Pessimism and Optimism: Unreliable Futures

Jon Turney has started an interesting blog - about the future. He is writing a rough guide to the future which seems to me such an incredibly broad title I wouldn't know where to start. I wish him very good luck with it - it sounds a fascinating project.

What do we predict about the future? It is a popular question this time of year. The possible disasters seem to me to be many:
a virulent virus wipes most of us out;
that volcano under Yellowstone Park finally blows its fuse;
a massive comet hits;
the earth becomes a snowball;
the earth warms up;
some megalomaniac gets hold of the wrong button;
we are invaded by extra- terrestials;
we all become infertile;
we all become so lazy and stupid we forget how to survive;
we drown in our own waste products.

However, I don't think any of the above will actually happen. I have no reason for this belief - I just have a faith that it won't. I suppose it is my religion of optimism - and as far as I can see it is as good as any of the alternatives.