The Futurist back issues from September 2009:
"Smart" turbine boosts wind power.(TOMORROW IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... Wind energy may become more-efficient, economical, and reliable thanks to "smart" turbines under development at Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratories. Sensors embedded in the blades monitor the forces exerted on their surface, signaling changes in wind conditions. The blades' ...
Soap sniffer monitors hygiene.(TOMORROW IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... The same type of sensors that tell the cops you're tipsy could also tattle on you if you fail to wash your hands in the rest-room. Hand washing is vital for avoiding the spread of germs and is particularly critical in hospitals, restaurants, and other places with "hands-on" workers. A ...
Contracts for family caregivers.(TOMORROW IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... Many older people anticipate that their adult children will eventually provide some sort of care for them, financially or otherwise. But when the time comes, the adult children are often unaware of this expectation and unprepared to fulfill it. Now, more families are turning to caregiver ...
Eyeglasses as data dashboard.(TOMORROW IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... An interactive chip on the lens of your eyeglasses will not only display information for you, but also track your eye movements and interpret commands such as "scroll" or "next." Because the image is actually projected on your retina, it appears to be several feet in front of you, so you ...
Wordbuzz: fewer dirty words in movies.(TOMORROW IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... Profanity in teen movies is on a long-term decline, report researchers at Brigham Young University. In fact, teens attending popular G, PG, and PG-13 rated movies now will encounter less than half as many swear words as their parents did 25 years ago. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
New ways of making war.(ABOUT THIS ISSUE)(Editorial)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Wars in the future might not be as bloody as previous wars, but they could be far more disruptive, since they'll affect everyone, not just soldiers. Cyberwars will be about destroying the enemy systemically, through insidious attacks on networks and controls that run the economy, ...
Kucinich's refreshing observations.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2009; ... It is refreshing to read the observations by Dennis Kucinich on peace and prosperity ("Assessing Global Trends for 2025: Interviews by Patrick Tucker," July-August 2009). His theories support the notion that we can create a sustainable future. Kucinich challenges our ...
Futurists, don't forget the creative disciplines.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2009; ... I enjoyed reading "Synthesis: An Interdisciplinary Discipline" by Bruce L. Tow and David A. Gilliam (May-June 2009) very much. Indeed, it is just such synergies between fields that keep me paying my WFS membership. However, I couldn't help thinking that the authors had missed something ...
A not-so-wild card: special-interest groups in U.S.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2009; ... "A Wild Card Sampler" by Brian Pomeroy (May-June 2009) included the potential wild card: a dramatic political shift to the far left. I appreciate the left/right doomsday scenario considerations. However, most signs point to a far more ominous future. Political parties in the ...
Health recommendations mislabeled as trends.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Regarding "Marketing a More Healthful Future" by John Sweeney (January-February 2009), when we as the leading organization for futurists label an article as one about trends and the article instead offers poorly supported recommendations we could find in any woman's magazine at the ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
Sep 01, 2009 ... In "Ten Forces Driving Business Futures" by Michael Richarme (July-August 2009), Russia was ...
Running from homelessness: fitness program aims to get homeless back on their feet.(Demography)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Many organizations help homeless people by giving them food and shelter. But one group is now trying a radically new approach. Back On My Feet, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, sets homeless youth and adults on a path to recovery by having them jog three times a week. Back On My ...
Radical measures to save species: extreme strategies may help win the race against rapid climate change.(Environment)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Climate change isn't just a human problem; it could also dramatically alter the habitats--and limit the survival prospects--for many already fragile species of flora and fauna, warn scientists. Salvation strategies once thought too radical are now under serious consideration, according to ...
Newspapers face the final edition: the fate of newspapers: all the news that's fit to tweet?(Society)
Sep 01, 2009; ... The beginning of 2009 saw the greatest decline in newspaper profitability in U.S. history. The closures and bankruptcies of venerable American newspapers made headlines and even prompted a Senate hearing on the future of journalism. "As local newspapers disappear, we lose an ...
Ammonia, the fuel of the future: hydrogen fuel cells could get a boost from an unexpected source.(Technology)
Sep 01, 2009; ... What will your car run on in 2020? Here's a solution you likely haven't heard yet: ammonia. Sometimes called "the other hydrogen," ammonia as a fuel source would present the benefits of hydrogen without the major difficulties of handling. Despite its recent reputation for impracticality, ...
Preparing for a new pandemic.(Technology)(influenza vaccines)
Sep 01, 2009; ... U.S. capacity for producing flu vaccines could increase at least 25% if innovative production methods of a new North Carolina vaccine-production facility live up to expectations. The Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics--owned facility, to be located in Holly Springs, North ...
Africa, Latin America seek fiscal reforms: in a global economic crisis, the developing world finds itself on its own.(Government)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Foreign aid and investment in the development of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean have been seriously impaired by the recent global economic crisis. Leaders in these regions are thus looking inward to find the resources necessary to support their own economies and overcome ...
Robert S. McNamara.(Obituary)
Sep 01, 2009 ... Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara died on July 6, 2009, at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 93. McNamara was a member of the World Future Society Global Advisory Council and Board of Directors, invited by a fellow board member, Nobel Prize winning chemist ...
Bad attitudes, bad business: professors warn that greed may be bad, but envy is worse.(Economics)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Angry taxpayers funding bailouts for billionaires blame greed for the collapse of the economy. Indignant corporate officials respond that big salaries, bonuses, and perks are necessary to attract top talent. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But it's envy--not greed--that's the ...
Community service for government aid?(Economics)
Sep 01, 2009; ... The collapse of the housing market left many American home-owners facing foreclosure. President Obama's $75 billion mortgage-relief plan, announced in February, is intended to help up to 9 million U.S. homeowners. Yet, the idea of the U.S. government giving away tax dollars with no strings ...
Peak oil and strategic resource wars: when the oil fields run dry--and they will--what will happen to the economies of petroleum producers? And what will that mean for the rest of us? The time to consider the potential scenarios and strategies is now.
Sep 01, 2009; ... At various points over the coming decades, many of the world's key oil producers will be forced to accept that their worst nightmare is no longer the stuff of dreams. As existing wells start to run dry and new reserves prove increasingly elusive, the leaders in many oil-producing nations ...
No natural resources? Lucky you! Countries with more human than natural resources tend to be more democratic and entrepreneurial. As oil-producing countries see petrodollars dry up, they may invest more in their people resources instead.
Sep 01, 2009; ... Roger Howard presents plausible scenarios regarding the geopolitical dangers of peak oil. Equally plausible scenarios could envision some positive impacts, because countries dependent on natural resources are often poor and undemocratic, while countries dependent on human resources are ...
A new end, a new beginning: prepare for life as we don't know it.
Sep 01, 2009; ... "The End Is Near" has always been doomsayers' favorite slogan, but is it now finally true? The trends suggest the end of an era may indeed be near, as growing complexity and proliferating crises threaten to obliterate "life as we know it." The time is now to prepare for the life we don't ...
Finding a job in the 21st century: seek training, be flexible, and get hired in the fast-moving working world of the future.
Sep 01, 2009; ... The current recession, expected to be the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, will surely put to rest those old concerns about looming labor shortages, right? Probably not. In fact, immigration, globalization, outsourcing, and other trends affecting employment and the ...
Careers for "re-careering".(a survey on older employees)
Sep 01, 2009; ... "Retirement years" may be a great time to take up a new line of work. According to a recent study, older workers tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, less stressed, and enjoy more flexible hours. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Many ...
The global talent crisis: contrary to popular opinion, there are plenty of open jobs. What's missing are candidates with skills.
Sep 01, 2009; ... We are in the midst of a global job and talent upheaval, the most remarkable of any job and talent change since the Industrial Revolution and encompassing every aspect of the global economy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The dawning of a new industrial age, a period ...
Green jobs under your nose: the jobs of the future are here today; you may even be qualified.
Sep 01, 2009 ... Biochemists and Biophysicists What they do: Research the chemical compositions and physiological processes of living cells and organisms. Education: PhD in biochemistry or biophysics. A master's degree will qualify an applicant for some applied-research, management, ...
The future world of work: a gen xer's perspective: Wall Street Journal columnist Alexandra Levit parses today's and tomorrow's job market for new grads.
Sep 01, 2009; ... For those of us who are members of generations X (born between 1961 and 1980) and Y (1980--early 1990s), the future I always dreamed about is coming up fast. Our careers are relatively young, and for those still in college, they haven't even begun yet. But already, technology is changing ...
World war 3.0: ten critical trends for cybersecurity: technological advances and greater connectivity may be making our systems less rather than more secure. A special panel of military, intelligence, and forecasting experts analyzes the trends that may be leading the world to cyberwar.(Report)
Sep 01, 2009; ... "Cybersecurity is the soft underbelly of this country," outgoing U.S. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell declared in a valedictory address to reporters in mid-January. He rated this problem equal in significance to the potential development of atomic weapons by Iran. ...
Recent cyberattacks.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009; ... The U.S. Government Accountability Office warned in May 2009 that "cyber exploitation activity has grown more sophisticated, more targeted, and more serious." The Pentagon also reported spending more than $100 million in just six months to repair damage due to cyberattacks. Recent ...
EMP bombs detonated in the internet-critical region of Northern Virginia: medium probability, high impact.(Scenario)(electromagnetic pulse)
Sep 01, 2009 ... An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a blast of radio energy so strong it fries electronic equipment. (Set off an atomic bomb at an altitude of 30,000 feet, and there won't be a computer working for miles around.) In this scenario, terrorists who strike Northern Virginia on September 11,2010, ...
Bring down four high-tension wires across the west: high probability, high impact.(Scenario)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... The North American power grid has a dark secret: Of the 10,000 power substations, a loss of only 4% will disconnect almost two-thirds of the entire grid. But with proper planning and timing, only 2% need be disrupted--downing just a few power lines can have widespread consequences. ...
Attack on U.S. oil refineries: high probability, high impact.(Scenario)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009 ... Four terrorists driving minivans approach the gates of four oil refineries: the Royal Dutch Shell installation at Port Arthur, Texas; the Valero Energy refinery at Corpus Christi, Texas; the Chalmette refinery east of New Orleans; and the Chevron refinery at Pascagoula, Mississippi. They ...
Evolution of cyberwar, 2035.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009; ... While there are many variables that influence cyberwar, this model reflects the intersection of lethality, visibility, and frequency. This model of cybercombatants in 2035 is a typology; probabilities would need to be assigned. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For example, the ...
Participants' biographies.
Sep 01, 2009 ... The following experts from the military, intelligence, and forecasting fields contributed to the development of this report. Military Experts John Auger, a retired military officer, is a senior analyst supporting Proteus USA and also serves as the program manager for ...
"The worst is yet to come".(Osama bin Laden and cyberterrorism)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2009; ... As evidenced from previous attacks, Osama bin Laden probably sees the vulnerabilities of his enemies through the eyes of experience associated with civil engineering (whether that experience was obtained from the family business, from later education, or both). Bin Laden's cyber ...
The futurist bookshelf.
Sep 01, 2009 ... Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-in-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle by joe Lamacchia and Bridget Samburg. HCI. 2009. 420 pages. Paperback. $15.95. We do our youth a disservice when we tell them they have to go ...
Opening Up the Shut-Down Learner: More visuals and less text is the key to helping many underperforming students learn better, says a school psychologist.
Sep 01, 2009; ... Four out of every 10 American students in elementary school today might give up on learning well before graduation time, according to school psychologist Richard Selznick. They will disconnect from teachers, tune out of class, and simply "shut down" as students. In The Shut-Down Learner, ...
Healing Habitats: A team of urban designers explores the "therapeutic environment.".(Urban Design: Health and the Therapeutic Environment)(Book review)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Urban Design: Health and the Therapeutic Environment by Cliff Moughtin, Kate McMahon Moughtin, and Paola Signoretta. Elsevier. 2009. 262 pages. Paperback. $60.95. Facing climate change, resource depletion, peak oil, and global migration, urban designers are challenged to create ...
The cinematic singularitarian: Ray Kurzweil is immortal--on film. A new documentary showcases the inventor's provocative ideas.(VISIONARIES)
Sep 01, 2009; ... Scene: A movie theater on the west side of Manhattan during the Tribeca Film Festival. The audience teems with hip New York film students eager to see the world premiere of a new documentary. They're joined, unexpectedly, by computer scientists, geneticists, and futurists from Denmark, the ...