We can do impossible things
I’d wager everyone has a rehearsed response to what’s absolutely one of the world’s worst interview questions: “What’s your biggest weakness?” Whenever I’ve gotten it, I take a slow—even pensive—breath and rattle off my line: “I say no to myself too much.” I won’t lie. It’s a bit shameless—a definite humblebrag.
The editor of MIT Technology Review, Corinne Iozzio, shares her approach to handling ambitious ideas and challenges. She describes herself as a systems thinker, someone who evaluates ideas by breaking them down into components like timelines, budgets, and feasibility assessments. For over 20 years, she has balanced ambition with practicality in her role as a science and tech journalist. In spring 2026, she joined MIT Technology Review to lead the print magazine, bringing a structured yet open-minded perspective to the role. Her personal mantra, shared in job interviews, is 'I say no to myself too much,' reflecting her tendency to initially dismiss bold ideas before reconsidering them.
Iozzio introduces a shift in MIT Technology Review's editorial direction, emphasizing experimentation and audacity. The magazine is moving toward publishing stories about seemingly impossible ideas, such as living on the moon or uploading human brains. This change reflects a desire to reignite ambition in technology and science, countering the tendency to focus solely on solving immediate, practical problems. The editor highlights that this issue, titled The Impossible Issue, marks a deliberate move to explore cutting-edge research and its potential to improve lives, even when the outcomes are uncertain or far-reaching.
The article underscores the original purpose of technology: to advance human well-being by making life safer, healthier, and more joyful. Iozzio argues that technology should not only drive innovation but also address unintended consequences, such as environmental damage or societal harm caused by AI. She cites examples like forever chemicals (industrial pollutants that persist in the environment) and traffic deaths as cases where technology has had negative impacts. The article emphasizes the importance of learning from failures and continuing to innovate, even when progress seems impossible.
Iozzio draws a parallel between her past work on climate action and the pursuit of impossible technological goals. She edited a newsletter focused on individual actions to address the climate crisis, a challenge often deemed futile due to its scale. Similarly, she mentions ambitious but seemingly implausible ideas like an AI kill switch (a mechanism to shut down artificial intelligence systems if they behave dangerously), practical nuclear fusion (a clean energy solution that has long been just out of reach), and room-temperature superconductors (materials that conduct electricity without resistance at everyday temperatures). She argues that focusing on limitations only deepens despair, while small, persistent efforts can chip away at large problems.
The article concludes with a call to readers to embrace audacity and refuse to let self-doubt or external skepticism hold them back. Iozzio positions herself as an advocate for those who dare to try, even when the odds are against them. She encourages readers to push boundaries, experiment, and take risks in pursuit of transformative ideas. The message is framed as an invitation to join a community of innovators who prioritize ambition over caution, emphasizing that progress often begins with the willingness to attempt the seemingly impossible.
