BACK FROM THE FUTURE
Reemerging from full-immersion futuring this week are some 950
forward-thinking professionals, leaders, and students, who came from around the world to
Washington, D.C., for the World Future Society's 2004 annual meeting.
Among the numerous highlights of the conference were the opening plenary
session presentations by Jeremy Rifkin on the hydrogen economy and Ray Kurzweil on the
coming merger of humans and machines.
"We are in the last half century of a great energy era," said
Rifkin. "A new energy regime is on the horizon--hydrogen." The decentralization
of energy with fuel cells will lead to the Third Industrial Revolution, he argued, urging
futurists to "help us ask the right questions" about that transition.
Kurzweil provided a cogent overview of the many converging technological
trends leading to a paradigm shift. "The paradigm shift rate is now doubling every
decade. Surprisingly few people account for that idea in their projections," he
observed.
Kurzweil forecast that the "killer app" for nanotechnology
will be medical nanobots--blood-cell-sized devices that could release insulin or other
medications, for example.
Other speakers took the opportunity to use the collective intelligence
of conference attendees. Marvin Cetron of Forecasting International distributed a
questionnaire on prospects for specific terrorist threats, while criminologist Gene
Stephens surveyed law-enforcement professionals on the future of policing.
More conference coverage will appear in the November-December 2004 issue
of THE FUTURIST magazine.
2004 CONFERENCE HOMEPAGE: Photos, papers, PowerPoints, and session
summaries will be posted as they become available. Go to http://www.wfs.org/2004summary.htm
RECORDINGS: An audio CD-ROM of nearly all the conference sessions and
audiocassettes of individual sessions are available from IntelliQuest Media: www.intelliquestmedia.com/refer.php?o=World%20Future%20Society
CONFERENCE VOLUME: A collection of essays prepared in conjunction with
the meeting and edited by Prof. Howard F. Didsbury Jr. is now available for sale. Visit
the homepage for THINKING CREATIVELY IN TURBULENT TIMES: http://www.wfs.org/volad04.htm
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2005 CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN CHICAGO
Futurists are now looking ahead to Chicago, host of the World Future
Society's 2005 annual meeting. The focus of the conference is enhancing our foresight,
innovation, and strategy for creating the future.
Check out the 2005 meeting homepage for session proposal information,
conference volume submission guidelines, as well as the latest information on speakers and
sessions. And register online as soon as you can to get the best possible early-bird
discount!
WORLDFUTURE 2005: http://www.wfs.org/2005mainpg.htm
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ALLIANCE FORMED WITH GLOBAL SCHOOLNET
Reaching out to young people to help them become more responsible global
citizens is the goal of the Global SchoolNet Foundation. The World Future Society has now
established a partnership with GSN to provide valuable tools for meeting that goal,
announced WFS President Timothy C. Mack.
"GSN is thrilled to join forces with the WFS in an effort to engage
youth worldwide in future-oriented educational experiences," said Yvonne Marie
Andres, president and co-founder of Global SchoolNet.
DETAILS: http://www.wfs.org/pr8404.htm
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST magazine. Copyright ©
2004, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail mailto:info@wfs.org;
Web site http://www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner
Assistant Editor: Clifton
Coles
Network Administrator: Jeff
Cornish
Webmaster: Sarah Warner
Membership Director: Susan
Echard
To subscribe, send an e-mail message to mailto:majordomo@wfs.org
with "subscribe futurist-update" in the BODY of the message.
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, send message to Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org.
Submit feedback at http://www.wfs.org/fbaug04.htm
The WORLD
FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and educational association with
a global membership. Regular membership in the Society, including a subscription to THE
FUTURIST, is $45 per year, or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society headquarters for
details: http://www.wfs.org
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