Finally, something good.

By inspiring thought and conversation about how we've been shaped by the last 10,000 years and what might be in store for us over the next 10,000 years,Long Now Talksseek to expand our collective sense of the present moment.Long Now Talks are brought to you byThe Long Now Foundation, which has spent the last 25 years igniting cultural imagination around long-term thinking.Join us atlongnow.org/join

The Long Now Foundation

Acclaimed designer Stefan Sagmeister brings data to life to convey an uplifting message for our current times.

Cowell Theater

Advance tickets for this Seminar are sold out. Please watch the live stream of this talk at www.longnow.org/live

The Long Now Foundation welcomes<h4>Stefan Sagmeister</h4><a href="https://longnow.org/talks/02026-sagmeister/" title="https://longnow.org/talks/02026-sagmeister/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Finally, something good.</a>Attend the <a href="https://longnow.org/talks/" title="https://longnow.org/talks/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Long Now Talks</a> in-person or via our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/longnow" title="https://www.youtube.com/longnow" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">livestream</a>Mix and mingle over drinks and small bites with other attendees at our pre &amp; post-show gathering in the re-imagined Cowell Theater Lobby!Amid the stark reality of a world facing the aftermath of an unprecedented global pandemic, natural disasters, and political turmoil “Finally, Something Good” presents tangible evidence that, when assessed from a long-term perspective, most aspects of human development have improved.Using relevant data from the United Nations, World Bank, and other global and national databases, Sagmeister artfully transforms the numbers into captivating visual representations that yield resonant understanding. By embedding information into eclectic mediums — antique paintings, clothing, sculptural objects, and installations — Sagmeister bridges the past and present, while telling a hopeful story of progress over time.Why This Talk Matters NowIn a nonstop news cycle of crisis and outrage, Sagmeister’s work presses pause. This talk will give us a moment to reflect on the bigger picture. Sagmeister makes long-term progress more palpable, more perceptible, more human-scale. This talk won’t deny the present-day metacrisis, but will situate our current moment within the long upward arc of human advancement in health, education, safety, and quality of life. In doing so, he’ll challenge the helplessness that arises when we give into the panic, and falsely believe the future is in uncontestable decline.The Long ViewSagmeister’s approach reinforces a core Long Now principle: we must see beyond the present moment to meaningfully steward future generations. His talk provides tools for thought and action to cultivate an expanded temporal awareness. Sagmeister’s work demonstrates how perspective itself is a design problem. By showing that collective human action has produced measurable gains over centuries, his work restores a sense of participation in history.Learn More<ul><li>READ Sagmeister’s <a href="https://sagmeister.com/answers/thinking-in-the-long-term/" title="https://sagmeister.com/answers/thinking-in-the-long-term/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">view on the long term</a></li><li>WATCH the trailer for <a href="https://www.thehappyfilm.org/" title="https://www.thehappyfilm.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Happy Film</a>, an exploration of the psychology of happiness directed by Sagmeister, featuring Long Now alum and social psychologist <a href="https://longnow.org/talks/02022-haidt-brand-kelly/" title="https://longnow.org/talks/02022-haidt-brand-kelly/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Jonathan Haidt</a></li><li>LISTEN to Sagmeister collaborator David Byrne’s Long Now Talk <a href="https://longnow.org/talks/02019-byrne/" title="https://longnow.org/talks/02019-byrne/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">“Good News &amp; Sleeping Beauties”</a> from 02019</li></ul>

Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammy winner and also earned practically every important international design award.Stefan talks about the large subjects of our lives like happiness or beauty, how they connect to design and what that actually means to our everyday lives. He spoke 5 times at the official TED, making him one of the three most frequently invited TED speakers.His books sell in the hundreds of thousands and his exhibitions have been mounted in museums around the world. His exhibit "The Happy Show" attracted way over half a million visitors worldwide and became the most visited graphic design show in history.A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York.

<a href="https://longnow.org" title="https://longnow.org" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Long Now Foundation</a> is a globally-recognized champion of long-term thinking and responsibility, operating within the context of the next and last 10,000 years — a timespan we call the long now. Launched by Stewart Brand in 02003, <a href="https://longnow.org/talks" title="https://longnow.org/talks" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Long Now Talks</a> has invited more than 400 leading thinkers to share their civilization-scale ideas with a live audience on stage in San Francisco and with millions more around the globe through our podcast and videos.

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