January-February 2011, Vol. 45, No. 1

Order a printed copy of the January-February 2011 issue

The World Is My School: Welcome to the Era of Personalized Learning

By Maria H. Andersen

Future learning will become both more social and more personal, says an educational technology expert.

Tomorrow in Brief

Can Handedness Be Altered?
El Niño Events Gain Strength
Stress and Cancer
Clean-Energy Innovations
Artificial Leaf Mimics Solar Cells

Book Reviews

Human Civilization Migrates Northward

A book review by Rick Docksai

In The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future, geologist Laurence C. Smith notes world-changing population and economic shifts.

Books in Brief

Bottled and Sold
Climatopolis
How to Catch a Robot Rat
Outrageous Fortunes
Packing for Mars
Rethinking Risk

World Trends & Forecasts

As Tweeted: You Know You’re a Futurist If …

Recently on Twitter, a few of us were reflecting on what makes futurists special.

Pleasure, Beauty, and Wonder: Educating for the Knowledge Age

By John M. Eger

The future workforce will need to be more innovative, argues a communications and public policy scholar. While math and science are important, they need to be infused with the creative spark that comes from the arts.

The Future of Medicine: Are Custom-Printed Organs on the Horizon?

By Vladimir Mironov

Medical researchers are creating robots that can bioprint new tissue and organs directly into patients’ bodies while performing surgery—without assistance from doctors.

A Convenient Truth about Clean Energy

By Carl E. Schoder

The earth is awash in energy; we just need new infrastructure to tap it. A chemical engineer shows how we could break free of fossil fuels by deploying the power of ammonia and hydrogen.

Special Section: 70 Jobs for 2030

“Job creation” starts with innovative thinking, so we invited some of the best futurist minds to envision where the ground may be most fertile for future opportunities.

Emerging Careers and How to Create Them By Cynthia G. Wagner
A Clash of Ideas and Ideals on the Jobs Front By Patrick Tucker
The Coming of the Terabyters: Lifelogging for a Living By Thomas Frey
Careers for a More Personal Corporation By Jim Ware
Unmanned Cargo Vehicle Operator: A Scenario By Karen W. Currie
Managing Our Feelings By Joyce Gioia
Careers Inspired by Nanotech Trends By Anne Gordon
Online Community Organizer By Seth Godin
Digital Identity Planner: A Scenario By Timothy Ferriss
Fixing Our Machines and Ourselves By Charles Grantham
Personal Care Coordinator By Alexandra Levit
Future World Shapers By Alireza Hejazi

Future View: Future, Fantasy, And Positive Volition

By Matthew Colborn

When futurists choose to be optimistic, it is sometimes mistaken for mindless fantasy. But a psychologist argues that optimism is vital for effective futuring, because it allows us to face reality with the fortitude to make things better.