May-June 2010

Order the May-June 2010 (Volume 44, No. 2) Issue Published by the World Future Society

2020 Visionaries Part III

In this third installment of the 2020 Visionaries series, we look at the future of the global environment and of democracy — two areas of concern that will increasingly intertwine in the next 10 years. Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at the NASA Langley Research Facility, provides an overview of the scope of the climate crisis and the weapons against it that we have at our disposal. Jamais Cascio, author of Hacking the Earth, explains the potential and pitfalls of geoengineering. Ian Bremmer, head of the world’s largest political-risk consultancy, discusses the future of Sino-U.S. relations. American Enterprise Scholar Michael Rubin, and memoirist Azar Nafisi, exaimine the intersection of technology and human rights in Iran.

Visions

Film's Immortals: Forever Young and in 3-D
By Cynthia G. Wagner
More than 20 years ago, THE FUTURIST wrote of the possibility of bringing Humphrey Bogart (and other movie stars) back to cinematic life. The technical achievements of filmmakers like James Cameron, director of Avatar, suggest that futurists’ predictions are close to coming true.

BOOKS

China First
The question of how China became so successful, and what its leadership might do next, is a source of speculation and consternation, particularly in Washington, D.C. In China’s Megatrends: The 8 Pillars of a New Society, John and Doris Naisbitt dissect China’s achievement and provide what they call a “balance” to the “heavily weighted negative commentary” about China in the U.S. media. Review by Patrick Tucker

Books in Brief
Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis
Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation
Cosmic Conversations: Dialogues on the Nature of the Universe and the Search for Reality
The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?
Lightcraft Flight Handbook LTI-20
Mega Disasters: The Science of Predicting the Next Catastrophe
Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution
Turning Oil into Salt: Energy Independence Through Fuel Choice

Tomorrow in Brief

The “Greening” of Antarctica
WordBuzz: Transvaluation
Hollywood Goes Bilingual
Second-Hand Effects of Bullying
Electromagnetic Waves May Protect the Brain

Future Scope

Electric Cars That Charge Themselves
Children with HIV Are Living Longer
Second-Hand Pollution
Alternatives to Prison
Making Food Plants Climate-Proof

World Trends and Forecasts

Homosexuality and Family Formation
Nanowires Will Make Computers Smarter
Tourism Booms as Arctic Melts
Prospects for Truth and Freedom
Teaching Social Skills=Web Exclusive, an interview with Clark McKown

The Age of the Interface

By Richard Yonck
The word interface is defined as a connection between systems, equipment, or people. It’s most commonly associated with computing, but it is applicable to practically any human–machine activity. Interfaces exist to facilitate interaction. As Apple Computer put it, “The less alike two entities are, the more obvious the need for a well-designed interface becomes.”

From processing codes punched out on cards to interpreting our brain waves, our computers are progressively learning how to read our minds. Future interfaces will help man and machine understand each other better.

Coming, The Biggest Boom Ever

By McKinley Conway
The economic recession has prompted many to duck and cover, and many economists are making very pessimistic short-term and long-term forecasts. However, scrutiny of the factors at play reveals that the coming decade will bring a great deal of opportunity. Get ready for a period of unprecedented global development that will provide new opportunities for billions around the world. New economic growth is being driven by emerging industries ranging from nanotechnology to solar and wind power.

Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s World, Part 1

Economic and Social Trends and Their Impacts
For nearly half a century, Forecasting International has been tracking the forces that shape our future. Some 20 years ago, we codified our observations into a list of trends that forms the basis for much of our work. For each of our projects, we compare the specific circumstances of an industry or organization with these general trends and project their interactions. This often allows us to form a remarkably detailed picture of what lies ahead. Part One of the latest edition of FI’s periodic trend report tracks economic, population, societal, family, and work trends, illustrating the multifaceted challenges facing individuals and their institutions at all levels, from the household to the globe at large

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