In This Issue:
Bionic Eyes
Cosmic Collision Ahead
U.S. Failing to Prevent Preventable Deaths
Click of the Month: Legacy Letter Project
News from the Futurist Community

BIONIC EYES

We may soon be seeing our world through electronic eyes, and they'll be as easy to use as popping in a contact lens.

A bionic display consisting of electronic circuits and lights imprinted on a contact lens would allow wearers to see electronic information superimposed over their view of the world in front of them. Potential applications include virtual reality enhancements for video gamers and heads-up displays for pilots and drivers.

One key challenge was to find materials that are safe for use in the body, according to Babak Parviz, assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington, where the device is being developed. Because the electronic circuits can be built from layers of metals only a few nanometers thick, they can be printed on the delicate, biologically compatible plastic materials used for contact lenses.

Though the prototype device does not correct the user's vision, future models will do so. Other enhancements may include the addition of wireless communication powered by radio frequency and embedded solar cells.

DETAILS: University of Washington

COSMIC COLLISION AHEAD

A massive gas cloud is hurtling toward the Milky Way at a speed of 150 miles per second, set to strike our galaxy at about a 45-degree angle. Though the light show will be spectacular, it's still 8,000 light-years away, so don't look for it for about another 40 million years.

The leading-edge of the massive Smith's Cloud, named for its 1963 discoverer, is already interacting with the Milky Way's gases, and when it hits, the energy will likely ignite a rush of new star formations, according to Felix J. Lockman of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, New Mexico.

"Many of those stars will be very massive, rushing through their lives very quickly and exploding as supernovae," says Lockman. "Over a few million years, it'll look like a celestial New Year's celebration, with huge firecrackers going of in that region of the galaxy."

The study of the stars has enabled humanity to navigate, tell time, and plan the future; astronomy has also advanced the development of new imaging technologies. The NRAO is operated by Associated Universities Inc., which is now forming a Committee on the Future of U.S. Radio Astronomy aimed "to determine radio astronomy's role in answering fundamental questions in astronomy as an integral part of a broad scientific agenda."

DETAILS: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

U.S. PROGRESS SLOWS IN PREVENTING PREVENTABLE DEATHS

The United States ranks last among 19 industrialized nations on preventing deaths by assuring access to effective health care, report researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

More than 100,000 lives per year could be spared if U.S. performance equaled the top-ranked countries on effective health-care measures: France, Japan, and Australia.

All other nations showed significant improvements in preventing premature deaths between 1997-98 and 2002-03, while progress in the United States slowed. One possible explanation is an increase in the uninsured populations, according to authors of the study published in the journal HEALTH AFFAIRS.

"The fact that other countries are reducing these preventable deaths more rapidly, yet spending far less, indicates that policy, goals, and efforts to improve health systems make a difference," notes Cathy Schoen, senior vice president of the Commonwealth Fund, which supported the study.

SOURCE: The Commonwealth Fund

CLICKS OF THE MONTH: FUTURISTS GO TO THE MOVIES

For a big-screen view of the future that peeks beyond the action-packed dystopias of sci-fi blockbusters, here are two thought-provoking documentaries recently brought to our attention.

* THE WORLD WITHOUT US evisions what the world would be like if a fictional presidential candidate named Turner succeeded in removing U.S. troops from the international scene. The film debates and explores the consequences of U.S. isolationism, with expert interviewees such as British historian Niall Ferguson and former U.S. ambassador James Lilley.

"This documentary struck me because it took in expert and common opinions from people of all different races, cultures, and positions," says WFS member Nathan Smythe, who sent us the tip about THE WORLD WITHOUT US. "It had challenging questions, and it was still entertaining."

*THE LINGUISTS follows the work of researchers studying the global trend of language extinction, with an average of one language disappearing every two weeks.

In their frequently risky adventures, the scientists explore the cultural and political pressures contributing to language loss in vulnerable indigenous communities. The documentary was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and premiered at the famed Sundance Film Festival on January 18.

NEWS FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY

* CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: The World Futures Studies Federation's 20th World Conference, Transitions: Encouraging Emerging Worlds, will be held June 30-July 3 in Trollhätten, Sweden. Deadline for submitting an abstract of your paper or presentation is January 31. DETAILS: Contact Marianne Rugård Järvstråt at secretariat@wfsf.org or gittemarianne@tele2.se.

* EXPLORING THE "BRIC" NATIONS: Social Technologies' new Futures Expeditions series will explore the economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The tours are led by futurist consultants and local market experts to provide insights tailored to clients' needs. The first trip is to Hyderabad, India, February 28 through March 4. DETAILS: info@socialtechnologies.com

* EUROPEAN FUTURISTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS: Videos, slides, and visual minutes of the November 2007 European Futurists Conference are now available. Learn about future business models, brain research, social innovation, mobility trends, and much more.