Optimism is the elixir that makes everything possible. It sparks confidence – and that fuels ambition, which in turn triggers action. It leads to new inventions, new companies, new jobs and a higher standard of living. Without this sense of hope in the future, life is a grim affair, a kind of regression back to the Dark Ages.

This elemental lust for life is an amazing but intangible force; such instinct cannot be easily understood through scientific endeavour. But it can surely be either nurtured or discouraged, and it is up to us, each and every day, to decide if we want to look forward or back.