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- The
Topic:
- Future
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- Easier - The future
is the time that is yet to come.
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- Harder - Throughout
history, mankind have speculated on the future and
what changes time will bring. The uncertain and
unknown have always been fascinating. People who
research and forecast the future are called
futurists.
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- In the social sciences, futurology is the study of
current trends in order to forecast future
developments. Futurology can be traced to its roots in
utopian literature and science fiction. But the
methodology of the field originated in the
'technological forecasting' developed near the end of
World War II.
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- Chronicle
of the Future
- http://www.chronicle-future.co.uk/
- This is a future scenario site, that goes up to
2050 or so!
- Similar Websites:
- 2) Future History by D. Cary http://www.rdrop.com/~cary/html/future_history.html
- 3) Profile of Predictions by J. C. Sprott
http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/predsamp.htm
- 4) Which World?: Scenarios for the 21st Century
http://mars3.gps.caltech.edu/whichworld//
- 5) World of 2088 http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/june98/2088.html
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- Future
- http://www.rbjones.com/rbjpub/future/fut000.htm
- This links-site connects to resources on the
future including nanotechnology, scenario planning,
the Singularity, organizations, issues, and lots
more.
- Similar Website:
- 2) Crossroads to the Future by J. de Rosnay
http://csiweb2.cite-sciences.fr/derosnay/english/
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- Futurism
- http://www.scholiast.org/futurism/
- This page is devoted to the scientific and
philosophical exploration of the potentialities and
dangers of the immediate as well as the remote
future.
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- Great
Thinkers and Visionaries
- http://www.lucifer.com/~sasha/thinkers.html
- This is a list of people whose ideas on how and
where the world is - and should be - evolving, may be
of interest to those who want to understand the
frontier of human thought.
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- After visiting several of the
websites, complete one or more of the
following projects:
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- Compare and Contrast Civic
Responsibilities. Think about the
responsibilities of citizens in past and
present societies, and then compare and
contrast them to those you believe will be
needed in the future. An alternative
activity would be to analyze the
leadership qualities have been needed and
valued in the past and present times and
predict the changed demands that will be
made of future leaders. What groups,
professions, or types of people will play
the most significant roles in the
future?
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- Predict Shifts in Societal
Problems. Identify the major societal
problems of today such as substance use,
population growth, crime, disease, digital
divide, distribution of wealth, and
others. Then predict the shifts in
attitude and approach toward solutions or
strategies for the future. Construct a
flyer or poster that focuses attention on
a societal problem of a future
society.
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- Design a House for the Future.
Explain and illustrate how architecture
and construction might change to meet the
housing needs of the future.
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- Focus on the Impact of Science and
Technology. Consider the future
evolution of communications,
bioengineering including cloning,
computers, space travel, and other
technologies. Also think about the
energies that will be needed to power
these technologies. What kinds of problems
will have to be solved? Write a personal
journal that describes life at a space
station, a biosphere, in an underwater
community, or some other future
environment.
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- Imagine Farms of the Future.
During the twentieth century, agriculture
underwent tremendous changes. Focus on the
possibilities for farms and farming in the
future. Draw a mural that illustrates your
predicted farm for the future.
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- What Geographic Changes Do You
Expect? Examine historical maps and
maps of today to find out about changes
that have occurred. Then use those same
maps to predict the future effects of
present-day environmental issues. Predict
what changes you think will occur due to
desertification, glaciers, earthquakes,
volcanic activity, global warming,
population movement and growth, etc. Also
examine how natural resources will effect
our future development.
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- How Will Students Be Educated?
Will schools even exist or how will they
change? Design a learning environment for
the future. Identify the changes that you
expect to occur.
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- Websites By Kids For Kids
- Future
of Medicine (1999 ThinkQuest
Project)
- http://library.thinkquest.org/28281/
- This site looks at future trends in medicine.
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- Futures Organizations
- World Future
Society
- http://www.wfs.org/
- The World Future Society is an association of
people interested in how social and technological
developments are shaping the future.
- Related Website:
- 2) Greater Boston Chapter of World Future Society
- http://www.lucifer.com/~sasha/refs/wfsgbc.html
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- Online Journals, Magazines and
Newsletters
- International
Journal of Futures Studies
- http://www.systems.org/HTML/fsj-room.htm
- This is a refereed journal for scholarly notes and
papers dealing with any area of futures research.
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- In
Context
- http://www.context.org/ICLIB/backi.htm
- This is the online version of a quarterly journal
for humane sustainable culture.
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- New
Renaissance
- http://www.ru.org/index.html
- This is a quarterly magazine serving as a forum
for progressive discussion on the future of
society.
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- Plausible
Futures Newsletter
- http://www.plausiblefutures.com/
- This newsletter covers future studies and
strategic planning.
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- Wired
Magazine
- http://www.wired.com/wired/current.html
- This magazine covers cultural and technological
trends.
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- Worldwatch
Magazine
- http://www.worldwatch.org/mag/index.html
- This magazine focuses exclusively on issues
consumer economy, to stabilize the global climate, and
to protect our rapidly declining cultural and
biological diversity.
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- More Websites on the Future
- Biotechnology
on the Ground: What Kind of Future Can Farmers Expect
and What Kind Should They Create?
- http://www.biotech-info.net/biotech_onthe_ground.html
- This is a presentation made by Frederick
Kirschenmann to a June 1999 National Agricultural
Biotechnology Council meeting in Lincoln,
Nebraska.
- Related Website on the Future of
farming:
- 2) Sustainable Future at PBS http://www.pbs.org/ktca/farmhouses/sustainable.html
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- Encyclopedia
of the New Economy
- http://hotwired.lycos.com/special/ene/
- So what is the new economy? Its a world so
different, its emergence can only be described as a
revolution.
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- Future
of the Future
- http://www.wired.com/wired/scenarios/
- Here are a series of scenarios from Wired
magazine.
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- Futures
Community Center
- http://www.planet-tech.com/community/
- This is the site for a user-created community for
futures research and social progress. It was developed
to serve the needs of professional futurists and
others concerned with long range planning or the
sustainable health and well-being of their communities
and businesses. Requires active participation; login
and provide personal information.
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- Intelligent
Life in the Universe: What Role Will It Play in Our
Future? by A. Tough
- http://members.aol.com/AllenTough/bok.html
- How important is extraterrestrial intelligence?
How diverse? Is it helpful, benign, or hostile? What
are its capacities? How should we respond? What will
be the long-term consequences of contact? Can life and
intelligence survive forever?
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- Introduction
to Future Studies by L. Groff & P.
Smoker
- http://www.csudh.edu/global_options/IntroFS.HTML
- Here you find a brief overview of the field of
study and its issues.
- Related Website:
- 2) Global Megacrisis http://www.csudh.edu/global_options/Megacrisis.HTML
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- Notes
on Global Evolution for Fellow Thinkers by A.
Chislenko
- http://www.lucifer.com/~sasha/articles/Futurology.txt
- This article presents the author's mix of ideas
about the future of science fiction, economics,
religion, science and art.
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- Paul
Saffo
- http://www.saffo.org/index.html
- Paul is a technology forecaster studying long-term
information technology trends and their impact on
business and society.
- Related Website:
- 2) Howard Rheingold http://www.rheingold.com/
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- Progress
and its Sustainablility by J. McCarthy
- http://www-formal.Stanford.EDU/jmc/progress/
- This article discusses the resource limitations of
the world and is aimed at showing that human material
progress is desirable and sustainable.
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- School
of the Future (Curriculum Article at
Education World)
- http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr046.shtml
- Many educators and observers agree that the future
school will go electronic!
- Related Websites on the Future of
Schools:
- 2) Future Speculations by E. Strand http://home.swipnet.se/Erik_Strand/future.htm
- 3) Virtual High Schools: The High Schools of the
Future?
- http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr119.shtml
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- Shock
Wave (Anti) Warrior by P. Schwartz
- http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.05/toffler.html
- This is an interview published in Wired
magazine. From 'Future Shock' to 'The Third
Wave' to his new book 'War and Anti-War',
Alvin Toffler has been shocking us with his
descriptions of the future.
- Related Website:
- 2) Alvin Toffler and the Third Wave by M.
Finley
- http://www.skypoint.net/members/mfinley/toffler.htm
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- Singularity
- http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Global/Singularity/
- There is no clear definition, but usually the
'Singularity' is meant as a future time when societal,
scientific and economic change is so fast that we
cannot even imagine what will happen from our present
perspective. Another definition is that it denotes the
singular time when technological development will be
at its fastest.
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- Vision
of the Future from Philips
Electronics
- http://www.design.philips.com/vof/toc1/home.htm
- What will life be like in 2005? What will people
want to do in the future? What will interest them and
make their lives more fulfilled?
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- Websites For Teachers
- Future Problem
Solving: Students Solving Global
Challenges
- http://www.fpsp.org/
- Under the guidance of teacher/coaches, teams of
four students in grades 4-12 use the FPSP six-step
model to explore challenges and propose action plans
to complex societal problems, such as fads, financial
security, amateur sports, the Internet and genetic
engineering.
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future
|
scenario planning
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change
|
information
age
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technology
|
chaos
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speculation
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Singularity
|
alternatives
|
transition
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sustainable development
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Utopia
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innovation
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transformation
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transhumanism
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biotechnology
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past
predictions
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long range planning
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population
|
forecasting
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unknown
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'doom & gloom'
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visionary
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evolutionary
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possible
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probable
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preferable
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science fiction
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holistic systems view
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futurist
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global trends
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short-term planning
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nanotechnology
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futurecasting
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consumerism
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SETI
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future studies
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vision
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foresight
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precursor
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robot
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trend
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- Created by
Annette
Lamb and
Larry
Johnson, 9/00,
Updated, 8/03.
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