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 A magazine of forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future. March-April 2004, Vol. 38, No. 2 |
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Online Indexes: |
Current Forecasts Special to Web visitors, here are a few of the editors' favorite forecasts from the current issue of THE FUTURIST:
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Debt
woes forecast for young Americans. Ten percent of America's generation Y (born between
1977 and 1997) are considered clinically compulsive spenders--a significantly higher
proportion than among baby boomers (1% to 3%) and Gen X (5%). Researchers blame the early
and widespread use of credit cards: 80% of Gen Y'ers have them, and half got their first
in high school. (Tomorrow in 
India could soon face a
mother shortage. The sex ratio among India's children has dropped from 945 girls per
1,000 boys in 1991 to 927 in 2001, nearly a 2% decrease. The disappearance of girls stems
from sex-selective abortions and infanticides. As the population of potential future
mothers shrinks, making up for missing girls will become increasingly 
Man-machine-whale communication by 2030. Artificial
intelligence could enable direct communication among humans, computers, and cetaceans
within the next few decades. ("Forecasts for Artificial Intelligence" by Bohumir
Stedron)