What Now? with Trevor Noah Cleo Abram: What Could Go Right?
18 snips
Feb 5, 2026 
Cleo Abram, Emmy-nominated video journalist and creator of Huge If True, explains why asking “what could go right?” fuels optimistic, visually driven explainers about science and tech. She discusses how optimism invites participation, why assuming things can work deepens debate, the risks and trade-offs of mobile voting and AI in schools, and even how curling’s physics sparks curiosity.
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Optimism Unlocks Better Conversations
- Pessimistic coverage short-circuits conversations about possible positive futures.
- Cleo Abram argues optimistic explainers let people plan for both risks and benefits and then build solutions.
Use Three Clear Editorial Filters
- Use three editorial criteria: explain clearly, be genuinely optimistic, and make it visually beautiful.
- Abram uses these pillars to decide what belongs on her show Huge If True.
1903 NYT Said Planes Would Never Fly
- Cleo found a 1903 New York Times piece declaring flying machines impossible two months before the Wright brothers flew.
- That historical example crystallized her worry about persistent, knee-jerk pessimism toward new tech.
