Futurist Inventors to Converge on Vancouver

Issued: 5.24.11

(Bethesda, Maryland)The World Future Society and 1X57 have announced the winners of the first annual Futurists: BetaLaunch (F:BL), a technology and innovation showcase. Engineers, designers, and other future-makers will present their inventions to the 1,000 futurists expected to gather for WorldFuture 2011, the Society’s annual conference.

“This year, we had over 60 excellent submissions for Futurists: BetaLaunch and could accept a handful of entries,” said Lisa Donchak, Google associate and one of the F:BL judges. “We were surprised and impressed by the quality of each submission.… We hope WorldFuture 2011 attendees enjoy getting up close and personal with the final selections. We’ll be exhibiting a phenomenal range of inventions, big and small,” she said in a taped segment, available on the Futurists: BetaLaunch Web site.

You can also register for WorldFuture 2011 here.

Among the F:BL 2011 winners:

Primer Code Hero
…changes the gaming platform by making all knowledge playable.

SmartUp
…coaches the brain to optimize intelligence, wellness and productivity, relying on spacing effect, human coaching and context.

Guardian Watch
…allows anyone with a mobile device to stream video and report emergencies in real-time, alerting local law enforcement and members of your neighborhood with your GPS location and a visual of the the scene.

The Thermoacoustic Engine
…generates electricity from any fuel or heat source (including sunlight, gas or biomass) with extraordinary efficiency, simplicity and reliability.

TechShop
…is the first membership based, do-it-yourself (DIY) workshop and fabrication studio, providing its members access to a vibrant, open community of highly creative people and high-quality machines, tools and software.

Seasteading
…or floating cities, will allow for experimentation with new ideas for government, by approaching government as industry and by following the spirit of entrepreneurism, injecting innovation and competition into government, leading to better societal architecture.

SkyTran
…or “packet switching for people” will revolutionize centuries old human-guided transport.

The Non-Invasive Diagnosis Device
…will permit individuals to self-diagnose for blood borne diseases.

The Headset Computer
…is a head-worn, mobile computer headset with full voice, audio and PC capabilities.

StartSomeGood
…provides social entrepreneurs with a platform to raise start-up funds and build a community of supporters — all in a fun, engaging and community-driven way.

Portapure
…treats any river, stream, or lake water safely enough to drink — anywhere in the world.

MAKE founder Dale Dougherty to Open Futurists: BetaLaunch

Dale Dougherty, editor and publisher of MAKE, and general manager of the Maker Media division of O'Reilly Media, Inc. will speak at the WorldFuture 2011, in conjunction with Futursts: BetaLaunch and WorldFuture 2011. Dougherty helped found O'Reilly Media, Inc. with Tim O'Reilly. Dougherty was developer and publisher of Web Review, the online magazine for Web designers. “MAKE Magazine brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. MAKE is loaded with exciting projects that help you make the most of your technology at home and away from home. We celebrate your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will,” according to the company’s Web site.

Where and When is the Event?

The Futurists: BetaLaunch showcase will be held in conjunction with WorldFuture 2011: Moving from Vision to Action, the annual conference of the World Future Society, to be held at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre hotel in Vancouver, Canada, on July 8-10, 2011.

Additional speakers at this year's event include longevity expert Aubrey de Grey, senior analyst of the GAO applied research methods group Nancy Donovan, leadership expert Lance Secretan, author Ramez Naam (More Than Human), and futurist and innovation advocate Thomas Frey.

World Future Society

Founded in 1966 as a nonprofit educational and scientific organization in Washington, D.C., the World Future Society has members in more than 80 countries around the world. Individuals and groups from all nations are eligible to join the Society and participate in its programs and activities.

The Society holds a two-day, international conference once a year where participants discuss foresight techniques and global trends that are influencing the future. Previous conference attendees have included future U.S. President Gerald Ford (1974), Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy (1975), behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner (1984), age-wave expert Ken Dychtwald (2005), U.S. comptroller general David M. Walker (2006) and inventor Ray Kurzweil (2010). Others in attendance typically include business leaders, government officials, scientists, corporate planners, and forecasters from across the globe. You can learn more about the conference by visiting www.wfs.org. Learn more about Futurists: BetaLaunch at http://wfsbetalaunch.com/ or contact Jennifer Boykin at jboykin@wfs.org or call 301-656-8274.