Many people knew what to do when their world changed on September 11. A transportation manager in New York stopped the subway trains heading into what would soon become "Ground Zero," saving thousands of lives. Passengers aboard one of the hijacked aircraft stormed the cockpit and crashed the plane before it hit another planned target—probably saving many more lives. Rescue workers rushed into burning, collapsing buildings. Almost everyone called home.

At THE FUTURIST, we were in the process of preparing an article for this issue by forecaster Marvin  Cetron and science writer Owen Davies. The subject: the vital signs of national stability and what they can tell us about the prospects for terrorism. Instead of waiting for publication, we instantly posted the unabridged article on our Web site. An updated version of the article is published here (see "Vital Signs for National Stability: Staying Secure in an Insecure World," page 23).

Immediately, futurists around the world began sharing their insights on the terrorist attacks and scenarios of the potential aftermath. Future Survey editor Michael Marien solicited essays from even more futurists. Almost all of the essays we received are now posted on the Web (www.wfs.org/terror.htm), and in this issue we present selections (see "The New Age of Terrorism: Futurists Respond," page 16).

It's been said that life is what happens while you're making other plans. Americans are unaccustomed to living under uncertain conditions, but they are now learning. Preparing for disasters and living a normal life are not mutually exclusive activities. And preparing for the unexpected disaster (fire, earthquake, tornado) is at least as sensible as it was for the expected disaster (remember Y2K?).

Futurism is a mind-set that helps us in times such as this. It reminds us that much of the future is still  in our hands, even when the wild-card scenarios unfold and force us to rethink our plans.