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FUTURIST UPDATE
News & Previews from the World Future Society
September 2008 (Vol. 9, No. 9)
Online: www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/tomorrow
In This Issue:
* Measles Makes a Comeback
* Synthetic Fuels for Combat Aircraft
* Exercises to Prevent Dyslexia
* Sign Language for Cell Phones
* Click of the Month: Office of Digital Humanities
* News from the World Future Society
MEASLES MAKES A COMEBACK
Once a childhood scourge and believed long vanquished, measles is
making a comeback in the United States, reports the American Red Cross.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, but a successful
vaccination program led to its elimination in the United States by
2002. Now, a surge in cases during the first half of 2008 is being
blamed in part on increases in international travel.
Worldwide, measles kills an estimated 242,000 people a year and 600
children a day. The Measles Initiative--a partnership of the American
Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United
Nations Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization--aims to
reduce measles deaths globally by 90% over 2000 levels by 2010.
"Measles knows no borders, but can be prevented for less than one
dollar per child in a developing country," according to a Measles
Initiative statement. "We must be steadfast in our efforts to reduce
measles cases globally. As long as children remain unvaccinated they
are at risk."
DETAILS: American Red Cross
www.redcross.org/pressrelease/0,1077,0_314_8049,00.html
SYNTHETIC FUELS FOR COMBAT AIRCRAFT
U.S. Air Force researchers have developed a promising alternative fuel
for the F-15E Strike Eagle. The fuel, a combination of jet fuel and a
natural-gas-based synthetic, got its first full test at Robins Air
Force Base in Georgia on August 19.
The test demonstrated the safety of the alternative fuel and met the
high performance standards for combat aircraft, according to Jeff
Braun, director of the Air Force Alternative Fuels Certification
office.
The work on new fuels comes from a directive from the Air Force
Secretary to move the entire fleet to synthetic fuels by 2011.
DETAILS: United States Air Force
www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123111838
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ATTENTION VERY-EARLY BIRDS: SAVE $300!
A special registration rate of just $345 ($400 for nonmembers) is
available only until August 29 for the World Future Society's next
annual meeting, WorldFuture 2009: Innovation and Creativity in a
Complex World. The conference will be held in Chicago at the beautiful
Hilton Chicago hotel, July 17-19, 2009.
WorldFuture 2009, now in the early stages of planning, will be chaired
by security expert William Tafoya, founder of Police Futurists
International and former FBI special agent.
REGISTER BEFORE AUGUST 29: https://www.wfs.org/2009regform.htm
LEARN MORE: www.wfs.org/2009main.htm
SUBMIT A SESSION PROPOSAL (Deadline, November 18, 2008):
www.wfs.org/2009spkrguidelines.htm
SUBMIT A CONFERENCE VOLUME ESSAY (Deadline, March 2, 2009):
www.wfs.org/2009volumeguidelines.htm
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EXERCISES TO PREVENT DYSLEXIA
Linguistic problems in preschool children may be a sign of dyslexia,
but a new study suggests that early intervention could prevent this
common learning disability.
Researchers at the Academy of Finland's Center of Excellence have
developed computer game-like exercises that utilize phonetics,
mathematics, and information technology to help young children overcome
their difficulties in processing text.
Children identified as at-risk for developing dyslexia include those
whose parents had difficulties in reading and writing, as well as those
experiencing "delayed ability to perceive and mentally process the
subtleties of a person's voice ... [and] a sluggishness in naming
familiar, visually presented objects," according to the researchers.
"A fluent ability to read is a prerequisite to be able to understand a
demanding piece of text," says lead researcher Heikki Lyytinen of the
University of Jyväskylä. "The best time to start these exercises is the
latter part of the preschool age, but it's not too late even after the
children have started school."
SOURCE: Academy of Finland, http://www.aka.fi/en-gb/A/
SIGN LANGUAGE FOR CELL PHONES
For the hearing-impaired, communicating via cell phone has largely been
limited to text messaging. Now, a team of researchers at the University
of Washington has developed software that incorporates video so that
American Sign Language can be used on mobile phones.
Because video requires much faster transmission speeds than text, the
low transmission rates and limited processing power of devices
available in the United States have prevented the development of
real-time video transmission. The MobileASL project will work on
improving video compression, which could facilitate communication on
slower services.
"The faster networks are not available everywhere," says doctoral
student Anna Cavender. "They also cost more. We don't think it's fair
for someone who's deaf to have to pay more for his or her cell phone
than someone who's hearing."
SOURCE: University of Washington http://www.washington.edu/
A working prototype of the MobileASL phone can be viewed on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FaE1PvJwI8E
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"GOODSHOP" FOR WFS
The World Future Society needs your help! With gas prices high and the
economy in a slump, schools and nonprofits like WFS are having trouble
meeting their fundraising goals this year.
In a show of support, more than 700 of your favorite Internet retailers
and travel sites, including Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, and Expedia,
have joined forces with GoodShop.com, donating a percentage of all your
purchases to your favorite charity at no additional cost to you! More
than 63,000 nonprofits and schools are now on board.
It takes just a few seconds to go to www.goodshop.com, select World
Future Society, and then click through to your favorite store and shop
as usual.
Also, Yahoo! has teamed up with GoodShop's sister site, GoodSearch.com,
to donate a penny to your cause every time you search the Web. This is
totally free, as the money comes from advertisers.
Please start GoodSearching and GoodShopping for the World Future
Society today! And tell 10 friends and colleagues about this
opportunity to support a worthy cause. To get started, go to
www.goodsearch.com
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CLICK OF THE MONTH: OFFICE OF DIGITAL HUMANITIES
http://www.neh.gov/ODH/Default.aspx
With so much of humanity spending so much time online, whether working
or playing, researching or relaxing, the concept of "digital
humanities" should not be considered an oxymoron.
Created in March 2008, the Office of Digital Humanities is an offspring
of the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities and has its own
grants-giving function. The office recently announced 22 awards for
digital humanities start-up programs and three awards from its
Institute for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities. Awards went to
such projects as the development of a multimedia historical walking
tour of Boston and the use of Internet tools to facilitate study and
discussion of fifteenth-century Bible scrolls.
"Our primary mission is to help coordinate the NEH's efforts in the
area of digital scholarship. As in the sciences, digital technology has
changed the way scholars perform their work," according to the Web
site. "It allows new questions to be raised and has radically changed
the ways in which materials can be searched, mined, displayed, taught,
and analyzed."
The site includes grant proposal guidelines as well as summaries of
project results and other resources.
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SPREAD THE WORD
Forward FUTURIST UPDATE to your friends, colleagues, students, family,
and others and invite them to subscribe for free at
http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
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NEWS FROM THE WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY
* WFS 2008-2009 HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST: LOOKING FOR YOUR OWN FUTURE
CAREER
The future is a mysterious and often confusing place. The challenge of
thinking about the future arises from the ambitious nature of the task.
The goal is not just to identify and track emerging job trends, but
also to make these trends personally relevant.
The World Future Society and the Future Problem Solvers Program are
partnering on a high school essay contest for the coming school year.
Entries must be submitted electronically, and the deadline for
submitting your entry is March 31, 2009. For contest rules, guidelines,
and prizes, visit
http://www.wfs.org/Sept-Oct08/FUTUP-SEP/Essaycontest.htm
Questions, suggestions, or concerns? Contact Society President Tim
Mack, mailto:tmack@wfs.org.
Researching and writing an essay on your future career will advance
your ability to clearly communicate ideas and concepts to a larger
group. And most importantly, it can improve your ability to think
critically about your choices and the consequences of your decisions.
* DISTINGUISHED SERVICE: The World Future Society honored longtime
FUTURE SURVEY editor Michael Marien during the closing plenary session
of the 2008 annual meeting. Marien, who will step down from his 29-year
editorship at the end of this year, called his experience of
intellectual freedom "unsupervised play."
DETAILS: www.wfs.org/Sept-Oct08/MMnews_release.htm
VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS08s2ttR7Q
* WHAT'S INSIDE the latest issue of THE FUTURIST magazine? Check out
the preview video on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-V0LsMEPYQ
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FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST
magazine. Copyright © 2008, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail
mailto:info@wfs.org; Web site www.wfs.org
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Senior Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto:sechard@wfs.org
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, send an e-mail to
mailto:jcornish@wfs.org with "unsubscribe" or "change address" in the
subject line.
Submit feedback to mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in
the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year,
or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society
headquarters for details: www.wfs.org
August 2008 (Vol. 9, No. 8)
Online: http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/tomorrow
In This Issue:
* China's Economy to Surpass U.S.
* European Water Wasters
* More Research, Less Knowledge?
* Click of the Month: Fauxtography
* News from the Futurist Community
CHINA'S ECONOMY TO SURPASS U.S.
The growth of the Chinese economy over the past several years is "no
flash in the pan," according to a new report from the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace. It will surpass the U.S. economy by
2035 and double by mid-century.
Driven by increasing domestic demand rather than by exports, the
Chinese economy will be less susceptible to global discontinuities,
according to the report, "China's Rise—Fact and Fiction," by economist
Albert Keidel. The Chinese government has also facilitated economic
growth by financing infrastructure and making other public investments.
The prospect of a China that is more economically powerful than the
United States will have military implications, Keidel warns. Though
China's military is currently only a fraction of the size of the U.S.
military, policy makers should begin planning today for a very
different world in 50 years, the report concludes.
SOURCE: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
www.carnegieendowment.org
DOWNLOAD "China's Economic Rise—Fact and Fiction":
www.carnegieendowment.org/files/pb61_keidel_final.pdf
EUROPEAN WATER WASTERS
A recent poll of western Europeans' shower habits reveals not only
wastefulness but also a lack of concern for the gels, shampoos, and
other contaminants draining into water systems.
Britons are particularly self-indulgent showerers, with 12% reportedly
lingering for 11 to 20 minutes. And of British men surveyed, only 35%
say they think about the contaminants, compared with nearly two-thirds
of Spanish women saying they care about the stuff going down the drain.
Most European adults shower between two and five minutes, according to
the survey by Ipsos MORI for the Royal Society of Chemistry.
"We have to take on board the critical message that water is a precious
resource and in the years to come it is going to become increasingly
scarce," says Richard Pike, RSC chief executive. "We can save water
massively by using less when washing, without compromising hygiene. One
should be able to shower thoroughly within a couple of minutes."
SOURCE: Royal Society of Chemistry,
www.rsc.org/AboutUs/News/PressReleases/2008/EuropeanShowerHabits.asp
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MORE RESEARCH, LESS KNOWLEDGE?
New research about research shows that, despite growing access to
scholarly papers online, fewer publications are being cited. The result
could be a shallower marketplace of ideas.
University of Chicago sociology professor James Evans reports that the
Internet gives researchers instant access to a wealth of information in
academic journals, but most citations are limited to more-recent
articles appearing in the most-prominent journals. The result may be
that only a few new ideas get picked up and others fade away before
they are properly evaluated.
Online search tools like Google factor in the frequency of hits on
individual sites, putting the most-popular pages at the top of search
results. Searchers who hit those sites and include the links in their
own research thus perpetuate their popularity.
“With science and scholarship increasing online, findings and ideas
that don’t receive attention very soon will be forgotten more quickly
than ever before,” warns Evans.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation,
www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111928&govDel=USNSF_51
CLICK OF THE MONTH: FAUXTOGRAPHY
www.snopes.com/photos/photos.asp
Many information-age skeptics are already familiar with the popular
myth-busting site Snopes.com. We bring your attention now to a special
section of Snopes devoted to verifying the veracity of images that may
or may not have been altered.
“Numerous photographs and videos circulate on the Internet. Some are
real. Some are fake. Some are real but have been given false
backstories,” according to the site. Fauxtography offers proof (or
disproof) for well-circulated images ranging from spectacular traffic
accidents to astonishing natural phenomena, such as elaborately striped
icebergs <www.snopes.com/photos/natural/stripedicebergs.asp>.
Photographs about public figures or events are especially worth
cautious observation. For instance, former U.S. presidential candidate
John Kerry was “seen” twice with political activist and actress Jane
Fonda: Sitting at a 1970 antiwar rally (true) and sharing a podium at
another rally (false).
Comment: As image and audio editing technologies become easier for more
people to use, whether for their own entertainment or to manipulate
public perceptions, truth becomes increasingly elusive. Visual
information flows fast, so we need to take time for critical thinking.
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SPREAD THE WORD
Forward FUTURIST UPDATE to your friends, colleagues, students, family,
and others and invite them to subscribe for free at
http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
*********************************************
NEWS FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY
* TWIN OAKS FOUNDER DIES: Kat Kinkade, the founder of Twin Oaks and
several other secular, egalitarian, intentional communities, passed
away peacefully after a long battle with cancer and was laid to rest on
July 4 in the Twin Oaks cemetery in Charlottesville, VA. She was 77.
“I'm grateful that I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity
to get to know her over the past few years, and I remember her with
fondness and respect,” says FUTURIST editorial assistant Aaron M.
Cohen. “She was an amazing woman, to say the least. A true visionary
and pioneering spirit—and the primary architect of what is now, after
41 years, the oldest and arguably the most successful secular communal
living experiment in U.S. history.”
DETAILS: Twin Oaks,
www.twinoaks.org/culture/culture/kinkade-obituary.html
* BILLIONAIRE, PHILANTHROPIST, INVESTOR IN IDEAS: Sir John Templeton,
founder of the Templeton Growth Fund and the Templeton Prize for
Progress in Religion, died of pneumonia in the Bahamas. He was 95 years
old. The Templeton Prize honors achievements that advance human
understanding of the spiritual domain, fearlessly exploring “big
questions” like whether science makes belief in God obsolete. The prize
has been awarded to individuals ranging from Mother Teresa to physicist
Freeman Dyson. DETAILS: John Templeton Foundation, www.templeton.org
* “BRIC” TOUR, PART 3: Having already visited China and India, Social
Technologies is preparing for the third leg of its Futures Expedition
through the BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The
expedition to Moscow will be September 25-30, and will explore trends
in the robust, petro-dollar-fueled “New Russia.” DETAILS:
www.socialtechnologies.com/Content.aspx?PageID=29 or contact Natalie
Ambrose, leader, Futures Expeditions, info@socialtechnologies.com
* FUTURE ORGANIZATIONS, FOOD CRISIS: The Tomorrow Network is hosting
two special events in London this fall. “The Future of Organisations,”
on September 8, examines the forces that will change tomorrow’s
institutions and in what directions they may evolve. “The Future of the
Food Crisis,” November 25, features speakers from Oxfam and Chatham
House discussing the current food prices crisis. For more information
or to join the Tomorrow Network (free), contact: Richard Worsley,
director, the Tomorrow Project, mailto:richard.worsley2@btinternet.com
or visit www.tomorrowproject.net
* 2008 STATE OF THE FUTURE: The annual report of the Millennium Project
will be available in August and is already generating positive buzz. An
overview of the report’s findings appeared in the July 13 edition of
THE INDEPENDENT, “We Have Seen the Future—And We May Not Be Doomed.”
www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/ The report comprises a
softcover overview and a CD-ROM containing approximately 6,300 pages of
research and analysis. DETAILS: Jerome C. Glenn, director, the
Millennium Project, World Federation of UN Associations,
www.millennium-project.org
* ANTICIPATING FUTURE SCHOOLS: Sociologist and educator Arthur
Shostak’s 33rd book will be published in September by Rowman &
Littlefield <www.rowmaneducation.com/>. ANTICIPATE THE SCHOOL YOU WANT:
FUTURIZING K-12 EDUCATION focuses attention on what Shostak calls “the”
critical weakness of contemporary public education: its neglect of
providing young people with vital futuring skills. The book offers “an
affordable, pragmatic, and user-friendly program of school reform—one
likely to appeal to students, parents, teachers, and educational
administrators alike,” he says. DETAILS and PRE-ORDER:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578868556/thefuturistbooks
FUTURIST UPDATE
News & Previews from the World Future Society
July 2008 (Vol. 9, No. 7)
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our special
membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/tomorrow
Online: http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
In This Issue:
* World Population to Hit 7 Billion
* Future of the Internet Economy
* A Business Guide to Climate Change
* Feeling Fat vs. Being Fat
* Click of the Month: How You Lead
WORLD POPULATION TO HIT 7 BILLION
Four years from now the world population will reach 7 billion, just 13 years
after passing the 6 billion milestone, according to U.S. Census Bureau
projections.
The Census Bureau's International Data Base covers 226 countries and other
selected geographies and incorporates data on net migration, HIV/AIDS and other
factors affecting population-growth projections.
Globally, population growth will slow from 1.2% annually at present to 0.5% by
2050. "However, this growth will be concentrated in less-developed countries,"
the bureau notes.
By 2050, the proportion of the population over the age of 80 will increase from
1.5% to 5%. In developed countries, that figure will be 10%.
"In order to better project countries with increasing numbers of people in the
oldest ages, we are in the process of converting our projections to be done by
single years of age up to 100 years and over," the bureau reports.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/
FUTURE OF THE INTERNET ECONOMY
New policies to promote innovation, enhance security, and improve
communications infrastructure globally were among the chief priorities outlined
at the recent OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet, held in
Seoul and hosted by the Korea Communications Commission.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders in the Internet's future, all
with urgent agendas: The technical community called for policies to promote
open standards and protocols; civil society urged protections for freedom of
expression; and business called for policies that encourage investment.
This confluence of stakeholders enabled the meeting to uncover key new issue
areas that will affect future policy making:
* New communications platforms based on new technologies such as fiber optics
that may fundamentally change market dynamics and user behavior.
* The accelerating shift from immobile (PC-based) to mobile access.
* The advent of sensor-based networks that not only require massive new
infrastructure capacity, but also raise new privacy and security issues.
SOURCE: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
http://www.oecd.org/document/18/0,3343,en_2649_34487_40862162_1_1_1_1,00.html
Report of the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet (Seoul,
Korea, June 17-18, 2008), "Shaping Policies for the Future of the Internet
Economy"
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/1/29/40821707.pdf
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A BUSINESS GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Businesses can make money, reduce their long-term risks, and discover new
opportunities by dealing with climate change issues, according to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA has partnered with a wide range of
industry groups to prepare a newly released resource guide for businesses.
Among the partnership programs featured in the guide are:
* Best Workplaces for Commuters (www.bestworkplaces.org), which provides
technical assistance and certifies employers based on traffic-reducing and
productivity-improving employee benefits.
* Combined Heat and Power Partnership (www.epa.gov/chp), which assists
businesses in establishing cogeneration systems.
* Waste Wise (www.epa.gov/wastewise), which helps companies set goals and
implement plans to reduce solid municipal waste.
Dozens of other partnerships may be searched by sector, including agriculture,
transportation, product labeling, energy, waste, pollution prevention, water,
technology, regulation, and more.
SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Partnership Programs
http://www.epa.gov/partners/
FEELING FAT VS. BEING FAT
Adolescents who believe themselves to be overweight--whether or not they
are--are likely to have a lower quality of life than those who feel their
weight is just right--whether or not it is.
According to a study in the German medical journal DEUTSCHES AERZTEBLATT, the
proportion of adolescents who think they are overweight has been increasing
more rapidly than the proportion of those who really are overweight.
Society puts pressure on youngsters to be thin, and those who believe they do
not meet that ideal unnecessarily forfeit a great deal of quality of life,
according to the researchers. But those who are in fact obese and do not see
themselves as such may not be susceptible to weight-reduction interventions
that would improve their health.
"A realistic body image on the part of obese adolescents is a prerequisite for
their acceptance of interventions," the researchers conclude. "The marked
deterioration in quality of life resulting from perceived obesity, even for
young people of normal weight, illustrates the complexity of the struggle
against obesity."
SOURCE: "Perceived or True Obesity: Which Causes More Suffering in
Adolescents?" by Bärbel-Maria Kurth and Ute Ellert, in Deutsches Ärzteblatt
International, 105(23): 406–12
http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=60382
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EDITORIAL POSITION OPEN: Editor, Future Survey
The World Future Society offers a challenging career opportunity in
identifying, condensing, and packaging leading edge ideas shaping the United
States and the world. Published monthly since 1979, FUTURE SURVEY is a unique
abstract journal covering books, reports, and key articles on trends,
forecasts, and proposals. The new editor must be able to work independently,
preferably located in the Washington, D.C., metro area. PhD in social science
or information science preferred. The editor must be able to deal fairly with
new thinking about technology, environmental issues, and a wide variety of
socio/economic issues. Transition to new editorship to begin ASAP, no later
than January 2009.
Request sample issue of FUTURE SURVEY (mailto:info@wfs.org) before submitting
your vita, with cover letter, references, and writing samples. Contact: Tim
Mack, President, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, #450, Bethesda,
Maryland 20814; mailto:tmack@wfs.org; 301-656-8274; www.wfs.org.
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CLICK OF THE MONTH: HOW YOU LEAD
http://www.howyoulead.org/
The Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School
of Government teamed with the Ken Blanchard Companies in May to identify the
key questions we should be asking those who wish to lead us.
Though the questions are specifically geared toward the U.S. presidential
candidates, the issues are appropriate for anyone seeking to become a leader or
to improve his or her leadership abilities. Among the leadership-probing
questions suggested:
* What are your five core values, and how will they shape how you lead?
* What experiences have helped you deeply understand the mind-set and values of
other cultures?
* Can you share some examples of when you were a catalyst who brought groups
with polarized opinions together so that all voices were at the table?
* Tell us about a time when your judgment was tested in crisis. What do you
want us to appreciate about your judgment?
* How will you create an environment for innovation within your leadership
team?
The site also invites visitors to contribute their own leadership questions.
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FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an e-mail
newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST magazine.
Copyright © 2008, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 450,
Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail mailto:info@wfs.org;
Web site http://www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Web Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto:sechard@wfs.org
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, reply to this e-mail with
"unsubscribe" or "change address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback: mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and educational
association with a global membership. Regular membership in the Society,
including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year, or $20 for full-time
students under age 25. Professional and Institutional membership programs are
also offered; contact Society headquarters for details: http://www.wfs.org
FUTURIST UPDATE
News & Previews from the World Future Society
June 2008 (Vol. 9, No. 6)
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
Online: http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
In This Issue:
* Soccer-Playing Nanobots
* Returning Jail Inmates to Society
* Great Salt Lake Laboratory
* Click of the Month: Keck Futures Initiative
* What’s Next in THE FUTURIST
SOCCER-PLAYING NANOBOTS
The skill, dexterity, and raw athleticism of soccer players make them
an excellent model to test the prowess of robots in RoboCup, an annual
robot-soccer competition sponsored by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST). The game has shrunk to nano-scale
levels, as this year’s RoboCup, open to the public, features the second
annual nanosoccer games.
In an arena the size of a microchip, with "television" coverage from
optical microscopes, three student teams will vie in such soccer drills
as the two-millimeter dash, a slalom race between polymer posts, and
nanoball-handling exercises. The competitors are from Carnegie Mellon
University and the U.S. Naval Academy in the United States and the
University of Waterloo in Canada.
The goal of the competition is to foster innovation in artificial
intelligence and intelligent robotics. RoboCup will be held May 25 to
27 at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An upcoming U.S.
Open nanosoccer competition will be a precursor to the first official
Nanogram League nanosoccer competition at the 2009 RoboCup in Austria.
DETAILS: NIST
www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2008_0513.htm#nanosoccer
RETURNING JAIL INMATES TO SOCIETY
Local jails in the United States handle 9 million individuals a year,
far more than state and federal prisons handle, including many repeat
offenders. Preparing them to return to their communities
successfully—and to reduce recidivism—is a challenge for which most
jails have limited resources to meet. A new report from the Urban
Institute offers help for improving that jail-to-community transition.
Unlike prisons and penitentiaries, jails have high population turnover,
with 81% of inmates incarcerated for less than a month and only 4%
staying longer than six months. While this means less time that inmates
are separated from families and communities, it also means less time
for jails to help them overcome the problems that brought them to
prison in the first place, such as drug or alcohol addiction or lack of
education.
The solution, according to the Urban Institute's report, is to
strengthen the partnerships between jails and their communities, such
as bringing in health providers to treat the chronically ill and
encouraging workforce development agencies to offer employment services
and help in dealing with red tape.
"Imagine the headway against the cycle of crime and incarceration if we
shifted from just processing people locally to linking ex-inmates to
services and programs that already exist in the community," says Arthur
Wallenstein, director of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of
Correction and Rehabilitation, one of the reports' sponsors.
SOURCE: The Urban Institute, www.urban.org
DOWNLOAD "Life after Lockup: Improving Reentry from Jail to the
Community" by Amy L. Solomon et al.: www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=411660
************** (advertisement) ****************
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Mendoza College of Business
Special Professional Faculty—Futures Studies Course
The Mendoza College of Business will require all students to complete a
course that will focus on big picture issues affecting society such as
those identified in the AC/UNU Millennium Project, “Global Challenges
Facing Humanity.” Specific learning objectives of the course include
developing an understanding of important trends, research methods for
exploring the future, potential consequences and intervention
strategies.
The candidate for the position is expected to have some experience in
teaching a futures studies course or equivalent to university students
or practitioners and in guiding research projects of this kind. A
master’s degree or higher is required. The successful candidate will be
expected to provide significant input to the team designing the course
and take full responsibility for teaching the course. The employment
contract is renewable and the salary is competitive.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, vita, references and a
teaching portfolio which provides evidence of quality teaching.
Materials should be sent to:
Professor Tom Frecka
Special Professional Faculty—Futures Studies Course
204 Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame, IN 46556-0399
Applications will be accepted until July 15, 2008.
Notre Dame is a Catholic community of higher learning founded by the
Congregation of Holy Cross. We are an equal opportunity-affirmative
action employer.
*********************************************
GREAT SALT LAKE LABORATORY
The extreme, hypersaline ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake is being
turned into a biology and chemistry laboratory, thanks to the creation
of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College in Utah.
An ancient inland sea, Great Salt Lake serves human and ecological
needs: It is a critical site for migratory birds as well as an
important resource for industry and recreation, yet it has received
little academic attention, according to director Bonnie Baxter, an
associate professor of biology at Westminster.
The Institute will promote K-12 science and environmental education as
well as multidisciplinary collaborative research. One current project,
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, will
involve sequencing the genes of the lake directly from water samples.
DETAILS: Great Salt Lake Institute:
www.westminstercollege.edu/great_salt_lake_institute/
******************
THE FUTURE: PASS IT ON (IT'S FREE)!
FUTURIST UPDATE readers are encouraged to forward their copy to family,
friends, students, clients, and colleagues!
Did you receive this copy from someone else? Sign up for your own free
subscription at http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
******************
CLICK OF THE MONTH: KECK FUTURES INITIATIVE
www.keckfutures.org
The goal of the National Academies' five-year-old Keck Futures
Initiative is to promote interdisciplinary research and enhanced
communication among researchers, the organizations that fund them, the
universities that host them, and the communities they serve.
The 15 recipients splitting $1 million in research grants this year
will focus on improving human health and life-span, with research
topics ranging from the comparative cellular biology of aging to the
use of robotics in diagnostics.
The Futures Initiative's competitive grants are intended to "provide
researchers an opportunity to explore new research areas, learn new
skills, and/or collaborate across disciplines, in cases where this
would not otherwise be possible." The Initiative also honors
journalists for communicating topics in science, engineering, medicine,
and other fields to the general public.
*********************************************
ARE YOU READY TO SEE THE FUTURE THROUGH NEW EYES?
With presenters and attendees from all disciplines and all regions and
cultures, WorldFuture 2008: Seeing the Future Through New Eyes will
bring together a thousand different perspectives to Washington, D.C.,
July 26-28, at the Hilton Washington Hotel.
REGISTER BEFORE JUNE 30 to save $50 off the on-site registration fee:
https://www.wfs.org/2008regform.htm
LEARN MORE and BOOK YOUR ROOM AT THE HILTON:
www.wfs.org/2008main.htm
*********************************************
WHAT'S NEXT IN THE FUTURIST
Coming up in the July-August issue of THE FUTURIST:
* "The 21st-Century Writer" (cover story): The Internet is forcing
traditional print publishers to innovate or perish. The same might be
true of the written word itself. FUTURIST Senior Editor Patrick Tucker
gleans insights from cutting-edge industry thinkers, including
publishing magnate and tech guru Tim O’Reilly, on how future authors
and publishers need to adapt.
Plus:
* "Consumer Trends in Three Different 'Worlds'" by Andy Hines
* "Cybercrime in the Year 2025" by Gene Stephens
* "Futurizing Business Education" by Paul Bracken
* "Tribute to Sir Arthur C. Clarke" by José Luis Cordeiro
And coming up in the fall:
* "Why You Are Here": Last month we invited you to tell us a brief
story about why you began thinking seriously about the future. Our goal
was to share your views and experiences with others, such as
prospective members. We were so impressed with your responses that we
have chosen several to publish in THE FUTURIST. Visit www.wfs.org for a
preview. There's still time to submit your own story to FUTURIST
UPDATE’s editor, Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org, or post a
comment at Hosaa's Blog:
http://hosaasblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/futurists-why-are-you-here.html
JOIN or RENEW your membership now to be sure to receive THE FUTURIST:
www.wfs.org/member.htm
*********************************************
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST
magazine. Copyright © 2008, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail
mailto:info@wfs.org; Web site www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Web Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto:sechard@wfs.org
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, reply to this e-mail with
"unsubscribe" or "change address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback: mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in
the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year,
or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society
headquarters for details: www.wfs.org.
******************
FUTURIST UPDATE
News & Previews from the World Future Society
March 2008 (Vol. 9, No. 3)
******************
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
Online: http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
In This Issue:
* Recession-Proof Industries
* Infertility May become Common
* Engineering's Grand Challenges
* Goal-Driven Toddlers
* News from the Futurist Community
* News from the World Future Society
EDITOR'S NOTE--AND AN INVITATION
This issue of FUTURIST UPDATE is in a slightly different format,
divided into three parts: News from the future, news from the futurist
community, and news from the World Future Society. (The Click of the
Month takes a holiday.)
We are working to develop a separate e-mail newsletter that will be
devoted exclusively to covering future-oriented groups, activities,
projects, announcements, and other news related to our lively and
growing futurist community. WFS news will continue to be reported in
both FUTURIST UPDATE and the new Community newsletter, which we hope to
launch later this year.
BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP! Professional futurists, consultants, workshop
developers, speakers, newsletter editors, and bloggers: If you are
interested in supporting the Futurist Community Newsletter by
sponsoring a link to your organization or professional services, please
contact the Society's business manager, Jeff Cornish:
mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS: Cindy Wagner, editor, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
******************
RECESSION-PROOF INDUSTRIES
As economists and other pundits dance around the "R" word, workers and
investors worried about their future security have several directions
in which to look for protection from a potential recession in the
United States, according to workplace trend watchers Challenger, Gray &
Christmas Inc.
Among the most recession-proof industries offering new job and
investment opportunities are energy, security, health care, and
education, according to the firm. Meanwhile, retail and manufacturing
industries are more vulnerable. In places such as Michigan, where auto
manufacturing appears to be on the skids, new jobs are likely to be
created by wind turbine and solar manufacturing projects.
SOURCE: Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.,
http://www.challengergray.com
INFERTILITY MAY BECOME COMMON
Future generations already have a problem: There may be fewer of them,
as infertility becomes common, according to recent research published
in the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL.
In affluent countries, infertility affects approximately 15% of couples
trying to conceive; up to 6% of children are conceived through assisted
reproductive technologies in some countries.
A complex array of factors underlie fertility and fecundity, from
social and economic choices that reduce the number of children desired
to environmental risk factors that impair childbearing, such as those
associated with reduced sperm counts in young men (the
endocrine-disruption hypothesis). More direct markers of fecundity
trends are urgently needed in order to identify public-health concerns,
the researchers warn.
SOURCE: BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL (16 February 2008), http://www.bmj.com
******************
URGENT! WORLDFUTURE 2008 SAVINGS DEADLINE
REGISTER BEFORE FEBRUARY 29 to save $150 on the registration fee for
WorldFuture 2008: Seeing the Future Through New Eyes:
https://www.wfs.org/2008regform.htm
******************
ENGINEERING'S GRAND CHALLENGES
How can future engineers make the world a better place? The U.S.
National Academies have issued a set of twenty-first-century challenges
designed to inspire engineering students toward creative problem
solving and "game changing" projects that could dramatically improve
life. Among the Grand Challenges are:
* Make solar energy affordable.
* Provide access to clean water.
* Restore and improve urban infrastructure.
* Engineer better medicines.
* Reverse-engineer the brain.
* Prevent nuclear terror.
* Secure cyberspace.
* Advance personalized learning.
"Tremendous advances in quality of life have come from improved
technology in such areas as farming and manufacturing," says Google
co-founder Larry Page, a member of the Challenges committee. "If we
focus our effort on the important grand challenges of our age, we can
hugely improve the future."
SOURCE: National Academy of Engineering, National Academies:
http://national-academies.org or http://www.engineeringchallenges.org
GOAL-DRIVEN TODDLERS
Children learn to act toward achieving specific goals at about the age
of 3, basing their behaviors on expected, valued outcomes, according to
researchers at the University of Cambridge. This developmental skill is
what sets the 3-year-olds apart from kids in "the terrible twos"--the
age at which toddlers' inability to get what they want causes sleepless
nights for parents.
The experiment tested the behaviors of children ages 18 months to 4
years old who were trained to touch a red or a green butterfly icon on
a computer display in order to see different cartoon clips. One set of
cartoons was repeated frequently in order to bore the children and be a
less-valued outcome of touching the correct butterfly icon. The
researchers found that at age 3 the children were better able than the
younger kids to choose the right butterfly for the more-interesting
cartoons, even when the cartoons weren't immediately shown.
Goal-directed behavior is not something we are born with, but something
we develop as we grow up. The researchers conclude: "This capacity [to
internalize one's control over the environment] is an important
component of becoming a fully autonomous intentional agent."
SOURCE: American Psychological Association,
http://www.apa.org/releases/childrengoal0208.html
******************
THE FUTURE: PASS IT ON (IT'S FREE)!
FUTURIST UPDATE readers are encouraged to forward their copy to family,
friends, students, clients, and colleagues!
Did you receive this copy from someone else? Sign up for your own free
subscription at http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
******************
NEWS FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY
* NOMINATE A TECHNOLOGY INNOVATOR: The Tech Museum Awards is calling
for nominations of innovators--individuals or organizations--whose use
of technology has benefited humanity. Deadline for nominations is March
24. DETAILS: Tech Museum Awards, http://www.techawards.org
* TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION: TechEd 2008, a program of the Community
College Foundation, will be held April 13-16 at the Ontario
(California) Convention Center. The conference will bring together more
than 3,500 educators and administrators from around the world to focus
on digital media, virtual learning, social networking, instructional
technology, and more. DETAILS: http://www.techedevents.org
* LONDON FUTURES SYMPOSIUM, to be held April 18 at London South Bank
University's Keyworth Centre, will cover the cashless society, the
disappearance of the nation-state, the future of work and management,
and more. World Future Society members are offered a generously
discounted registration fee of ₤60. DETAILS:
http://www.eufo.org/2008booking1.pdf or contact Stephen Aguilar-Millan
at mailto:stephena@eufo.org
* FORESIGHT CANADA CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS: Foresight Canada is
hosting a conference on strategic foresight in Calgary, April 30 to May
2, titled Seeing and Shaping Tomorrow. Two preconference professional
training workshops will also be held: Strategic Foresight (April 28-30)
and Complexity and Systems Thinking (April 30). DETAILS on conference
and workshop content, contact Ruben Nelson, mailto:rubennelson@shaw.ca.
For registration information, contact mailto:foresightcanada@telus.net
* MAGDA CORDELL McHALE: We were saddened to learn of the death on
February 21 of Magda Cordell McHale, a visionary architect and
pioneering futurist, in Buffalo, New York, where she had taught at the
School of Architecture and Planning. She was 87 years old. With her
late husband, John McHale, Magda was a longtime supporter of the World
Future Society, generously contributing her inspiring ideas to its
publications and conference programs.
Futures scholar James Dator of the University of Hawaii described Magda
as "flamboyant, gruff, and always stylishly dressed" and as a "superb
artist." With her husband, she "produced excellent textual/visual
presentations of trends, emerging issues, and new and interconnected
ideas," Dator wrote in a post to the Association of Professional
Futurists. "They were always tirelessly searching for something 'new,'
and excelled in seeing, early on, patterns that most of us did not see
until much later, presenting them to us in very memorable ways."
Another moving tribute to Magda McHale appears on the blog of architect
and graphic designer Alex Bitterman:
http://alexbitterman.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/goodbye-my-friend
NEWS FROM THE WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY
* WORLDFUTURE 2008: SEEING THE FUTURE THROUGH NEW EYES, the World
Future Society's annual meeting, will be held July 26-28 in Washington,
D.C. The preliminary program will soon be mailed to all Society
members; others are invited to visit http://www.wfs.org for details.
REGISTER BEFORE FEBRUARY 29 to save $150 on registration fee:
https://www.wfs.org/2008regform.htm
* BEST FUTURES BOOKS OF 2007: FUTURE SURVEY editor Michael Marien has
selected the 30 most authoritative, original, and important
future-oriented books of the past year. Among his picks are VITAL SIGNS
2007-2008 by the Worldwatch Institute; 2007 STATE OF THE FUTURE by
Jerome C. Glenn and Theodore J. Gordon; THE BOTTOM BILLION by Paul
Collier; THE NEXT CATASTROPHE by Charles Perrow; A BILL OF RIGHTS FOR
21st CENTURY AMERICA by Joseph F. Coates; and THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
by Andy Hines and Peter Bishop. Visit FUTURE SURVEY online to see the
entire list: http://www.wfs.org/fstop30bks07.htm
* PRESIDENT'S BLOG NOTES INCREASING INTERACTIVITY: WFS President Tim
Mack's latest blog offers some figures and reflections on Internet
culture and activity: http://www.wfs.org/blog.htm
* FUTURES LEARNING SECTION is seeking participants engaged in all forms
of futures learning to help develop new tools for educators and
learners. Planning is now under way for a major Educational Summit at
the Society's 2008 conference in Washington, D.C. DETAILS:
http://www.wfs.org/futureslearning
* FUTURE TV UPDATED: The latest video added to the World Future
Society's YouTube channel is "Information vs. Hate," an excerpt from
Nate Garvis's WorldFuture 2007 conference presentation on "Uncivil
Discourse and the Rise of the Outrage Industry":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbx6Vf_q2uY
And, just for fun, see also "My Pedestrian Documentary," as your
fearless editor braves an icy walk to work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biILWFKpb-k
******************
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST
magazine. Copyright © 2008, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail
mailto:info@wfs.org; Web site http://www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Web Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto:sechard@wfs.org
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at
http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, reply to this e-mail with
"unsubscribe" or "change address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback: mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in
the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year,
or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society
headquarters for details: http://www.wfs.org.
FUTURIST UPDATE
News & Previews from the World Future Society
January 2008 (Vol. 9, No. 1)
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
In This Issue:
* Robots for Handicapped Babies
* Do Fish Farms Imperil Wild Salmon?
* Trends in Consumer Behavior
* Click of the Month: Legacy Letter Project
* News from the Futurist Community
ROBOTS FOR HANDICAPPED BABIES
Babies need to move around independently and explore their
environments. Not doing so can impair their cognitive development.
Infants with Down syndrome or other handicaps need extra help to
explore their worlds, and at present there are no power-assisted
wheelchairs for youngsters under the age of five or six, long after the
age of rapid brain development.
So the University of Delaware has developed prototype driving robots
for babies. James C. Galloway, associate professor of physical therapy,
and Sunil Agrawal, professor of mechanical engineering, have equipped
the robots with environmental sensors and safety features that will
help babies explore without crashing into pets, furniture, or other
obstacles. The robot's simple joystick control is easy enough for
infants as young as seven months to operate.
The researchers' goal is to place such robots in all learning centers
where children have special needs. "It was a special feeling to see a
potential solution to a really serious health-care gap for young kids,"
says Galloway. "There was and still is a special tingle when we think
of the not so distant future."
SOURCE: University of Delaware,
http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/nov/robot110907.html
DO FISH FARMS IMPERIL WILD SALMON?
Parasitic lice infections in salmon farms may be driving a dramatic
decline in wild salmon populations. According to a study by the
University of Alberta, affected pink salmon populations may see a 99%
collapse in another four years if the infestation continues.
Wild salmon are affected by the fish farm infestations because they are
exposed to the parasites on their way through a gauntlet of open-net
fish farms before they reach the sea; adult salmon can survive a small
number of lice but the juveniles cannot.
"Salmon farming breaks a natural law," says the study's co-author,
Alexandra Morton. "In the natural system, the youngest salmon are not
exposed to sea lice because the adult salmon that carry the parasite
are offshore. But fish farms cause a deadly collision between the
vulnerable young salmon and sea lice."
Temporarily shutting down the fish farms along the primary salmon
migratory routes, thus eliminating the exposure of wild salmon to the
lice, could be one solution.
SOURCE: University of Alberta,
http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/article.cfm?id=8947
*********************************************
WFS CONFERENCE WILL HELP YOU SEE THE FUTURE THROUGH NEW EYES
More than 90 outstanding futurists and professionals from a wide
variety of disciplines have already been confirmed as presenters at
WorldFuture 2008: Seeing the Future Through New Eyes, the Society's
next annual conference, to be held July 26-28 in Washington, D.C.
Among those you'll have the opportunity to exchange ideas with are Asia
Aslam, research manager for Cisco Corporation; Molly J. Coye, the
founder and CEO of Health Technology Center (HealthTech) and a former
Commissioner of Health for the State of New Jersey; international
affairs professor Leon S. Fuerth, who served as Vice President Al
Gore's national security adviser; and WFS founding president Edward
Cornish.
In addition to the general sessions, an exciting program of special
events, preconference courses, professional meetings, and networking
opportunities is in the works.
LEARN MORE: http://www.wfs.org/2008main.htm
REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31 and save $200 off the on-site registration fee:
https://www.wfs.org/2008regform.htm
CONFERENCE VOLUME SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
http://www.wfs.org/2008volguidelines.htm
*********************************************
TRENDS IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Consumption in the future will be more cooperative, predicts
advertising giant J. Walter Thompson. Extending the "time-share" model
for owning a vacation home, consumers will increasingly accept
fractional ownership of art work, cars, and other high-end products,
according to JWT's "10 Trends for 2008" report.
More trends under JWT's scrutiny:
* As the genetic links are identified for diseases such as rheumatoid
arthritis and high blood pressure, look for commercial genetic testing
services promoted alongside pharmaceutical ads.
* Consumers are rethinking "instant gratification" and choosing to hold
off buying mass merchandise in favor of custom made or one-of-a-kind
products and services.
* Demographic "pigeonholing" will become less useful to marketers, as
consumers change their behaviors--such as when they marry or attend
school and for how long--in less predictable ways. Marketers and others
will focus on behavioral segmentation rather than age when targeting
their campaigns.
* Blue is the new green. Products that lessen impacts on climate? Been
there, done that. What consumers will really be looking for in the
future is "blue," the color of spiritual fulfillment and good-citizen
ethics.
DETAILS: JWT, http://www.jwt.com/pdf/news/trends2008.pdf
CLICK OF THE MONTH: LEGACY LETTER PROJECT
http://www.legacyletterproject.com
"Make a list of things you have survived and keep it where you can see
it often." Sharon Stubbs
"Don't speak those cutting words you are always sorry for later." Lynn
Campbell
"Others give meaning to our lives. Be interested in others and you will
be interesting to others. Be committed to others and they will be
committed to you." Willard "Sandy" Boyd (president emeritus, University
of Iowa)
These simple bits of wisdom come from contributors to the online Legacy
Letter Project, the brainchild of University of Iowa leisure studies
lecturer David Gould.
The project began when Gould invited senior citizens in the community
to share their life lessons with his students; as the project grew,
Gould began receiving letters from as far away as Venezuela, connecting
not only generations, but cultures as well.
"From the students' perspective, there's an unsaid need to want to know
what's down the road," says Gould. "And the authors are thrilled to be
asked. You live 70, 80 years and endure a host of high points and low
points to arrive where you are."
The site also includes information on how to submit your own legacy
letter.
DETAILS: University of Iowa
http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2007/december/121407legacy.html
NEWS FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY
* MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN FUTURES STUDIES: At this two-year program
of Futures Studies organized in Turku, Finland, students gain their
master's degree in economic sciences along with the expertise in future
business and in the business of the future. The program focuses on
strategic thinking, visionary management, foresight, sustainable
futures, and futures studies methods, theories, and practices. All
teaching is given in English. Deadline for the applications is on
January 31, 2008. DETAILS: www.tse.fi/tutu/MasterProgramme or
www.tse.fi/tutu/MasterProgramme/Master_2008.pdf
* NEW LEADERSHIP AT INSTITUTE FOR THE FUTURE: Stephen Steele steps down
on January 1 from his longtime position as director of the Institute
for the Future at Anne Arundel Community College. He will be succeeded
by faculty members Steven Henick, a retired international business
executive, and Maureen Sherer, co-editor of the Institute's electronic
newsletter Futureportal. Steele will continue his association with the
Institute as a professor of sociology and futures studies. DETAILS:
IF@AACC, http://www.aacc.edu/future/
* EDITOR'S THANKS! The response was overwhelmingly positive to our
inquiry last month on the possibility of a separate monthly newsletter
exclusively covering News from the Futurist Community. While we are
developing the format of the new Community Newsletter, please continue
to watch this space in Futurist Update for news of interest to
futurists around the world.
*********************************************
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST
magazine. Copyright © 2008, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail
mailto:info@wfs.org; Web site http://www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Web Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto:sechard@wfs.org
FUTURIST UPDATE: Dec-2007
News & Previews from the World Future Society
December 2007 (Vol. 8, No. 12)
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
Online: http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
In This Issue:
* Laws Governing the Heavens
* Ethnicity and Alzheimer's Disease
* Risk Assessment: Emotion Trumps Logic
* Boom in the Baltics
* Click of the Month: Monkey News
* News from the Futurist Community
LAWS GOVERNING THE HEAVENS
If a baby is born in outer space, what is its nationality? If two
astronauts get in a fight, whose criminal justice system applies? If
you invent something while working in a lab on the International Space
Station, where do you apply for a patent?
Such sky-high legal issues may become immediate concerns. Europe's
space laboratory Columbus is scheduled to ride the U.S. shuttle
Atlantis in December and join the International Space Station.
To help bring about consensus on celestial legal issues, the European
Science Foundation and the European Space Policy Institute organized a
multidisciplinary, multinational symposium in October on Humans in
Outer Space.
One initial proposal that was rejected was for U.S. law to prevail on
the International Space Station. But the symposium participants did
agree that, in matters of criminal law, an accused astronaut's own
country would have jurisdiction over laws broken in space. The
nationality of future Moon babies was not decided.
SOURCE: European Science Foundation, http://www.esf.org
ETHNICITY AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Latinos and African Americans with Alzheimer's disease live longer than
do whites, Native Americans, and Asians, according to a study published
by the journal NEUROLOGY. The findings transcended socioeconomic
status, education levels, age when symptoms began, and other factors.
The study followed 31,000 Alzheimer's patients for an average of 2.4
years and found that Latinos lived an average of 40% longer than
whites, while African Americans lived 15% longer than whites. Asian and
Native American patients' longevity was similar to that of whites.
Factors that could account for the differences include the social
support of extended families and varying levels of health and other
diseases in addition to the Alzheimer's, according to study author Kala
Mehta of the University of California, San Francisco.
"Determining the underlying factors behind this difference could lead
to longer survival for everyone with Alzheimer's disease," says Mehta.
"Regardless of the reason for this difference, these findings may have
implications for health-care planning for people with Alzheimer's
disease."
SOURCE: NEUROLOGY, the medical journal of the American Academy of
Neurology,
http://www.aan.com/press/index.cfm?fuseaction=release.view&release=559
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SEE YOUR FUTURE THROUGH NEW EYES
More than 70 outstanding futurists and professionals from a wide
variety of disciplines have already been confirmed as presenters at
WorldFuture 2008: Seeing the Future Through New Eyes, the Society's
next annual conference, to be held July 26-28 in Washington, D.C.
Among those you'll have the opportunity to exchange ideas with are
international affairs professor Leon S. Fuerth, who served as Vice
President Al Gore's national security adviser; WFS founding president
Edward Cornish; NASA-Langley chief scientist Dennis N. Bushnell; and
Elizabeth Carlson, executive director of the National Association of
Elementary School Principals.
In addition to the general sessions, an exciting program of special
events, preconference courses, professional meetings, and networking
opportunities is in the works.
LEARN MORE: http://www.wfs.org/2008main.htm
REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31 and save $200 off the on-site registration fee:
https://www.wfs.org/2008regform.htm
CONFERENCE VOLUME SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
http://www.wfs.org/2008volguidelines.htm
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RISK ASSESSMENT: EMOTION TRUMPS LOGIC
Why would anyone choose to live in a place that may burn in a wildfire
or be swept away by a hurricane or a flood? Because it's
awe-inspiringly beautiful, and they love it.
The proximity to ocean views is an emotional attraction for people to
live in the heavily wooded areas of Southern California, where 2,000
homes were destroyed by October's wildfires. This emotion led the
homeowners to discount the risks, according to National Science
Foundation risk-management researchers.
If people really want to do something that is risky, they tend to judge
the risks as low, despite all the available information about the
hazards of their choice. Providing information that is more emotionally
vivid (e.g., scare tactics) may help alter the public's judgment of
risks.
But information that is too vivid could backfire, warns researcher
Jacqueline Meszaros. Studies of fear-based anti-smoking campaigns, for
instance, have found that some vivid messages can actually lead to more
kids smoking.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation,
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=110590
BOOM IN THE BALTICS
The Baltic Sea region's prospects appear bright, with four countries in
the top 10 of the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index:
Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Finland. Key ingredients to the region's
general success are increased labor productivity and mobilization,
according to the ScanBalt network's 2007 State of the Region report.
The region also scores high on employment, innovation, social cohesion,
and the environment. But there are clouds on the horizon, including
increasing global competition and demographic pressures such as aging
populations.
"Economic growth will increase wage pressure, lead to shortages of
skilled labor, and can easily create social divisions between those
that are well prepared to take advantage of these new opportunities,
such as young, urban and well educated people, and those that can’t,"
report author Christian Ketels of Harvard Business School told the
BALTIC TIMES. "There is a danger that the Baltics will become much less
of a 'good deal' if wages continue to rise while economic opportunities
for productivity growth become smaller."
SOURCES: World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index 2007-2008,
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/GCR08Release
"Harvard Economist Advocates Effective Government Regulation," BALTIC
TIMES (July 12, 2006): http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/15853/
ScanBalt, http://www.scanbalt.org
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GIVE A GIFT THAT'S THOUGHTFUL AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING
Membership in the World Future Society makes not only a thoughtful
gift, but also a wise one--a gift that will keep provoking thought all
year long.
Insightful articles by industry experts, creative thinkers, and leading
intellectuals give you a new way to think about the trends that are
shaping your world--and fresh ideas for managing those trends to create
the future you hope for.
Ideal for clients, customers, colleagues, teachers, students, friends,
family, neighbors, mentors, and protégés, gift memberships are just $49
for the first membership and $39 each for additional recipients.
And if there are full-time students under age 25 on your list, their
gift memberships are just $20 each!
GIVE GIFT MEMBERSHIPS NOW: http://www.wfs.org/gifts
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CLICK OF THE MONTH: MONKEY NEWS
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=501
Looking for a new angle on news? The Washington, D.C., based radio
station WTOP maintains its Monkey News department on its Web site
because, frankly, the news can be depressing and monkeys are a way of
lightening things up.
And monkeys are quite relevant to the future, since they are affected
by environmental trends, are involved in cutting-edge research, and
participate (in their own monkey way) in groundbreaking legal matters.
Recent monkey headlines:
* "Monkey Clones Unlikely to Bring New Care," on the use of stem cells
cloned from monkey embryos.
* "Court Won't Declare Chimp a Person," on an animal rights case in
Austria.
* "Chimpanzee Who Knew Sign Language Dies," on Washoe, a female chimp
thought to be the first nonhuman to learn our language.
* "Ebola Said Depleting Gorilla Populations," on the peril of a species
now thought to be one step away from extinction.
Of course, chimps and gorillas are really apes, not monkeys, but WTOP
reasons that few humans would bother to click on "Primate News."
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NOW PLAYING ON FUTURE TV: Top 10 Forecasts, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKYY_8iqaB0
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NEWS FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY
* MILLENNIUM PROJECT NODE IN DUBAI: The Millennium Project, an
international futures research think tank supported by the World
Federation of United Nations Associations, welcomes its 31st Node or
global partner: the Innovation Unit of the Dubai government's Knowledge
and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The new Dubai Node will focus
on research to increase individual human intelligence and brain
functioning. Other nations interested in establishing Millennium
Project Nodes include Nigeria, Tanzania, and Burundi. DETAILS: KHDA,
http://www.ameinfo.com/138182.html or contact Jerome C. Glenn,
Millennium Project director, mailto:jglenn@igc.org
* EDITOR'S QUERY: Would you be interested in receiving a separate
monthly newsletter exclusively covering News from the Futurist
Community? The World Future Society would like your input on such a
project. Like FUTURIST UPDATE, the proposed Community newsletter would
be free and sent to subscribers by e-mail each month.
Please send an e-mail with "Yes [or No] Futurist Community Newsletter"
in the subject line to mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
*********************************************
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST
magazine. Copyright © 2007, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail
mailto:info@wfs.org; Web site http://www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Associate Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto:sechard@wfs.org
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at http://www.wfs.org
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, reply to this e-mail with
"unsubscribe" or "change address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback: mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in
the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year,
or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society
headquarters for details: http://www.wfs.org.
FUTURIST UPDATE: Oct-2007
News & Previews from the World Future Society
October 2007 (Vol. 8, No. 10)
Online: http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
In This Issue:
* Digital Generation Is Losing Its Heritage
* Pollution and Pigs in China
* Predicting Success, I: Creativity in Youth
* Predicting Success, II: Executive Skills
* Click of the Month: italki.com
* News from the Futurist Community
DIGITAL GENERATION IS LOSING ITS HERITAGE
The generation of young people who were born into the digital era may
be more connected to each other, but less connected to their cultural
heritage, warns sociologist Jos de Haan of Erasmus University
Rotterdam. They are "chatting" more but reading less; playing more, but
researching and learning less than preceding generations.
Though adept at finding their way around the virtual world, digital-era
youth are not finding their way to institutions that connect them with
the cultural riches of their past, according to de Haan.
The Internet is perceived as a rival to traditional culture, but it
could become an ally: De Haan challenges museums, libraries, archives,
and other institutions to do more to connect with the digital
generation than merely digitize their collections.
SOURCE: Erasmus University Rotterdam,
http://www.eur.nl/english/pressroom/detail/article/2177/
Why Join World Futurists
FUTURIST UPDATE: Jul-2007
News & Previews from the World Future Society
July 2007 (Vol. 8, No. 7)
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
In This Issue:
* China Tops in CO2 Emissions
* The Virtual Philanthropist
* Are Good Decision Makers Born or Made?
* Investing in Ecosystems
* Click of the Month: By Kids For Kids
Online edition: http://www.wfs.org/futupjul07.htm
CHINA TOPS IN CO2 EMISSIONS
The United States is no longer the biggest air polluter in the world.
According to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, China
surpassed U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions by 8% in 2006. Other top
emitters are the European Union, India, and Russia.
The growth of China's manufacturing sector, driven by increasing demand
for Chinese goods globally, is one cause of this surge in emissions.
In 2005, China became the world's leading producer of another
pollutant, sulfur-dioxide, prompting the government to take actions to
address its growing pollution problems. The nation's demand for
air-pollution control products is expected to increase by 18% a year
through 2010, according to The Freedonia Group, an industry
market-research firm based in Cleveland, Ohio.
SOURCES: Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency,
http://www.mnp.nl/en/index.html
The Freedonia Group, http://www.freedoniagroup.com
THE VIRTUAL PHILANTHROPIST
Can the places where people go to role-play play a role in advancing
social causes? MacArthur Foundation President Jonathan Fanton believes
so and has announced a $50 million campaign for new initiatives to
promote philanthropic activities in Second Life, There.com, and other
online communities.
The University of Southern California's Annenberg School for
Communications has been tapped to lead the exploration of philanthropy
in online communities, with activities like virtual-world simulcasts of
face-to-face conversations on such issues as migration, human rights,
and education.
Fund-raising events have already been launched in Second Life, such as
a Walk for Hunger event that drew nearly 400 participants. And
MacArthur supports several projects with components in virtual worlds,
such as a prototype "future of the school" building to give designers
feedback.
DETAILS: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,
*********************************************
LAST CHANCE TO SAVE $50--AND JOIN A THOUSAND FORWARD-THINKERS
The World Future Society's 2007 conference is fast approaching! You'll
have the opportunity to exchange insights and ideas with a thousand
other futurists from around the world.
Register now and save $50 off the on-site registration fee! You won't
want to miss special events on nanotechnology, governing evolution,
digital learning, biotechnology's future applications, solutions to
global poverty, and much more.
"WorldFuture 2007: Fostering Hope and Vision for the 21st Century" will
be held July 29-31 at the Hilton Minneapolis hotel in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
LEARN MORE: http://www.wfs.org/2007main.htm
REGISTER by June 29 and save $50: https://www.wfs.org/2007regform.htm
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ARE GOOD DECISION MAKERS BORN OR MADE?
We all have decision making thrust upon us, but many people seem born
to be good decision makers: They stay out of jail and stay in
relationships, don't drive while intoxicated, and are generally
healthier. This isn't just good luck or good upbringing, according to
researchers studying life choices and outcomes.
Decision making is a teachable skill that may help people improve their
lives, regardless of socioeconomic background or IQ, report Carnegie
Mellon decision scientist Wändi Briune de Bruin and colleagues. For
example, a good decision maker would be able to make choices
independently of how information is presented, such as whether a
medication is described as "99% effective" or "1% ineffective."
The researchers call for additional studies to determine whether
people's life experiences improve after they have received
decision-making training.
DETAILS: Carnegie Mellon University,
http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2007/May/may17_decision.shtml
INVESTING IN ECOSYSTEMS
An experiment to apply a market approach to environmental protection is
under way in Jamestown, Rhode Island, where residents are paying
farmers to delay haying their fields until after birds have completed
their nesting. The farmers would use the invested funds to develop new
products from their hayfields.
Worried about the declining population of the grassland-nesting
bobolinks in New England, a team of University of Rhode Island
economists and biologists worked with EcoAsset Markets Inc. to devise
an investment plan to protect the birds' habitats.
"Ecological markets are a way to correct environmental problems by
enabling businesses and individuals to express their values and invest
in the environment," says Stephen Swallow, a professor of environmental
economics.
In the Jamestown experiment, about 350 residents participated,
investing from $5 to $200 each. Three out of the six fields in the
experiment were able to raise enough funds to protect the nesting
birds.
Economic markets could also be developed for other ecosystem services,
such as clean water and carbon sequestration, the researchers note.
SOURCE: University of Rhode Island,
http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/index.php?id=4061
ALSO SEE: EcoAsset Markets Inc., http://www.eamarkets.com/
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LEADERS WANTED!
The World Future Society is now seeking experienced and motivated
leadership volunteers for its funding development and sponsorship sales
programs to help expand the Society's services and its global impact.
DETAILS:
WFS Volunteer Opportunities, http://www.wfs.org/WFSvolunteer.htm
or contact President Tim Mack, mailto:tmack@wfs.org, or Board member
Jack Gottsman, mailto:gottsman@msn.com
*********************************************
CLICK OF THE MONTH: By Kids For Kids
Not that there's anything wrong with the toys and games that grown-ups
invent for kids, but there's something about making up your own stuff
to play with that's much more fun.
By Kids For Kids encourages young people to imagine, research, plan,
and invent their own games and toys, vying for honors in such
competitions as the Mattel-sponsored "Invent-a-Toy World Games."
Winning toys in the 2007 competition include an indoor campfire,
complete with a recorder for capturing your ghost stories and campfire
songs; a waterworks building toy with real plumbing; and a game called
Xoomball that uses air pumps to puff Ping Pong balls into holes on a
game board.
Many serious inventors start out very young, BKFK.com points out. Philo
Farnsworth was just 14 years old when he came up with the idea for
television, and Blaise Pascal invented the calculator at age 18.
The site isn't just for kids. It also offers guidance for parents on
encouraging their youngsters' creativity, as well as downloadable
curricula for teachers.
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Attention futurist authors: The following WFS publications are
constantly on the lookout for new essays and articles presenting
trends, forecasts, and ideas about the future.
THE FUTURIST magazine: http://www.wfs.org/writguid.htm
FUTURES RESEARCH QUARTERLY: http://www.wfs.org/frq.htm#invite
FUTURE TIMES (online): http://www.wfs.org/futuretimesmay07.htm
WFS Web Forums (online): http://www.wfs.org/inter.htm
The World Future Society's 2008 conference volume will also be seeking
submissions. Look for details here soon!
*********************************************
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an
e-mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST
magazine. Copyright © 2007, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail
mailto:info@wfs.org; Web site http://www.wfs.org.
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Associate Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard, mailto:
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at http://www.wfs.org
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, reply to this e-mail with
"unsubscribe" or "change address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback: http://www.wfs.org/fbjul07.htm
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in
the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $49 per year,
or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society
headquarters for details: http://www.wfs.org.
News & Previews from the World Future Society
May 2007 (Vol. 8, No. 5)
In This Issue:
* Second Thoughts on Wikis
* Citizen Media
* Deep-Sea Observatory Under Construction
* Click of the Month: Invent Now
* News from the Futurist Community
Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight
SECOND THOUGHTS ON WIKIS
Don't expect Wikis to send encyclopedias to history's scrapheap just
yet.
The grassroots knowledge base known as Wikipedia has come under fire
for abuse by "citizen editors" uploading false or misleading
information. One student posing as a religious studies professor was
discovered to have made more than 20,000 alterations to Wikipedia
entries on controversial topics. Some universities are beginning to ban
Wikipedia citations in students' research papers.
"The academic community needs authoritative content, and this is where
the Wiki world falls down," argues Rolf Janke, vice president of the
academic publisher SAGE. Traditional encyclopedias, on the other hand,
are peer-reviewed and carefully organized.
Still, Wikipedia and the traditional encyclopedia have much to teach
each other. Wiki became popular for its ease of use and
up-to-the-moment information. Wiki's creators are improving the
reliability of their model by adding peer reviewers for its new
Citizendium spinoff, while SAGE is launching online access to its
peer-reviewed scholarship with SAGE e-Reference. Both initiatives
should be a boon to scholarship in the future.
SOURCES: SAGE Reference, http://www.sagepub.co.uk/reference.nav
Citizendium, http://www.citizendium.org
CITIZEN MEDIA
Digital technologies in the hands of growing numbers of individuals
could be put to use covering stories that do not normally get much
attention. The University of Maryland's J-Lab: The Institute for
Interactive Journalism is honoring 10 community news projects with New
Voices grants, offering more diversity in news coverage.
Among the projects awarded:
* Vermont Climate Witness will create interactive maps to track how
residents see climate change affecting the state's economy. DETAILS:
http://www.tamarackmedia.org/vtclimatewitness/
* Northwest Community Radio Network Collaborative Newscast will air
weekly hour-long newscasts culled from public-affairs programming
produced in isolated communities in the Pacific Northwest. DETAILS:
http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/
* Saint Paul City Newsdesk will create a network of citizen journalists
to cover neighborhoods and municipal news. DETAILS:
http://www.spnn.org/
* Building Blocks will launch a news and information site informing New
York City residents about major real estate development projects
affecting their neighborhoods. DETAILS: http://www.prattcenter.net/
According to New Voices adviser Peter Levine, such participatory
journalism could contribute to active civic involvement in the United
States. "Dissatisfied with formal institutions, citizens are working
together on community problems, building new associations--and creating
their own news media," he says.
SOURCE: University of Maryland J-Lab,
http://www.j-lab.org/nv2007_release.shtml
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HOPES AND VISIONS AT FUTURIST CONFERENCE
WHY WE LOVE author Helen Fisher and REDESIGNING HUMANS author Gregory
Stock are among the estimated 140 speakers expected to address the
World Future Society's annual conference, "WorldFuture 2007: Fostering
Hope and Vision for the 21st Century," this coming July 29-31 at the
Hilton Minneapolis hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Other keynote presentations will be made by Ronald Bailey, science
writer for REASON; economist and public-health adviser Tor Dahl; and
conference chair Joel Barker, co-author of FIVE REGIONS OF THE FUTURE.
REGISTER by April 30 and save $100 off the on-site registration fee:
https://www.wfs.org/2007regform.htm
LEARN MORE: http://www.wfs.org/2007main.htm
RESERVE your room at Hilton Minneapolis (already more than 55% full):
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/mspmhhh_wfs/index.jhtml
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DEEP-SEA OBSERVATORY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Oceanographers around the world will soon be able to share a new
deep-sea observatory, thanks to a 32-mile-long cable installed along
the floor of Monterey Bay off the coast of California.
The cable will provide the power for an array of scientific
instruments, video cameras, robots, and other research equipment for
the observatory, dubbed MARS (The Monterey Accelerated Research
System). The cable will also carry data back from the instruments to
scientists and engineers around the world, making the ocean available
to researchers 24 hours a day.
Most oceanographic instruments currently need batteries for power and
hard disks or memory chips for data, which means they need to be
brought back to the surface frequently. But the continuous,
uninterrupted supply of power means the MARS observatory instruments
could remain on the sea floor for months or even years, according to
the National Science Foundation, which is funding the project.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation,
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=108593
CLICK OF THE MONTH: INVENT NOW
http://www.inventnow.org
What inventor has kept a mouse living for 73 years? (See ANSWER at end
of item.)
If you believe that "anything is possible," even if it hasn't happened
yet, then Invent Now wants to hear from you.
The site, a celebration of "the innate human impulse that drives social
and economic progress," is sponsored by the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office as a way to promote innovation to a new generation of young
inventors. The site features interactive games and allows children to
explore their inventiveness through their interests in sports, space,
entertai