I’ve always believed that the questions we ask reveal as much about us as the answers we give. So when I had the chance to set up a booth at the MIT Museum’s 2025 Cambridge Science Carnival, I brought one question with me: “If science could solve one problem for humanity in the next 50 years, what would you choose—and why?”

The carnival buzzed with over a hundred booths celebrating curiosity. Families roamed the grounds, kids wide-eyed at hands-on experiments. I was there representing my own small corner of the world: science fiction with heart. I’d brought copies of my books, The Empathy Academy and The Healing Book, and by the end of the day, every single one had found a new home. But more than selling books, I wanted to listen.

Fourteen people, ranging from an 11-year-old boy to adults in their sixties, stepped up to my podcast microphone. Their answers were as varied as they were revealing. Some wanted to eliminate waste, others dreamed of world peace or clean water for everyone. One kid just wanted dinosaurs back. There was talk of a human satisfaction index, of solutions that felt urgent and others that felt aspirational. Listening back, I kept thinking: some of these can’t wait 50 years.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Fourteen voices answering one big question about science and humanity’s future

• Why clean water, waste elimination, and world peace topped the list

• An 11-year-old’s passionate case for bringing back dinosaurs

• The idea of a human satisfaction index and what it would measure

• Perspectives across generations, from kids to adults in their sixties

• My own answer to the question I asked everyone else

• What these responses reveal about our hopes, fears, and priorities

• Why some scientific breakthroughs feel too urgent to wait 50 years

• The spirit of curiosity alive at the MIT Museum’s Cambridge Science Carnival

• How asking the right question can open up unexpected conversations