WORLDFUTURE 2005 DEADLINE NOW!
Register for the World Future Society's 2005 annual meeting now to save
$100 off the on-site fee! The discount period ends April 29.
You won't want to miss a minute of your future! The conference, to be
held July 29-31 at Chicago Hilton and Towers, will feature exciting sessions on the major
forces altering our future--and on how we can get a grip on these forces of change so that
we can create better futures for ourselves, our families, our organizations, and the
world.
Speakers will include Luis Alberto Machado, Venezuela's former prime
minister of intelligence; age-wave expert Ken Dychtwald; paradigm shift analyst Joel
Barker; business futurist Edie Weiner; and approximately 150 other forward-thinking
experts.
REGISTRATION NOW: https://www.wfs.org/2005regfrm.htm
SEE PRELIMINARY PROGRAM: http://www.wfs.org/WF2005_preliminary.pdf
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EARLIER PUBERTY RAISES
CONCERN
The European Union is financing a three-year project called Pioneer to
investigate why puberty is occurring at earlier ages in children.
"The problem affects a large number of children and can eventually
give rise to new reproductive patterns," says Olle Söder, vice coordinator of the
project at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet. "Girls who reach puberty early are
affected in a way that can have consequences for their future, both socially and
financially."
The project will look at such factors as calorie intake in both humans
and livestock, as well as the effects of hormone-like substances in the environment.
SOURCE: The Karolinska Institutet,
http://info.ki.se/article_en.html?ID=3353
RETIREE BENEFITS AT RISK
More retirees are feeling the effects of cutbacks in health benefits,
and current workers are becoming increasingly pessimistic about receiving retiree health
coverage, according to a new study by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute.
The overall percentage of retirees age 65 and older who had health
benefits fell from 28% to 25% between 1997 and 2002, the Institute reports.
"It is likely that employers will continue to make changes to
retiree health benefits--especially for future retirees--in response to predicated future
medical costs."
SOURCE: The Employee Benefit Research Institute, http://www.ebri.org
DOWNLOAD REPORT: http://www.ebri.org/ibpdfs/0305ib.pdf
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WFS PUBLICATIONS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS
The World Future Society offers a range of publications to meet the
needs of futurists of all backgrounds and interests:
• FUTURE SURVEY:
http://www.wfs.org/fsurv.htm, an esteemed monthly newsletter, provides abstracts of the
most significant articles, books, and reports covering important future-shaping issues.
Required reading for anyone needing to know at a glance the best in futures literature.
• FUTURES RESEARCH QUARTERLY:
http://www.wfs.org/frq.htm, the scholarly journal for Professional Members of the World
Future Society, detailing the latest techniques and case studies of interest to all
working futurists worldwide. Ideal for scholars and practitioners.
• THE FUTURIST:
http://www.wfs.org/futurist.htm, the bimonthly magazine offering a broad assortment of
ideas, information, and inspiration about the world we are building tomorrow, today.
Suitable reading for all futurists, from the generalist to the specialist, novice to
expert.
• FUTURE TIMES:
http://www.wfs.org/futuretimes.htm, the World Future Society's networking newsletter, is
now online! Check back frequently for updates on the activities of Society chapters and
partners. Excellent resource for networkers and members.
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CLICK
OF THE MONTH: SCIENCE
FICTION HUB
http://www.sfhub.ac.uk
The University of Liverpool has launched the world's first
science-fiction research Web site. The Science Fiction Hub, funded by the Arts and
Humanities Research Board, will feature the archives of many of Britain's most important
science-fiction writers, including H.G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon.
"The hub will provide a great boost to research into science
fiction and its many related research resources around the world, including databases,
organizations, conferences, and courses," says Roy McCready, the Web site's manager.
The site also includes a handy array of links to other major sci-fi
collections, museums, magazines, and organizations.
NEWS FROM WFS PARTNERS AND THE FUTURES COMMUNITY
• THE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN invites you to its 2005
annual conference. TIAW Global Partnership Forum: Celebrating 25 Years of Making a
Difference will be held in Jacksonville, Florida, October 19-22 hosted by the Women’s
Business owners of North Florida. World Future Society members will be given the
membership rate. DETAILS: http://tiaw.org/pages.asp?pageID=5, or contact Dr. Donna
Heivilin, mailto:donna.heivilin@verizon.net
• HELP BRING STUDENTS TO THE 2005 CONFERENCE: The
World Future Society and the Global SchoolNet Foundation
<http://www.globalschoolnet.org> are co-sponsoring a Web-based competition for
high-school students to develop projects about their own futures, the future of their
communities, and critical global issues. Nearly 600 projects have been submitted from 47
countries, and the final judging is under way.
We still need funding for scholarships to bring six student winners and
their teachers to the Chicago conference in July to share their insights on the future.
Please give what you can to support this effort and the young people who have worked so
hard for a better future.
Send your contribution to
