 A magazine of forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future July-August 2008 Vol. 42, No. 4 |
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Back Issues
Forecasts for the Next 25 Years
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Your Future Has Been Delayed Concern about the economy's future is compelling 41% of American adults to delay making major life decisions, such as buying a home, marrying, or even undergoing a medical procedure, according to a Harris Interactive poll for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. This response is 11 percentage points higher than a year ago. A lack of savings is the main reason cited (28%) for delaying life decisions, while 18% pointed to concerns about the overall U.S. economy. "It's alarming that so many more people are choosing not to get married, buy a home, or further their education because they don't have the money," says Carl George of AICPA, which has developed programs to promote financial literacy and personal savings. Source: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004. Web site www.aicpa.org .
Graphene, a form of carbon combining aspects of semiconductors and metals, could replace silicon in a variety of applications, including high-speed computer chips and biomedical sensors, reports the National Science Foundation. Researchers at the University of Maryland have found that graphene conducts electricity with less resistance than any other known material. Graphene yields high-electron speed in near-room-temperature conditions—which is critical to making the chips practical. Source: National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230. Web site www.nsf.gov . Soaring Demand for Biofuels One of the hottest commodities for the near future is biofuel, with demand expected to expand nearly 20% a year through 2011. The biggest boost will come from bioethanol, which will see its world market double, predicts a recent report from the Freedonia market-research group. Biofuel's new popularity comes from soaring oil prices and growing concerns for the environment, though biofuel industries, too, have their critics, notably among those concerned about the impact on food prices when farm commodities like maize, wheat, and sugarcane are diverted to energy. "Next-generation cellulosic bioethanol and algal biodiesel technologies will become commercially significant in the longer term," Freedonia concludes. Source: World Biofuels (March 2008, 364 pages), is available for $5,500 from The Freedonia Group Inc., 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44143. Web site www.freedoniagroup.com . See-Through Technology Ensures Privacy Security screening technology that can identify what's in your pockets but not invade your personal privacy could help make outdoor crowds safer in the future. The imaging system, developed by ThruVision Ltd. in Oxford, England, is a spinoff of astronomy research using the Terahertz, or T-ray, region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The T-rays are low levels of energy that can pass through smoke, clouds, and some solid materials such as clothing. ThruVision's imager, the T5000, collects the naturally occurring T-rays in, say, a crowd of sports fans to form images of what may be concealed in their clothing without displaying details of an individual's body. The T5000 also avoids exposing subjects to harmful radiation, as with traditional x-ray screening. Source: ThruVision Ltd., Central 127, No. 18, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4SA, United Kingdom. Web site www.thruvision.com .
New toilets that promise to improve health and hygiene may also improve the environment. The Ecoflow and Swash Ecoseat, manufactured by Brondell Inc., are designed to reduce water and energy consumption and as well as waste production. Ecoflow is a device that can be retrofitted to existing toilets and allows the user to choose full flush or half flush, potentially reducing water consumption by 50%. The Swash Ecoseat incorporates hygienic feminine and posterior washes that eliminate the need for dry toilet paper. If used in U.S. households, it could reduce paper consumption by perhaps up to 75%, claims Brondell CEO Scott Pinizzotto. Ecoseat is also a water saver, since it takes less water power to flush a paperless toilet. Source: Brondell Inc., 2183 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California 94115. Web site www.brondell.com . Join WFS for $49 per year ($20 for students) and receive THE FUTURIST, Futurist Update, and many other benefits.
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