WFS-Current Forecasts

A magazine of forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future.
September-October 2004, Vol. 38, No. 5

Current Forecasts

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

No more boring science lectures? Science professors may increasingly drop their lectures in favor of teaching techniques used in business and law schools, such as case studies and storytelling. --Tomorrow in Brief, Sep-Oct 2004, p. 2 in the print edition.

Tortoise-like driving could win the race to fuel efficiency. Experimental cars have been able to go thousands of miles on a single gallon of gasoline, thanks to creative engineering, deft driving, and extremely slow speeds--under 10 miles per hour. --Tomorrow in Brief, Sep-Oct 2004, p. 2.

Weeds may grow in your medicine chest. They may spoil your lawn, but weeds could become an important medical resource. Overlooked and undervalued, weeds have healing properties well known in indigenous cultures; Mayans, for instance, treat stomach ailments with broom tree. And, unlike exotic plants in faraway tropical rain forests, weeds tend to make themselves readily available. --World Trends & Forecasts, Technology, Sep-Oct 2004, p. 11

Knowledge work will dwindle, just as farming and manufacturing work have. The rapid growth and sophistication of information technology could do away with information-technology jobs and other service jobs. Services, like manufacturing and agriculture, may comprise less than 2% of the workforce by the end of the century. --Richard W. Samson, "How to Succeed in the Hyper-Human Economy," Sep-Oct 2004, p. 38

credit: Photos.com

New colors may be discovered. Perception and consciousness could be altered with microtechnology. Enhancing neuronal function with micro-devices could allow us to explore undiscovered realms of consciousness, including new colors, new emotions, and new perceptions, such as hearing an entire musical piece in one instant. --William Holmes, "Our Microtech Future," Sep-Oct 2004, p. 56

To order the print edition of the September-October 2004 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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