misinformation and flat out bullcrap that forms the majority of our media these days. It's also the perfect format to allow a quick skim with the links to articles giving the option of a deep dive.
Alex Hender
Perth, Australia
I love the deliberate attempts to smash some real positivity in my face. With winter I regularly despair. I 'bank' issues of this newsletter to pull out when I really need to hear the side of the world that my brain assumes doesn't exist. Thank you immensely.
Leanne
Melbourne, Australia
I LOVE Future Crunch, and before it was easy to share on Facebook, I regularly copied and pasted the “good news you probably didn’t hear about” section. I have forwarded it to many, and would if I could, in my most relaxed fashion, shake by the shoulders and threaten bodily harm to those not subscribing as a result. I want everyone to know about Future Crunch and all the positive things happening beneath the horrifying and heart-stopping nonsense coming out of our fake government. And a few other so-called governments. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for your determined and disciplined effort. There’s a lot of love in Future Crunch, and I deeply appreciate it.
Janet Mather
Philadelphia, United States
Hey, just wanted to say I LOVE your newsletter! It's basically the only e-news that I always read - compared with most other where I skim or just delete. It's full of fascinating knowledge nuggets, entertaining GIFs, and a bunch of stuff I'm not smart enough to understand (but wish I was). Reading it makes me just feel... well happy and positive about the world :) Where else do you get that in your inbox? Thanks, keep up the great work!
Andrea Alger
Double Bay, Australia
I'm a pragmatist, living on a small tropical island, who works in Haiti in community relief and education for about 6000 people. A science-based viewpoint is very alien there, and increasingly here in a US territory also, which I've found very discouraging and dispiriting - particularly since election season! Your newsletter which I always post to Facebook for a wide variety of friends to see, is heartening for me, and many of them, in a way that's almost inexplicable to a secularist. I am very grateful.
Mandy Thody
Monroe, United States
Future Crunch has helped me de-clutter my inbox. I unsubscribed from so many other lists because the sheer contrast from its brilliance to the pile of crap one usually receives was suddenly painful. I neglect my life when The Crunch hits my inbox. I will leave things burning on the stove, ignore any request made of me - come hell or high water I will read every word. Or, I follow my husband around the house, reading it to him aloud, whether he's about to walk out the door or trying to fall asleep. Then I clutch my tablet to my chest, eyes all a-sparkle (the way I imagine people felt about their nightly newsreader in the 70s) and say 'Isn't it just great?' until the cycle repeats itself two weeks later. I am now that intense person at a dinner party, telling everyone how they HAVE TO get this newsletter, hustling for it like I'm paid a commission.
There is so much self-serving noise online these days, weakly disguising itself as a valuable contribution. Future Crunch feels like a gift. A hard-won, deeply intelligent, thoroughly inspiring gift to all of us. Though I'm not American, and neither are they, is this what 'Hope and Change' can feel like? The lack of visibility around positive news stories is a major problem, with consequences we can all see every day - rampant cynicism and apathy. But it's a problem Future Crunch is taking on like a boss. Reading their stuff will make you want to celebrate, to support, to take part, without a trace of irony, but with a sense of humour intact. Give yourself the gift of feeling so much better about the future.
What Future Crunch is doing is important. It's honest and courageous, smart and entertaining. How many free newsletters out there leave you feeling sincerely inspired about the potential of the human race? If you're not already reading it, OH MY GOD why aren't you reading it?!?
Katie Gertsch
Vancouver, Canada
You're my knight in shining armour. When everyone's just nodding how bad the world is these days, you give me something else to talk about. Keep up the only newsletter you don't want to unsubscribe from!
Peter Minarik
Berlin, Germany
Here’s some feedback…First backstory: I have a kid who feels the world a bit more intensely than the usual kid. In grade 6 he was despairing because the curriculum consisted of lessons on volcanoes and other disasters and climate change. He was also in a pull out class that talked about things like the sun exploding – and the other kids were excited about these things! Misery. It made me search for good news…and I found you. Love your newsletter. My only suggestion is maybe make it more visual. So big image, scroll down to a bit of a longer story. That said, you likely have excellent reasons for doing it the way you do – easier to send/more consistently presented to all readers/short points = easier to read (links so you can read more if you like) etc. In any case – keep on keepin’ on! Please. You give us hope.
Chrystal Shaw
Vancouver, Canada
Thanks for the newsletter! Your newsletter fills my browser up with tabs, and I'm not even mad about it! No but for reals, thanks for spreading the good, for being better than mass media, for taking the time to sift through the interwebs to find the true unsung heroes. Its always a delight to find you in my inbox. From the techies to the normals, you have something for everyone, and even if I don't know what all these sci words mean, I know they’re doing big things! (More gifssssssssssss!). OK im done. keep crushin it.
Nora Al-Rayes
Kuwait City, Kuwait
I don’t normally reply to newsletters. Actually, I usually put a lot of effort into not receiving them in the first place. The irate ‘WHY DID YOU SIGN ME UP TO THIS????’ message is usually from me. I use ad blockers, try hard not to leave boxes ticked, and generally delete circular emails without opening. I hate adverts. I rarely watch TV, and when I do I turn down the volume for the ads and look at my phone. So, I am not easy to reach and I have the patience of a honey badger.
But then my hubby sent me a copy of Future Crunch (bless him, he keeps trying to interest me in stuff). I actually liked it. I’ve just read two things that really made me stop and think in Future Crunch 40. One was the article about privacy when going through airports, with the link to the Wired article, and the other was the Good News section. I love that section, because normally news sources are so depressing. You would think from the average newspaper / online source that humanity is just a snarling mass of animals (no, animals are not as bad as we can be) tearing at each other’s throats, with no capability for kindness, selflessness or long term planning. So, it is such a pleasure to read stories in your Good News section of real progress, real things that I’d given up hope of ever happening, like Pakistan moving forward on human rights, tobacco use sharply dropping amoug young people in India, real action towards clean energy by the Macron government, and more. Thank you. Keep it up.
Nina de Salis Young
Burton on the Wolds, United Kingdom
Since I subscribed to your newsletter few months ago (don't even remember how I knew it !), I am eager to receive news that I don't find anywhere else. I really like the way you write it, it is a real pleasure and fun moment to read it, while learning useful and interesting things. I usually share some articles on LinkedIn, and even use some of your science articles for my own newsletter about digital initiatives in life sciences I write every month for my job - working as a supply chain and life sciences consultant at Capgemini Consulting.
Thibaul Moulard
Paris, France
A colleague from work recommended me the newsletter and I read all of them since. I also recommend it to people whenever possible. I loved the idea and I like how's being executed, for me is great what you're doing. The classic "news" we are normally exposed to are mostly bad news and quite negatives. You provide a different view of the world. It doesn't mean the bad news don't exist but it's not the only thing that exist. I believe that what you focus your attention on grows and this is the kind of world I want to see grow. Thanks and keep up the good work
Javier Temponi
Newcastle, Australia
In early 2016, Future Crunch delivered a talk at an event I helped to organise. I introduced them, with no idea of what to expect. I sat wide-eyed in the audience and had my mind blown every few minutes, for a full hour. What I loved about their style was the relentless optimism and their ability to convey the sense of wonder at what science can do - the same sense of wonder that let me to become a high school science teacher in the first place. Every time I get their newsletter, it reminds me of that state of wonder, and I get a little piece of their style in my inbox. I always find a few things that I intensely enjoy reading, which is why I've recommended it to other people! I've never been a huge fan of newsletters before, but something about this one is different. It has style, pizzaz, and personality. Like a really good podcast.... that you read!
Emille Nachtigall
Melbourne, Australia
Two nights ago I had 3900+ unread e-mails and decided to mark them all as read. From then on I unsubscribed from almost all subscription e-mails I receive. There were heaps. However when I opened Future Crunch* I knew I couldn't unsubscribe. Too much good stuff I don't normally hear/learn about, but realise I need**. Sometimes I would be in a conversation and a friend remarks how the world has gone for the worse - but thanks to Future Crunch I would reply 'No, actually it's gotten much better. We just know more about the world, especially its horrors. For instance, this is actually the most peaceful era the world's ever been.'
*Admittedly I didn't unsubscribe from about 3-5 others (including Quartz, Fusion, and Oz's Daily Mail - not the UK one, ugh).
**Admittedly too I didn't get to read every newsletter of FC, but the ones I've opened have convinced me of how good this newsletter is.
Gerardo Luis Dimaguila
Melbourne, Australia
I'll keep it simple. Yesterday I used unroll.me to unsubscribe to dozens of newsletters. Future Crunch may be the only one I kept that 1) I actually opted in to and 2) is not a newsletter for some product/service that I've subscribed to/bought. Also, if it helps to know, I use Future Crunch as 1) a news source and 2) a content "feed" into my Pocket. The idea is, as long as Pocket gets their algorithms right, to generate really good recommendations based on the really interesting and sometimes niche stuff I find on Future Crunch (e.g. the story on the language of dolphins and the quietest room in the world in the last edition). Last thing, I often postpone opening the Future Crunch email until I'm in the right environment and mood to savour it fully : )
Jah Ying
Hong Kong, China
While I don’t often have time to read all your newsletter, I always find something inspiring in it that makes me want to sit up and say ‘Yeah! We totally need more focus on good news!’ Thank you for filling that gap and keep going strong – because the world is much bigger than the newspaper (or even the internet) and there is so much more to be inspired by than depressed about. When you dig deep into the human experience, you find so much hope, enthusiasm, resilience, compassion, social conscience, innovation and integrity that is not often reflected in the people the media think are noteworthy. Thank you for your discipline and commitment in getting this out there.
Rachel Harper
Hobart, Australia
The only newsletter I go looking in my junk folder for. A perspective shifting view of the world written in a refreshingly human way. I particularly enjoy the longer pieces on topics like quantum computing to electric vehicles – please keep them coming!
Ben King
London, United Kingdom
My best friend writes a newsletter called Hypatia Text Protocol, inspired substantially by novel information we'd discover and share. 'The Crunch' is the closest thing to that that I've found, so in short: The Crunch is like having my best friend writing exactly what I needed to hear, in newsletter form.
Simon Hildebrandt
California, United States
Honestly? I don't (can't?) always read the whole newsletter. When my heart is breaking with all the bad out there, sometimes I can scarcely manage to skim for a few small glimmers of good news. When I'm doing better, I save it for when I have time to read the whole thing, savouring the positivity and (dare I say it?) coolness. And in almost every edition I've found something to share with others who need what you offer. So congrats on your 40th, thanks for doing what you do, and please keep going.
Tereza Brown
Rutledge, United States
It is common for people to say
"What is wrong with the world today?!'
But, having perused the Crunch,
I can say "Oh, a bunch!
But not as much as there was yesterday!"
Keep up the good work!
Beata Khaidurova
Melbourne, Australia
Once a fortnight I am reminded that humanity is a beautiful thing, that the planet can be saved and the world is full of wonders. All that thanks to a random newsletter I signed up ages ago, from I don’t even know from what google search. I am an avid news reader and content curator. I’d like to think I have a reasonably good critical sense when it comes to finding impartial pieces of news, blogs and other medias. But I very often end up being quite depressed about the things I come across: war in Syria, terrorist’s attacks, etc… And I sometimes forgot there also are good things happening around. Maybe I just don’t pay enough attention, or weird algorithms all the way from the Silicon Valley decided that I was more of market value when shown violent events. Probably a bit of both and some more. Your newsletter is a breath of fresh air we all need. We all need to know “good” whatever form it might be is still out there. We need to know amazing humans are changing the world for the better every day. We need to know who are all part of it, and all capable of participate, no matter how small our actions are. Thank you for making my morning, my day and week better: you guys are doing an incredible work!
Sophie Gambet
Sydney, Australia
Earlier this year I began seeing a counsellor for extreme anxiety. Every time I would see my two girls, who are 2 and 4 years old, joyously engaged with their world, I would begin to cry, thinking of the dark and uncertain future that awaited them. I thought we would look back on this time as the best and brightest of their lives before an eventual collapse. I thought that there was no one in this world working as hard to preserve and progress as there were those seeking to squander and destroy.
But I was wrong. I started taking something to help me with my anxiety, and I started actively living in the moment and making what small changes I could in my own life to feel that I was making an impact, giving back. I also subscribed to your newsletter, whose every other week arrival in my inbox was an opportunity to reflect and rejoice over what's happening in our world. I have actually breathed a sigh of relief when I see it come in, and I always save it for a moment when I can savor every story. I have shared it with friends who are at risk of becoming as burned out as I was, and I share it again every time there is a particularly poignant story or piece of news.
Your newsletter renews and delights, and I am so grateful for the work you do each week to remind us what the world is really like, and what humans are truly capable of.
Jillian Kuhlmann
Cincinnati, United States
Guys, I'm a busy mum who has barely any time to keep up with regular email, let alone lengthy newsletters. I unsubscribed from every single mailing list in an attempt to get back the few previous seconds it takes me to delete my unnecessary emails. Except Future Crunch. I kept that. I don't always read it all, but I do try. So thanks and keep on with all the awesome!
Rosanna Bird
Boston, United States
The Future Crunch newsletter is definitely my favourite newsletter, overflowing with inspiring news and tidbits. It is truly amazing to read.
Marc Sejr Egge
Frederiksbjerg, Denmark
You are expected and welcome in my inbox. Grounded, entertaining and uplifting with a WOW moment embedded as a service for all of us to move forward…together.
Richard Eastburn
Cleveland, Ohio
I like that you’re not just a “feel good” newsletter, but that you write about real science and technology that is making the world a better place. I always find a couple of stories to pass on or to talk about with friends in this newsletter, and I always read it from start to finish.
Terry Gold
Adelaide, Australia
The Crunch is my much-needed break from the media onslaught of negative news. Every time I feel we are all just sitting on a time bomb that's hurtling through space at warp speed towards complete annihilation, this little electronic ray of photons reminds me good things are happening too. Plus it gives me fodder in discussions when my friends are being nihilistic misanthropes; I can always whip out a tidbit of exciting tech trivia before ecstatically screaming: "The future is here! You can't stop it! It's here!!"
Fam Charko
Melbourne, Australia
I don't care about the prizes or if you use this I just want to let you guys know you do an amazing job! I'd be hugely disappointed if the Future Crunch newsletter were to stop. It's always an entertaining read and is IMMENSELY refreshing after being flooded by news sources that (due to the market forces of media and the human psyche) focuses on sensationalised outrage which almost never takes into account the bigger picture. My favourite section as you may have gathered is the good news you may not have heard, I wish every news source in the world had a similar section. Please keep doing what you're doing!
Bryce Rogers
Lake Forest, United States
Since I discovered this newsletter in January, I have come to rely on it for a bit of good news in the midst of all the bad out there. We all need to hear something encouraging every so often just so we can keep going, you know? The Crunch provides that for me, in spades.
Rita Contois
Coquitlam, Canada
In a media environment where "if it bleeds, it leads", Future Crunch is a revitalizing infusion of red corpuscles. ;~)
Andrew Jackson
Vermont, United States
I wanted you guys to know that this is the only newsletter I voluntarily signed up for and actually can’t wait to read. Big fan, blabla, recommended it to most of my friends, blaba, keep up the work, blabla. Now that’s out of the way, I wanted to propose a different medium since I really dislike reading as it requires my eyes constantly. I would love to ‘tune in’ either a podcast or videocast and listen to the News in a way that doesn’t destroys my faith in humanity and leaves me uninspired, downhearted and soulless while my head is crouched over my hands like a foetus staring into a bright light emitting piece of glass. Thanks bye, another annoying Millennial
Samy Andary
Amsterdam, Netherlands
We have stopped listening to the morning news. Confrontational exchanges with politicians ducking, weaving or lying are not conducive to the calm ambience we want with our morning coffee. Online news gives us choice but mostly just bad news stories.
Future Crunch arrived in my Inbox this morning. Informative, interesting and tinged with humour, I always feel better for reading it. It extends my morning coffee time as it is relevant and optimistic and thus, valuable to me. Keep up the good work.
Sue Kennedy
Hobart, Australia
Before I discovered Future Crunch, I was drowning in a tsunami of bad, sad, ridiculous, sorry communications from Facebook, Twitter and Google News. I had already given up on my print sources. I had even become disillusioned with (gasp!) The New Yorker and The New York Times. Each day I tried to seek out and find stories that offered something relevant or hopeful or wise. My tortured soul knew that - somewhere out there - amazing things were taking place that no one was sharing, simply because the capitalist model has reduced our ability to appreciate free and intelligent. We've all become big suckers for bad news, we've all become addicted to drama and we are too often willing witnesses to the horrors that the traditional media have produced over the last few years.
Suffice it to say, when I read my first Future Crunch newsletter, I devoured it eagerly. Within minutes, I followed a link to the Long Now Organization, and began watching fascinating presentations that opened up a world of discussions with friends and colleagues. I was heartened by the good-news section and amazed at the quality of the content. In other words, I'm hooked! For the first time in a long time, I look forward to reading and sharing.
Lorrie Beauchamp
Montreal, Canada
Your newsletter is the only internet thing that has impressed my Latin-teacher husband in months. I forwarded him one, and he read the whole thing through and immediately subscribed. Make of that what you will, but I figure it must be a good thing.
Regina Chiuminatto
New York, United States
When I met Tane and Gus, my first thought was "these are men who, in another life, run a cult." It turns out you kind of do, but it's a nice cult called Future Crunch, so that's OK I guess. Keep on keeping on.
Sophia Frentz
Melbourne, Australia
FC is the only mail subscription I haven’t cancelled after a few mails. In contrast to others, FC provides me with concise and interesting info that I otherwise would have to spend a full day to grasp by myself. In addition, FC provides info that I otherwise might not have had come across myself. You’re a little bit like “Last week tonight with John Oliver,” but with a positive twist.
Sina Keshavarzi
Alaford, Sweden
I recently signed up to Future Crunch after seeing you speak at an event in Melbourne. Aaaanyway, I don’t normally read newsletters because the voice is either irritating or bland – but you guys have an honest positive vibe while being funny and interesting all at the same time. I am a kids book publisher (and reading heavy science or technology articles is definitely not my bag), so I really appreciate your abbreviated updates on all these interesting and positive breakthroughs – I have been harping on about the electric car revolution to anyone who’ll listen and I have these super-smart hipster science/tech guys (you) to back me up.
BTW – I also love having good news to bounce back at people when they’re depressed about the world in general. More cups half full are needed and you are helping to fill them.
Clair Hume
Melbourne, Australia
Personally I DO look forward to Future Crunch in my in-box every month. I can't recall how I came across this lovely gem that you produce; may have been following Twitter or Facebook breadcrumbs back you to to validate the truth of a story. Since that day, not long ago I became one of the people that greedily open your email to find what is good, true and pure in the world. There is so much negativity and your articles are a breath of fresh air against the rancid breath stench of fake news and Taco Tuesdays. Please keep on keeping on! We need you.
Patty Kennedy
Regina, Canada
I heart the good news stories. And the corgis.
Maggie Gamberton
Leeds, United Kingdom
You are good humans, and I very much appreciate you for what you're doing with this fantastic newsletter! If you carry the energy, intelligence, and levity you put into this fortnightly beauty into anything else you do, I'd be willing to bet you guys are shining lights to many people as this world is increasingly portrayed as a dark and chaotic place by our dying news organizations.
These news outlets, chasing ratings by engaging their audiences through the manipulative use of conflict, the attention-economy-social-media-filter-bubbles people are being sucked into as if falling down a rabbit hole, a general lack of journalistic integrity, the admiration of foolishness and mocking of intelligence are coalescing to make a lot of us feel a lack of hope for the present and future.
Corrupted values and short-term goals coming from institutions that are supposed to keep us informed are tearing individuals and communities apart. The need for thorough, critical, and balanced reporting with the purpose of contributing to a healthy and functioning democracy has never been more crucial in our lifetimes. It's said that the first causality of war is truth, and that the death of democracy follows closely behind this. The rate at which we are being bombarded with news about how horrible things are in the world is nothing short of an attack on truth, on our minds, our ability to cooperate with each other, and to govern our societies.
Future Crunch is a breath of fresh air. It helps me to remember that there are plenty of super cool, exciting, beautiful and fun things going on in the world, and that we have so much to be grateful for. Your writing and the information you share is inspiring and genuinely helps me to briefly escape the clutches of depression hanging over my life, in part, because of how inundated we are by the bad news bubble.
Thank you for what you do. It is absolutely necessary, and the ability to shed light on truth in times of darkness is a revolutionary act. Keep up the great work!
Dan Boivin
Toronto, Canada
I have written to you before to thank you for your informative and entertaining newsletter, and am doing so again. I feel it is important to let folks who are doing an outstanding job KNOW they are doing one, especially when it is an anonymous thankless item flying into the void like a newsletter. I pity those subscribers who leave your gift unopened.
Your newsletter always makes me laugh, smile and look up at least three links. As a futurist following many sources, your newsletter never fails to shine a light on a weak signal I had missed. Your authentic voice (though sometimes a bit of a potty mouth, didn’t your mothers teach you about not cussing in polite company) is so refreshing and makes me feel connected. Please, please don’t stop publishing!!
Kim C,
Tasmania, Australia
I stopped keeping up with main stream news and media some years ago because it routinely left me feeling like “the world is fucked and there’s nothing I can do about it”. Even if it were true, which thanks to Future Crunch I now don’t believe, that mindset is neither pleasant nor helpful to live with. First there has to be hope, then there can be change. Your newsletter is a wonderful antidote to all the pessimism and negativity out there and I love sharing it with people. Every fortnight I’m more hopeful about the world and amazed at the positive potential of the human beings. Thank you!
Bruce Horak
London, United Kingdom
Dear Future Crunch. I've been overstimulating myself since the age of 11 on the internet and I devour information much like I devour KFC. It's fun and mostly tasty, but it has dubious nutritional value. And I've had a bad batch of internet info from time to time, the real nasty kind that makes it hard to get out of bed for a long few days. Your newsletter lights up my inbox. It's healthy, it's cool, it's the mum's Sunday roast of my digital diet. You leave me feeling good, stronger and aspiring to cook up my own positive offering to the world. Thanks for your hard work and making the= world a better place, one email at a time.
Katie Westcott
Mountain View, United States
Ho! As an experienced, scarred troglodyte, I resent your ego-casting strategies half-wittingly designed to draw me back out into the light. I've already decided against suicide or survival-ism as too easy and pharmaceuticals as over-demeaning. I'm just patiently awaiting the end of everything; the heresy that there is hope after all has nearly driven me back to commenting on social media. Please stop, I am not a bitter caterpillar who merely awaits the sunrise of fact or reason to emerge from my chrysalis of despair! Save yourselves, the end is nigh!
John P. Chambers
Missouri, United States
I just wanted to say how greatly I appreciate your brilliant scientific minds and compassionate and philosophical hearts. Future Crunch instalments are consistently uplifting and wondrous gifts that sprinkle my day with joy, curiosity and the perfect measure of tangible magic! Thank you!!
Megs Tasker
Melbourne, Australia
I can't remember when I first subscribed, but I think it was some time in 2016. I've been frustrated with the focus on bad news for years and made a decision to not look at news sites back in the early 2000s. Having a source of good, well-researched, and science-based news via Future Crunch has been a breath of fresh air, especially in the fear-mongering climate that surrounds social media sites as of late. Thank you for the good and important work that you do.
Lia Pas
Alberta, Canada
One of the best newsletters on the Internet! Mind-blowing curation of trends. Regularly reaffirms my faith in the future. Plus the animated GIFs, have me roll on the floor laughing.
Michael Margolis
San Francisco, United States
I am replying to an email. With more than two sentences. Because I think the endeavour is worth encouraging to continue. This is an extra sentence in case the first two one don't pass the Grammar Nazi.
John Godfrey
Melbourne, Australia
I love Future Crunch and your 'glass is half-full' approach.
Rachel Coulter
Mountain View, United States
I woke up today to a grey, cold, dismal Sydney morning. I scrolled through my newsfeed as I ate my breakfast, seeing reminder after reminder about what a sad world we live in. People hurting other people. Bias and ignorance dividing us. I sat on the train to work, and noticed once again that nobody spoke to eachother. We all sat, face down, ignoring everyone around us. A mother struggled with her pram, an elderly gentleman was lost, and nobody helped.
When I got to work, I opened my emails and realised it was Future Crunch day. One day a fortnight, I have a reminder delivered to my inbox about how magnificent this world actually is. I read about how science is propelling mankind forward. I read good news stories about humanity. I felt a wave of calm rush over me as I was reminded that we are not what we see on TV, we are not what we read on Facebook. We are better. We are all in this together, and we are doing great things.
Future Crunch makes my world feel more colourful, less isolated, and less like Orwell’s 1984 than anything else. How very old. I think.
Lee Sayer
Sydney, Australia
Love your work. Any crew who can explain quantum entanglement and get excited by Nico Stojan in the same newsletter gets lots of points in my books. Keep on trucking...
Joel Segal
Melbourne, Australia
I do look forward to the good news every two weeks. This week we are traveling to the main salmon river bin Idaho. Something was different about the canyon along the price river in Utah. A whole coal fired power plant was gone! Right next to Utah's coal mining area. No fuss about it, just scraped off. Good news when one considers what is happening to oceans.
Jack Kloepfer
Tepic, Mexico
Love the newsletter. Great content - particularly a lot of things I miss otherwise - it is nice to see good news. My feedback would be to make it a bit less wordy - you have a lot of text - have a few more headings etc. And please cut out the f*****g bad language - I don't think you need it, your work stands out on quality alone. Great work - keep it up!!
Aaron McAleese
Melbourne, Australia
What a beautiful contribution to the world. 'For the average human being on the planet today, the world has never been a better place' - among all the bad, bad news we get shoved down our throats every day, this is such a breath of fresh air. It's this outlook and the spreading of positivity that inspires people to do better and be better, so thanks for cutting through the bullshit to bring this great big dose of goodness and light.
Ruth Glanzer
Pleasanton, United States
As one of the old guys over 55, white, male, baby boomer who all below that age dislike, blame and prod, it’s great to see the bright side of things. The same as we were told and we grew up with before media, and were told by mouth. A thing called face to face conversation, mostly by Mum and Dad. As I stand at my desk in an open plan office (really who’s idea was this cracker?) I want to let you know The Crunch is a great read. Just remember though - videos are great but sound travels, and the fun police are everywhere.
Phillip Newman
Sydney, Australia
In a media world of ever increasing sensationalism, fear-mongering and headline grabbing - Future Crunch is a shining light of optimism, positivity and excitement for me. I look forward to my fortnightly package of good.
Benny Phillips
Melbourne, Australia
Thank you for doing this! It's so nice to be reminded of all the good things happening in the world. I look forward to every one of your newsletters.
Brett Bethke
San Francisco, United States
Dear Future Crunch, It's so nice to get some good news in my inbox once a fortnight. I look forward to reading your emails. The optimism is contagious and the silly jokes make me smile. Also, I often accidentally learn things from your newsletter which is an awesome bonus. Looking forward to many more emails in the future
Richard Pilkington
Melbourne, Australia
Love your newsletter, really liked #39 intro about how getting a car will get cheaper than coffee. I'm somewhat surprised you did not go further with the peak oil part though as my first thought when I read that was "well that'll be the end of the Arab world and might start another world war." Also, for security reasons I do not allow my email programs to load external content, which means I cannot see some images in your newsletter. Which is fine as long as you put a text link to them but you don't always do that. This may or may not also affect your "open rate" numbers since I probably block those connections. Anyway, thanks for your work and keep it up.
Henrik
Sweden
Hey Nerd Gods, My 2c: IFLScience used to be a decent source of news. Now it is 99% clickbait. I'm glad my friend turned me on to your newsletter, so I can get updates on the science world that don't make me want to tear my eyes out, vomit on them, and stuff them back in their sockets. Your newsletter is as awesome as that imagery is disgusting :)
Emily Balczewski
New York, United States
I smile the whole way through. Your voice is authentic and I feel like I'm listening to a cool friend instead of a marketing bot. Each newsletter is so long that sometimes I can't get to it for a few days but having something intelligent to read is important, and I make time for it. Please keep them coming - in the US we need these reminders that we aren't the center of the world and that things are far from ending in fire and brimstone.
Jen Gokhale
Harvard, United States
You guys are the honey in the bitter tea of life; the artisanal jelly on the dry old crust of daily news; the unexpected wink from a cute guy once you've hit 40. keep it coming - it's the antidote to what we like to call reality but which is only half the story. So glad i found you guys!!!
Agnieszka D
Atlanta, United States
While I was reading this edition of the Crunch, I wondered if it would be possible to simply hit reply and tell you (whoever you are) how much I love receiving it. I'm a Dutch girl, living in Denmark at the moment, trying to find a meaningful job and in the mean time, trying not to drown in (self) pity or in bad news all over the world. One of my good friends (also Dutch) is living in Germany and is in a similar situation. I don't remember how I found out about you guys, but I do remember when I did, I HAD to sign up immediately and invite my friend right away (as we both tend do be a bit pessimistic). I do not regret that!
I receive many newsletters that I actually archive directly, but yours is kind of like my staying-positive drug. Same goes for my friend; we send each other links that we find in your newsletter to remind ourselves how beautiful the world actually is! I don't read every article (there is a lot of information in the newsletter), but every time your newsletter arrives in my inbox, I am relieved, because that means there has been some good news somewhere in the world. My favorite section is good news you probably didn't hear about, plus the gifs that follow any section.
THANK you for bringing good news to my every day life! Keep it up and sorry for the long and inconsistent message, looking forward to the next edition,
Ilse Haringa
Randers, Denmark
I look forward to your emails every day! When they appear in my inbox I make sure to keep them marked 'unread' until I have gone through all the articles that peak my interest. They really shine some light on my ride to work, and remind me that the world is an inspiring and positive place. Thanks for putting the effort in! You rock! :-) PS - can I have a job there? It just sounds like great fun. :-)
Eddie Brelsford
Blönduós, Iceland
when reading The Crunch (is that called "crunching", btw?) I usually skip right to the "Good news you probably didn't hear about" section. I'm all here for the good news, because they often make my day. But I'm also a huge science fiction geek and I love GIFs, so there's two other things that might make my day. Anyway, I'm always happier after I opened The Crunch than before, and there's not a lot of emails you can say that about. Keep up the good work!
Rin Raeuber
Berlin, Germany
Variety - so many different amazing things happening. Though you have your basic interests but the content is always quite varied and new and that keeps my interest. Which is hard to do i think. As well as actual content its also varied in terms of where you're finding these things. e.g not all the Guardian.
Layout - I know where to find the bits that interest me if lacking time for example. Scroll down, boom, the goodies.
GIFs - obviously. Can't go wrong with some gifs in there so they're always welcome.
International nature - I'm based in the UK and love the fact that all of the stuff included in still incredibly relevant to my life and the world I live in. You encourage us to be global citizens and mannnn is that important in this day and age
Not political - think though people can be interested in the same things e.g climate change, technology, science - they may not all agree on politics so though sometimes you allude to political things you don't outright state any support for anyone or anything. Perhaps this is because of the above point, trying to keep things global, but it helps not isolate anyone and therefore builds your supporter base more broadly.
You make me feel part of the team. Your laid back style of writing and resulting openness is very welcoming and warming. I feel not just part of a community but of your team and that is hard to do. Its honest, inviting and keeps me interested again as I not only want to know whats happening in the world but also what is happening in the team.
Cecily Spelling
London, UK
My brother put me onto your newsletter. You're like that super knowledgable (but a bit geeky and always happy) great friend who manages to find out all sorts of great stuff and drops it into your lap and makes you feel glad about the world again. Great work, thank you!
Simone Pope
Brisbane, Australia
I cannot thank you all enough for this newsletter. Every time I get it is the exact moment where I feel like the problems in the world are piling up too immensely. And then boom! The best newsletter I get shows up. I usually text my friend who recommended Future Crunch to me whenever I like the edition and today I just texted him “I don’t know why I even text you about how good each edition is, every single one is prime.” Please keep it up
Sam Alhadeff
St Paul's Woods, United States
Just simply love the good news bit. Something to get me through the daily shitshow of orange bafoons and white privileged middle-aged males who believe that “the political correctness has gone too far” that the news are.
Elina Rolfe
London, UK
The newsletter is a delight to read each week. The deep dive into a topic allows for a exploration of an issue and I personally find mind-boggling in possibilities. The "good news" section provides a great counterbalance to the pervasive negativity of the general media. Only wish I had of been reading the Crunch earlier, those that capitalised on Ethereum price rise would have made a small fortune.
James Wator
Melbourne, Australia
I stopped watching and reading "news" long ago, it felt too depressing and mostly irrelevant. I adore your newsletter and am regularly quoting it, especially when i get trapped in those "the world is an awful place" discussions. Thank you!
Margaux Wagner
Melbourne, Australia
Wanted to tell you how much I love the newsletter! As a fan of curating content myself, I appreciate a great newsletter that always manages to enlighten. Especially your introductory paragraphs. In fact I think it was the previous newsletter or so in which you spoke about how having tech companies run the world was better the erstwhile regime of the oil companies and it was such a brilliantly written piece. Like all of yours though that was my favorite.
Akriti Bopanna
Delft, Netherlands
I love Future Crunch. It is wonderful to discover that the world is not as terrible as the media make out and that there is solid evidence to take heart and have hope for the future.
Joanna Kangisher
Auckland, New Zealand
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate what you are doing with this newsletter. It's an essential tool for keeping hope alive in an atmosphere of fear and despair that the conventional media is creating. A huge THANK YOU and best of wishes from Serbia!
Danijel Gajan
Pančevo, Serbia
Those fine fellas at future crunch,
Who’s comms always packed a punch,
An e-mail a day,
or so they would say,
‘the suckers won’t realise’ – their hunch
Ian Lieblich
Sydney, Australia
I really appreciate how you're working on what you really believe in, that's a rare thing nowadays. Thanks for being one of those rare newsletters that focus actively on good news and shine some light on it.
Aarzoo Sharma
Silicon Valley, United States
I LOVE future crunch!! I post most issues on my FB page. It is a beacon of hope especially to my American friends in despair over the one who should not be named. Many otherwise intelligent friends think, as my dad would say, the world is going to hell in a handbasket. But your regular reminders of all the good things happening remind us that is not so.
Susan Frykberg
Atlanta, United States
Humorous, enlightening, optimistic and uplifting. Youre newsletter is very welcome in my inbox!
Paul van den Dool
Heinkenszand, Netherlands
As I get further into my 40s and closer to resembling my own dad, who never figured out how to program the VCR and preferred listening to vinyl because he didn't know there were other options. The part of getting old where you feel like the world is passing you by and you are becoming outdated is immensely troubling. Of course there is no reason why anyone has to let to let that happen. So thanks to The Crunch, for helping to rage against the dying of the light.
Anthony Carlin
Beijing, China
Y'all are the best. You're a fortnightly star in what feels like a dark night, making everything brighter. That was sappy, but this newsletter really is awesome and I try to get all my friends to sign up, or anyone who is feeling down about this weird world. It recently came to my attention that I am a 'millennial' (born in 88 so I thought I was free of that) and the byte size stories are great for my millennial attention span. Keep rocking!
Elyse H
Dublin, Ireland
I've been subscribing since around the 30s, and I can't help but wonder how full my life would have be now if I'd subscribed since issue #1. Seriously good stuff! The "Good news you probably didn't hear about" is one of my treasures -- no one else does that kind of roundup, and everyone needs to read it. I'll be sharing your newsletter with folks today! Kevan Lee, Boise, USA I like the newsletter because;
* it only comes once a fortnight
* quality content
* Y'll muthaf****s
Steve Belki
Toronto, Canada
I think you are a Good Thing. I've not known about you long and I normally go out of my way to avoid and delete newsletters building up in my box, as everyone does them and I have a life. But yours I hang onto and even collect in their own little folder, even if it takes ages for me to get around to read them as I know they will be worth reading, will excite me, amaze me, cheer me up and and make me happy and optimistic, at least for a while - I get depressed about the future these days since a certain person got elected. Keep it up, I need you!
Helena Waiver
New York, USA
So grateful for your commitment to bending the arc of "news" toward the good and toward the progress we're making. It's become a recurring theme on my blog
Rick Dikeman
Cincinnati, United States
Good Crunch = Good News = Good Days = Good Humor = Good Hope for a Better World for All.
Patrizio Tressoldi
Venice, Italy
In my work at Oxfam, I have to believe that change and a better future are possible. I need faith in humanity to be periodically restored, as I'm - I think - overexposed to the dark sides of our world. Your newsletter does that in a beautiful way, gently reminding me that not only a better world is possible, but is already in the making. We need that hope. Grazie.
Francesco Benetti
Derby, Ireland
Thank you for gathering good news and sharing it. It is helpful and important as a reminder that we are making progress in the right direction Terra Soma, Portland, US To the dear team at Future Crunch,
I read your letters during brunch.
Your articles ensnare,
Because, wow! How you care!
Your stories give us hope, thanks a bunch.
All the best and keep the good news coming :)
Libbie Forden
Callaghan, Australia
I saw you guys at WOMAD NZ 2017, and signed up for newsletter. I usually skim and read about one third, but push the link to all my students at Unitec institute of technology in auckland, and recently at metropolis in Helsinki and Uppsala university in visby by when visiting there.
It's a fantastic thing to push scientific and optimistic thinking to young minds who are facing some pretty shit trends re housing, casualisation of work, environment, and now trump ffs. I usually add future crunch to the tail end of lectures in sustainability issues etc, to show its good to hope and act accordingly, and that the trends are not all bad. Had some strong feedback from students that they really appreciate the messages and work you guys are doing. So go you good thing future crunch.
Nick Kearns
Auckland, NZ
I have really appreciated the roundup of bright spots that is Future Crunch, even if I don't agree wholeheartedly with the editorial overview. Hope for more!
Gene Plichota
Toronto, Canada
Talk about mind food.... just love reading their newsletters, it makes you feel terrified about being human and at the same time elated as to what is and can be achieved. Take the time to do it....
Louise Stobart
Havelock North, New Zealand
Dear Future Crunchers,
You take AWESOMENESS to an entirely new level. Really. I stumbled across you late last year (no not in a dark Melbourne alley during the early hours of the morning), and my life has never been the same again. ‘Wild thing(s), I think I love you’…so much so that I have unashamedly shouted your names from the rooftops (ok, my desktop) to all who would listen.
You spark my curiousity; amp up my passion; and put a huge frig’in smile on my dial. You keep being you, and I’ll keep being me—that’s just the way things are meant to be. Mark Molitor, Adelaide, Australia I love Future Crunch. I feel optimistic and happy after reading the e-mail, which usually makes me laugh out loud, and inevitably share several of the links and stories with friends. I like it because it's not just good news in the sense that it's upbeat: it's about big, exciting news about progress made by thousands of scientists (like the news a few weeks ago about wireless charging roads in Israel), or millions of people in a country (like the news this week about the astonishingly low homicide rate in Australia). It's big enough good news that it doesn't need the hook of one individual's extroardinary story "and you'll never believe what happened next." It stands on its own. Plus I trust that when Future Crunch links to a story about a potential medical breakthrough, it's got more behind it than "six people ate a lot of turmeric" or "this is what happens in mice."
Romie Faienza
Pescara, Italy
If you have kids and want quantifiable data that the future is full of hope for them, then subscribe to Future Crunch.
Ryan Blunden
Melbourne, Australia
I love getting The Crunch. I get a lot of other newsletters--technical, business, science, marketing, and so on. Most are generally informative on their own right, but FC always seems to deliver interesting articles that I don't see anywhere else. I particularly like the Good News section--even being fully aware of the negative bias that's so common, it's nice to see "the other side" every once in a while.
Eric Lenington
Dallas, United States
There are times when the news cycle is so relentlessly soul crushing and negative I go back to old issues of Future Crunch and remember that people all over the world are striving to make it a better place and there is so much to be optimistic and excited about. You just need to step out of mainstream cycles. And then, on truly dark days there is always the video of the fish making his sand circle :-D
Alexandra McCabe
Brighton, UK
