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Top 10 Forecasts From Outlook 2004 Report

Current Forecasts

Special to Web visitors, here are a few of the editors' favorite forecasts from the current issue of THE FUTURIST:

* The music business could become a purely service industry. Digitized music files eliminate the need for plastic--and for factories, trucks, warehouses, and record stores to create, distribute, store, and sell music on CDs or other physical media. In the future, musicians and audiences will communicate more directly, and only the businesses that support that model will benefit. (Eric Garland, "Online Music: The Sound of Success")

 

• Wars will be faster and less deadly. Among the developments that will make military actions more efficient are better information and intelligence management, nonlethal weapons that incapacitate the enemy, and individual warning devices that alert soldiers to hazards in their air, water, or food. (Stephen M. Millett, "Tomorrow's Conflicts: Faster, Safer, Casualty-Free")

 

• Childhood deaths could be reduced by two-thirds worldwide. Breastfeeding, measles vaccinations, rehydration therapy, and other low-tech, low-cost measures could save the lives of an estimated 6 million children each year, according to World Health Organization researchers. (World Trends & Forecasts, Demography)

 

• Climate change could threaten Africa's food supply. Rising air temperatures have altered the flow of deep waters in central Africa's Lake Tanganyika, disrupting the growth of algae and nutrients for the region's most commercially important fish. With a predicted 1.5ºC rise in future air temperature, prospects for central Africa's future fish supplies are bleak. (World Trends & Forecasts, Environment)

 

• Americans may lose their musical heritage. Folk music is increasingly being pushed aside by pop music, even in classrooms. One result will be a disconnection from the past as children fail to comprehend the meaning behind songs of work, history, and patriotic sentiment, such as "Home on the Range," "Erie Canal," and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again." (World Trends & Forecasts, Society)

To order the print edition of the November-December 2003 issue of THE FUTURIST ($4.95 plus $3 postage and handling) or to become a member of the World Future Society ($45 per year).

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