Archive for October, 2006
We Will Never See 400
Today was the big day. The U.S. population hit 300 million people. In fact, as I write this near midnight Eastern time, the population clock now reads 300,005,079. This is up from 100 million in 2015, and 200 million in 1967. The Census Bureau projects that the nation will hit 400 [...]
Full StoryCloning, and the need for conversation
A headline article in the Seattle Times today suggested that cloned food is near FDA-approval. The food is apparently testing safe, and astonishly similar to non-cloned food. Which isn’t exactly surprising if you understand the science behind cloning. It probably won’t hurt us in any way to eat cloned food, and it [...]
Full StoryWaiting to Act on Global Warming Will Cost More
According to a new study published by the Global Development and Environment Institute of Tufts University (PDF), waiting to act on global warming will cost trillions by the end of century. In fact, according to their analysis, even leaving out such catastrophic possibilities as a shut down of the Gulf Stream, or accounting for species [...]
Full StoryNobel Peace Prize to Grameen Bank Founder
Today was a great day for creating preferred futures. Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh was awarded the annual Nobel Peace Prize, for his pioneering of the concept of micro-loans. Yunus, now age 66, established the Bank in 1976, to lend small amounts of seed money to the poorest women in [...]
Full StoryNew Article About Heroes of the Future from Brenda Cooper
Please see my new Futurist.com article Heroes of the Future. Like my recent article on the future of cities, the genesis of this article was a panel at the World Science Fiction convention in Los Angeles this summer. It’s a tough and interesting subject, and I’m hoping to hear comments and other [...]
Full StoryThe View from Space
When the view on Earth is just too depressing, it can be good to leave the planet for while, and contemplate the Universe from space.
Two great recent views are these. First, Earth as seen from Saturn, taken by the Cassini spacecraft and displayed at Astronomy Image of the Day. Click on the thumnail [...]
Fireside Chat: Glen Hiemstra on his Book
Glen Hiemstra discusses his book Turning the Future Into Revenue, and being a futurist, in this 32-minute podcast. Interview conducted by Lisa Haneberg, host of Management Craft. Also available as a downloadable MP3.
Full StoryWatch David Brin on The ArchiTechs Oct.11, 2006
Be sure to watch or set your Tivo to see Futurist.com colleage and guest writer David Brin in the premier of “The ArchiTechs.” In the premier, this unique program sets five geniuses in a 48-hour quest to design a better way to escape and fight skyscraper fires. David gets to join in the [...]
Full StoryWhat is the future of big cities?
See my new article in titled Cities and The Future to explore these questions:
Will people really prefer to keep living in cities?
How will so many people in one economy affect the politics and economics of the future?
What needs to change in infrastructure and design for places that are already so crowded to grow? [...]
Exploring Web 2.0: A Personal Journey
Introduction: Why the experiment?
As a futurist and a CIO, I’m expected to stay up to date on new technologies. I’ve attended talks on the digital divides (there’s one between the rich and poor, but another one entirely between the young and the old). I realized I was giving speeches that referenced the [...]
