World Future Society       

Learning Tomorrow is an online publication of the World Future Society                                                                         Back Issues
edited by Timothy C. Mack

 Note from the Editor

Since its conception, Learning Tomorrow has received a wide range of submissions, some of which may not appear to be classically educational in nature. While more elaborate educational research pieces have always gone to Futures Research Quarterly and articles about the Society and its programs have ended up in Future Times, Learning Tomorrow is still exploring what the editorial shape and range of the content this periodical should include.

There clearly is a desire for a medium to share learning experiences (such as the article below on Korea) or to offer education to others about personal passions (the piece on science fiction) or to model the application of a futures technique (the essay on personal futures) or to explain education policy (last issue's discussion of community colleges). Upcoming proposals include the exploration of critical medical trends, such as the HPV vaccine and cancer cures and a continuing column on science fiction.

But this is looking backward or straight ahead. What this newsletter is about is new shared visions of what the Future of Education and Education About the Future really could look like--your visions.

Help shape this publication with articles, ideas or even complaints about what we have done and what we should or could do. Help shape the future!

Timothy C. Mack, editor, mailto:tmack@wfs.org

Learning About the Future from the Past:
A Joint Rumination on Experiential Learning
By Jan Amkreutz, Michel Andrieu, and Tim Mack

Jan Amkreutz:

Korea was a fascinating experience. Michel, Tim and I spent a few days in Shaman's robes in the southern part of South Korea, a nation that changed from being a poor third world country to one of the most modern—and innovative—societies in the world, in just one generation. One of my new Korean friends, a 48-year-old-executive said it best: "As kids, we didn't have any shoes. Today, I have to ask my kids why they need yet another pair of Nikes!"

Those that know one of the three of us will smile, some even laugh out loud when they view this picture. We didn't just look different though. We felt different.

We saw the world in a different light. And because we felt different, we thought different. Isn't thinking just an advanced way of feeling? Or is it the other way around? Doesn't the expression "Seeing the world in a different light" mean that we have changed the way we think? I felt different in that robe. And the feeling changed my way of thinking forever. Irrevocably.

We learned about Korea's past from a Shaman in the hills of the South and glimpsed the country's future at the Digital Forum in the northern metropolis of Seoul. Past and Future, edges of a single reality, woven as one time-space-experience continuum by that mysterious energy that fuels the perpetual unfolding of the universe, the unfolding of life and—during the last few thousand years—the unfolding of human knowledge. Once this energy attains the sophistication of a human quality, we call it 'curiosity.' It drives us to the edge of the real and the knowable, and there, at the blurry boundary between the known and the imagined, where we cut the chains to the common sense of the status quo, we create the future.

This, the perpetual unfolding of nature together with the unfolding of knowledge embedded in its architecture, is the true meaning of 'evolution.' And now, nature figured out a way to experience the fruits of its own making through human perception, emotion and knowledge. As we stand in awe before the mystery of understanding nature, our knowledge illuminates dogma after dogma and paradigm after paradigm -- political, religious, economic, and scientific ones alike—and as the light intensifies, renders them irrelevant, and as they do, the familiar distinctions between truth and untruth become irrelevant as well. New truths are revealed in new dimensions of reality, and we follow new paths to the depths of nature where information lingers below the surface of atoms and molecules. We find ourselves on the last threshold to the essence of existence, of being alive, and of knowing to be alive.

We are lingering at the interface between the physical reality and its essence, where information rules. Already, with the help of information technology, we recreate the physical reality with a new - digital - texture that brings new worlds to our senses. Already, biotechnology and nanotechnologies are on the verge of becoming the new information technologies, allowing us to build new intelligent creatures from the information embedded in nature. We are in the middle of a singularity the world has not seen since the beginning of life on Earth. Not a technology singularity as some proclaim, as if technology is something more than the continuing manifestation of unfolding knowledge.

Instead, we are witnessing a knowledge singularity of nature, a point at which the roles of the physical reality and knowledge are being reversed. It took the universe billions of years to become knowable through the process of evolution. Now, knowledge is the substance from which we build the future. The physics of knowledge and the knowledge of physics live side by side and build upon each other, thereby reducing our ability to distinguish the two. Technology is not an exclusive human endeavor. Nature has used it to build a past and we called the process evolution. Now, it is our turn to use it to build a future, and we call it innovation.

Evolution and Innovation have become synonyms. Innovation is how the universe became knowable by constant reinvention. From hereon forward, innovation is humanity's way to reinvent the future, and to reinvent the future, we need to reinvent ourselves. And to reinvent ourselves, we need to change the way we feel and think, because they determine who we are.

Doesn't sound very scientific to you? Well, fortunately, imagination is always a step ahead of science. It leads the way to (re-)invention. Imagination is foresight, science is hindsight. Even if it predicts the future.

For Michel, Tim, and me, just wearing a different robe in South Korea might not be enough to reinvent ourselves—but hey, it is a start.

Michel Andrieu:

Wearing a monk's frock. The mere fact of putting on these robes was quite an experience and did modify my outlook on life. It is a bit like being an actor: you incarnate a new character, you experience being someone else with a totally different vision of the world (Gandhi, Napoleon, Voltaire, Pasteur, whoever) while at the same time remaining yourself, except that afterwards you are no longer your former self, in subtle ways that you may not fully understand.

The experience we shared gave me first a better understanding of the Korean psyche. The main issue Koreans face, as far as I could tell, is how to embrace modernity while at the same time preserving their identity. From a geopolitical perspective, modernity is essential for their survival, stuck as they are between two giants, China and Japan. Modernity has also brought about substantial material benefits in the daily life of a number of Koreans, but at a cost. Many of them, who have not been able to adjust, are left behind. Moreover, the pursuit of modernity has been disruptive for Korean society at large. It undermines traditional values and beliefs. It has imposed significant emotional and psychological costs on most. Even our successful and well-adjusted Korean hosts, who belong to the privileged elite, demonstrated by their very presence and participation in this celebration of the birth of Korea the strong need they have to come back to their roots and to reconcile their present with their past, even if it is an idealised and romantic version of their past.

Putting on these robes also forced us to reflect on ourselves and our own perception of Korean culture: what does it feel to be Korean? What do we find attractive in their culture? What do they have that we may be missing? In this regard I was struck by the quasi mystical sense of harmony with nature which prevailed and at the same time by the warmth and openness of our Korean hosts to others. The climax was when dancing together around the bonfire where the sense of harmony and brotherhood—with people we hardly knew—became emotionally overwhelming. I had never experience anything like this before in my life. On the other hand, I could not help thinking afterwards that we were presented with an idealised fairy tale version of their culture, a kind of Korean Disneyland.

More generally, this experience suggests to me that in the changing frontier between the past and the future we live in, it is important not only to look forward and to probe the future so as to be in the best possible position to take the right decisions today, but also to look backward in order to have a better understanding of what we mean by "right decision." To be truly right, it needs to reflect who we are and who we want to be. But what we are is largely determined by where we come from and by what we can learn from the past. Have we chosen the right path? What have we discarded along the way? Was it a wise choice? What can we do about it now and for the future?

As we say in French, "l'habit ne fait pas le moine" (i.e., wearing a monk's frock does not make you a monk), however it helps you reflect on what it is like being a monk, what you feel about it and ultimately on who you really are and who you really want to be.

Tim Mack:

My feet still hurt from dancing half the night at the Shaman's festival in the mountains (so much that I met with the President of the Seoul Broadcasting System in a brand new custom tailored suit and running shoes), but I did have a great massage at a traditional medicine clinic before going off to sleep.

We have been treated very well here by the press, so I now walk very straight (it won't last) from so many interviews, pictures and TV shows. I was in manic mode most of the week - a combination of exercise, acupuncture and massage keeping me alive. The Shaman's tea ceremony among the treetops was the most intense experience of the trip, although dancing with the priests from the Samsung Palace was thrilling. I most liked watching a senior shaman dance in the mud and then write on long rolls of paper with his feet. The promise of good talk and good work, however, is very seductive, so I will continue to pursue these possibilities. Starting to feel a rhythm in beating on my drum of reform, rethinking and rebirth, so we shall see.

In Korea, even the most rural or crowded urban community seems prosperous. But dignified, with none of Taipei's vast clouds of scooters or street festivals for young lovers.... The wild tea festival was very relaxing, but many of the temples are like tourist attractions, with nobody asking to be cleansed, blessed or comforted. No wonder the Shamans are trying to bring back the past. §

Return to Top             

The Future Worlds of Science Fiction: Simmons's Hyperion Epic
By Tom Lombardo

Science fiction is often narrowly and inaccurately seen as focusing primarily on the scientific and technological possibilities of the future. This mistaken perception is reinforced within popular science fiction movies, which, due to the wonders of modern computer animation and special effects, highlight the razzle-dazzle, gee whiz images of space ships and space battles, robots, cybertechnologies, and colorful, imaginative, and often frightening aliens. Invariably, future technologies and fantastic special effects are also connected with "ultra-violence," as planets, rocket ships, cities, human beings, and other living creatures are vaporized, eviscerated, or blown to smithereens by photon torpedoes, florescent green ray beams, and electro-magnetic matter disruption devices.

What I would propose instead is that good science fiction transcends such limiting boundaries, and in fact, frequently provides complex, rich, and multifaceted scenarios of the future. Science fiction often delves into future culture, politics, and society; transformations in morals, psychology, and the mind; new and varied ecologies and biologies (human, earthbound, and otherwise); sexual and gender transformations; and philosophical, religious, and spiritual themes and issues about tomorrow. (God even sometimes makes an appearance in science fiction, such as in Olaf Stapledon's Star Maker and Michael Moorcock's Behold the Man.) Not only does science fiction address all the major dimensions of the future, it dramatically weaves these elements together into holistic visions.(1)

An excellent example of the comprehensive and integrative qualities of science fiction is the highly regarded, epochal Hyperion series by Dan Simmons. This epic is a series of four novels, Hyperion (1989), The Fall of Hyperion (1990), Endymion (1995), and The Rise of Endymion (1997), set in the twenty-eighth through thirty-first centuries.(2) In Simmons's future universe, the earth has presumably been destroyed, but humanity has spread across myriad star systems and worlds, forming the Hegemony of Man. These worlds are all linked together by an intricate network of wormholes or "farcasters," through which humans can instantaneously travel between planets and star systems. The first novel Hyperion, winner of the Hugo Award for best science fiction novel of the year, is modeled on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and features seven archetypal pilgrims who set out on a "tree-ship" for the planet Hyperion, which lies outside of the farcaster network. The pilgrims, including a poet, a philosopher, a priest, and a warrior, tell their individual tales and their reasons for journeying to Hyperion. Although it is set in a high-tech reality, Simmons stylistically models this first novel on a great literary masterpiece, and creates vivid and psychologically compelling portraits of the seven pilgrims. One of the pilgrims, the poet, in fact, artistically and personally struggles, in this and later volumes in the series, with how to create a great work of art chronicling the ensuing events on the planet Hyperion - hence, the book itself becomes a self-reflective exercise in how one goes about writing a mythic drama of the future. Hyperion is immense in its scope and deals with religion, good and evil, time travel, artificial intelligence, and a plethora of different planetary ecologies and human societies. Of special note, in this first novel, the issue of the meaning of life and the value of freedom is raised in the context of the promise of immortality—a question that will be further pondered and considered in later novels in the series. Again resonating with literary classics of the past, the novel ends with the seven pilgrims, marching hand-in-hand up a hill singing "We are off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz."

In The Fall of Hyperion, the pilgrims must confront the enigmatic Shrike, a mysterious and frightening being from the future. While the pilgrims are drawn through a series of encounters with the Shrike, the Hegemony of Man is in a state of crisis presumably due to the imminent invasion of space-adapted humans, the "Ousters." Characters and beings of the past, as well as the future, populate the story as well. The name "Hyperion" is inspired by the poem "Hyperion" by the nineteenth century poet John Keats. In The Fall of Hyperion the mind and persona of Keats is recreated by powerful artificial intelligences that control the farcasters and all of human technology. Keats is actualized in physical form and becomes a central character in the drama, eventually traveling back to a simulation of nineteenth century Earth where he must go through his death all over again. Once more, Simmons explores the soul of the artist and juxtaposes romantic visions of the past with the mind-bending mysteries of the future. At the end of this novel, the Hegemony of Man crumbles, setting the stage for the next novels in the series.

The saga continues through Endymion and The Rise of Endymion, with new twists that delve into the ultimate nature of reality and the value of the human soul. In Endymion, Simmons continues in his ongoing and prolific invention of alternative human societies; the reader journeys through a multiplicity of different worlds, with different values, customs, ecologies, and human psychologies. (All four novels in fact provide a wealth of social thought experiments in how human societies could be organized in the future.) Endymion and The Rise of Endymion are set in the thirty-first century. The Catholic Church and its bureaucratic hierarchy have gained control over most of the human settled planets and the Church literally can bestow physical immortality (through technological means) on its followers if they become obedient to its will. The Church though is corrupt and has sold its soul to the Devil -- the artificial intelligences first encountered in the earlier novels. This partnership makes for an interesting combination of religion and the past with technology and the forces of the future. Also, in these later two novels, a new Messiah appears—a child of Keats and one of the Hyperion pilgrims. She is though pursued by the forces of the Church —which include sinister time-accelerated robot/androids that battle the Shrike. (The Shrike who originally in Hyperion seemed to be the absolute incarnation of evil now becomes almost like a guardian angel protecting the new Messiah.) In The Rise of Endymion there is a fascinating spiritual debate between a futuristic Grand Inquisitor (sent by the Church) and a new Dalai Lama—a philosophical clash between Catholicism and Buddhism—and a time looping retelling of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Through time machines, one can rise from the dead, and thus Simmons achieves a provocative synthesis or marriage of high technology and religious-spiritual archetypes.

The Rise of Endymion embodies the classic literary and historical theme of the fight for freedom and individuality against authoritarian forces intent on controlling humanity. The novel also addresses, as a continuing theme from the earlier books, the ongoing struggle between the forces of tradition and the past and the forces of change and the future. In particular, it delves into the question of human evolution—of what would constitute a significant transformation in the nature of our species? Although highly critical of traditional Western religion and religious institutions, its dramatic resolution invokes the archetypal image of sacrifice, death, and rebirth as pivotal to the future evolution of humanity. Although filled with technological speculations, the Hyperion series, especially within its finale, is primarily concerned with the future of the human soul and the human spirit. A complex and rich network of future human societies is created and a drama regarding the fate of humanity is told. §

References

1. Thomas Lombardo, "Science Fiction as the Mythology of the Future" in Thomas Lombardo, Contemporary Futurist Thought. Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2006.
2. Dan Simmons Web sites: http://www.dansimmons.com/; http://www.sfsite.com/lists/dsim.htm; http://www.erinyes.org/simmons/; Dan Simmons, Hyperion. New York: Bantam Books, 1989; Dan Simmons, The Fall of Hyperion. New York: Bantam Books, 1990; Dan Simmons, Endymion. New York: Bantam Books, 1995; Dan Simmons, The Rise of Endymion New York: Bantam Books, 1997.

Return to Top             

Creating Your Personal Future
By Lisa Elizabeth Grabowski

Purpose

Futurists young and old have what may seem like a daunting task: predicting the events and trends that may occur in the future. However, in order to forecast the future for a community, society, or even the entire human race, a futurist must start by knowing oneself. By creating my own personal future, I have an opportunity to anticipate my lifestyle and career choices as well as a chance to simply enjoy exploring my future. In his book Futuring: The Exploration of the Future, futurist Edward Cornish encourages "productive dreaming." By thinking about my future at an early age, I am essentially able to make my own future far in advance. There may still be many surprises on the way, but by plotting out important events, I can be better prepared for almost any circumstance. For this exercise I will examine my possible life in the years 2010, 2020, and 2030.

Vision

I intend to use my plan for the future as an impetus for achieving my goals, both large and small. Shortly after graduating from high school I threw away myriad opportunities in exchange for love. I soon realized the importance of education, and with my husband's support, I am in hot pursuit of a complete college education. There is a delicate balance between a healthy education and a healthy marriage, and keeping my priorities in order is a constant struggle. By mapping out my future I hope to see my potential for long-term success in all aspects of my life. As I begin to ponder my own "American dream" I hope to find the best of both worlds: a challenging career and a happy, growing family. In examining the scenarios I create and with my ideal lifestyle in mind, I can consider more clearly the options I have for the future; I will have a stronger ability to make wise decisions for both the short and long term benefit of myself and my family.

Tools: Selection

When it comes to selecting tools for use in creating a personal future, the possibilities are endless. However it is important to acknowledge the individuality of sociological tools. What may be considered a catch-all method for one may be hard to imagine for another, and all futurists have their favorite tools that they turn to most often for assistance.

In building scenarios, one is able to consider what may happen in the future, both in short- and long-term concerns. Scenarios provide efficient ways to handle uncertain situations that may hold great importance. When analyzing the problem at hand, it is sometimes helpful to think of several courses of action for resolving the situation. In this particular case, only one scenario will be described; however, this does not mean that other possibilities for the future are to be ignored.

Another useful tool is backcasting, in which the end result is proposed first, followed by the development of the steps necessary to achieve that goal or circumstance. Because it involves norms or goals, backcasting is sometimes referred to as "normative forecasting." Backcasting is a challenging way to predict the future because it works backward from a possible future instead of looking forward from the present.

Wild cards are a factor that must always be considered. Wild cards are big surprises that can cause important changes in our plans for the future. They often reflect our unconscious expectations about what might happen in the future. Futurist John L. Petersen provides three rules for wild cards:

• Think about possible wild cards before they happen
• Access and use information such as warning signs
• Take new approaches whenever necessary when coping with a wild card situation

Perhaps most important is the inclusion of visioning when imagining a personal future. In building a vision, one must look at past problems and successes as well as identify future goals and expectations. In doing this, the individual can gain a larger view of the situation and is able to think about steps that can be taken to achieve their goals.

The Scenarios

2010
It has been almost two years since I graduated from Metropolitan State College in Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in history and sociology. After some struggle to find a job worth commuting to from our suburb of Aurora, I took a position with Denver's daily newspaper, the Denver Post. I usually cover educational matters such as school board meetings and events in local schools, but there is talk that I may be placed on the team covering the race for U.S. Senate that is heating up quickly. The hours and deadlines are stressful and will continue to worsen, but the experience is irreplaceable and will be a valuable contribution to my portfolio. My husband is also happy to see me in a steady, salaried job instead of working in an unstable retail environment.

Jack is finally a staff sergeant in the Army, after a long and frustrating promotion process. He is glad to be making extra money as well as he is enjoying his new leadership position. He loves to spend time with our baby, who is now just over a year old, and watches him when I cover assignments at night. During the day, the baby attends a day care operated by the Air Force base where Jack is stationed. We would love to purchase our own home, but with more than two years left on Jack's reenlistment contract, our permanent place of residence is still uncertain. When we can get a babysitter on the weekend, we love to go to karaoke bars with our friends.

2020
I never expected to move back to Maryland, but we made the long haul in 2013 and it looks like we will be here for good. After his discharge from the Army, Jack took a position with a government agency. He took online college classes for nearly seven years to earn his teaching degree, but is proud above all things of his achievement. He now teaches technical classes for military personnel, although he would rather be teaching creative writing to high school students.

I wasn't keen at first about coming back to the area, but I found a great opportunity with the Washington Post covering dealings in the House of Representatives. While I would like to live closer to the city, our three children seem to be enjoying life in Laurel, MD. Jack Jr., 11, loves little league baseball. Jack Jr. was followed by twin girls, Naomi and Layla, who are now five years old. When not at school, the children are cared for by Jack's younger brother, Samuel. Nearly thirty, Sam suffers from anxiety and depression. After struggling to keep a job, we agreed to take him into our home. His condition is regulated by medication, and while sometimes he is hesitant to leave the house, he cares for the children deeply and is, by far, their favorite babysitter. While it took me a while to warm up to Maryland again, I love our central location. My sister is a professor at a college in Virginia and lives there with her family. To the north, it is a reasonable drive to visit both my family and Jack's in Philadelphia. With my mother's health declining, I take every chance I get to visit home, although my work schedule doesn't always permit it.

2030
It has been years since I forgot what it feels like to have free time to myself. Jack Jr. is 21 is in his third year at Georgetown University on a baseball scholarship. Naomi and Layla are fifteen and drive me crazy with their antics. Like her mother once did, Naomi aspires to be an actress and was the lead in her high school production of The Home Front, a musical about families struggling to survive during the second Gulf War. I tried to tell her what it was really like, but I'm not sure if she was really listening. Layla, on the other hand, is thinking about college already. She loves biology and is at the head of her class. She is obsessed with these new cars that run off cow dung and cow dung alone. I told her we could get one, but she would be responsible for filling the tank! Despite being a bookworm, I suspect that Layla is developing a wild side on which we may need to keep a careful eye. With the kids almost grown, Sam has returned home to take care of his mom and dad, who refuse to move into a retirement community.

One of our biggest challenges is Jack- he now teaches English in the same high school that the girls attend. It is hard for both generations, as Jack always wants to know what his daughters are up to-at the same time, the girls avoid him at all costs from the hours of 7 am to 3 pm. Jack teaches a very advanced group of students who are earning college credits in their high school classes. It is an innovative new program where those most talented students can essentially skip over high school and earn college credits without leaving their hometown. It is a social experiment as well, as some of this year's graduating class will move right into graduate school. I can't begin to imagine how they will adapt to life at graduate school at such a young age, but Jack enjoys teaching this elite group. When he can manage to find spare time, he is also working on a book about his experiences working for the government.

As for me, I have crossed to the other side-whereas I once reported on legislature, I am now a part of it. After much prodding from Jack, I ran for a seat in the Maryland General Assembly. I am a member of several committees concerning education in the state of Maryland. I also write a column for the Baltimore Sun in which I discuss education and the state of our schools. I don't get much of a chance to sing anymore, but I'm often spotted singing in my car on the drive to work in my electric car. I am almost ready to give into Layla's plea for a new cow-dung car, but it will be hard to part with my trusty electric version.

Perhaps once the twins finish college we will be able to retire, but with social security a thing of the past, I could be dead before I have enough money with which to retire comfortably.

Application of Tools

The entire 2010 scenario is relatively simple because it is only a few years away. I did not use multiple and contrasting scenarios, but tried to balance the options within a single 'picture.' Although the smaller details may change, we have planned out our future as well as possible with the information we already know about Jack's military career and my own aspirations.

Wild cards are a big element in the predictions. I am not planning to take in my younger brother-in-law anytime in the future, but am prepared to do so if he needs our assistance. I also don't wish for the health of my parents or in-laws to falter, but must be ready for any unfortunate events that may occur.

Considering our future careers involved using both backcasting and wild cards. Jack's ultimate dream is to be a teacher, so with his goal in mind, I predicted some steps he might take toward that goal. Meanwhile, I am uncertain of my own ultimate career goals. I doubt that I will ever run for Maryland General Assembly; but I will never truly be sure of what opportunities my career may hold. As a military wife, I am keenly aware that circumstances can change in an instant. Future assignments and locations are a constant concern; I have reflected this in my 2020 scenario in reference to moving to Maryland. I have accepted that my career or lifestyle preferences will sometimes have to be sacrificed in favor of what is required of my husband. In this sense I must be prepared for wild cards, and in that preparation realize that the biggest wild cards in my life may not be my own, but my husband's.

The most important of the tools used to create the scenarios was visioning. One could argue that visioning is an art, as it takes a lot of imagination to think about the future. In building my scenarios I attempted to look at the "big picture." While it could be said that my personal future should concern only myself, I beg to disagree. In thinking about my own life I must also take into consideration my husband's own future. If I were to create a future solely for myself, the outcome would be much different than the one I have created; however, I have thought logically about my future as well as the future of my marriage and the future composition of my entire family. As I created a vision for myself, I could not complete the picture without including everyone around me.

Application of Ideas

In exploring my personal future, I have found the guidelines in chapter one of Cornish's text to be invaluable, including the following tips:

• Prepare for what you will face in the future
• Anticipate future needs
• Use poor information when necessary
• Expect the unexpected
• Think long term as well as short term
• Dream productively
• Learn from your predecessors

All of the above are useful for planning out one's personal future, and I found them to be essential reminders as I thought about my scenarios. One of the most helpful tips is "use poor information when necessary." As a young adult, so much is uncertain about my future. However, this tool has helped me look at my current circumstances and use them to make predictions. For instance, I have noted that I am uncertain about my career path; but since I know what courses of study will be my majors when I transfer to a four-year institution, I can make an educated guess at the type of work I will do throughout my life.

To be frank, not much is certain about anyone's future. Yet with a little thought-both inside and outside the box-I have found it possible and inspiring to dream up a future that I can be proud of, no matter what happens in the end. §

About the Author: Lisa Elizabeth Grabowski is a reporter with The Bristol Pilot & The Advance of Bucks County and can be reached at lisagrabowski@gmail.com

References

1. Cornish, Edward. (2004) Futuring: The Exploration of the Future. Bethesda, Maryland: World Future Society.
2. Petersen, John L. (1997) Out of the Blue: Wild Cards and Other Big Future Surprises. Lanham, Maryland: Madison.

Return to Top

COPYRIGHT © 2006 WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 450, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
Tel. 301-656-8274. E-mail info@wfs.org. Web site http://www.wfs.org.
All rights reserved.