
IN SPOTLIGHT
The Next Global Mega Epoch Change Beginning Around 2030
Is the current turbulence in the world only about Trump and his followers playing reckless politics out of the blue, or are we witnessing the beginning of a new era in the global world order?
BLOG BY FUTURES PLATFORM
Should We Brace Ourselves for a Deadly Epidemic?
We always seem to be playing a cat-and-mouse game for all of our scientific advances. A bacteria or virus appears, and we develop antibiotics or antiviral drugs to deal with it. One worry is that our overprescribing of antibiotics will continue to lead to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with possibly devastating consequences.
Will Programmers Have a Job in the Future?
Programming was considered in the 60s and 70s a "geek activity," today it has become one of the high-paying jobs. But programmers are no less susceptible than everyone else when it comes to losing their jobs. In this article, we ask the question, "will programmers still have a job in the future?”
Foresight at Fiskars Group
Satu Kalliokulju, Head of Consumer Excellence at Fiskars Group, talked about consumer futures at Fiskars. The company was founded in 1649, making it the oldest company in Finland. Their strategy is to build a family of iconic lifestyle brands – the most famous example being the orange-handled scissors.
What is Strategic Foresight?
Strategic Foresight, an important subfield of futures studies, is a discipline organizations use to gather and process information about their future operating environment. This information can include, for example, trends and developments in their political, economic, social, technological, and legal environments.
Is China Leading the Cleantech Revolution?
China has had a bad reputation with regard to the environment for many years. But understanding that looking out for the environment has benefits both internationally and domestically; the country has been changing. In fact, some may even argue that China is, at the moment, leading the cleantech revolution - ahead of the United States and other Western countries.
The Future of Autonomous Vehicles
The autonomous vehicle is set to be as life-changing as the invention of the motor vehicle itself. Modern-day cities have been shaped largely by the mobility that is achieved through motor vehicles, providing transport services to people and goods alike and supported by major road networks worldwide.
Graphene the Great
Graphene, first isolated in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester, is quite the material. Hailed as semimetal capable of disrupting the fields of electronics, energy, and others, it looked more promising than almost anything we had ever come across. But whatever happened to it?
The Promise of the Quantum Computer
Quantum computers, fundamentally different from your typical computer or supercomputer, hold great promise. In theory, they would help solve equations, problems, and create simulations that are beyond the reach of even the most powerful supercomputer. For that reason, a lot of people are getting excited about them.
Swarm Robotics and 3D Printers
Swarm Robotics and 3D printing are forming an intersection between teams of robots (swarms) and robots that produce physical products from conceptual designs. When teams of 3D printing robots act as an organised unit they gain the ability to carry out tasks far too complicated for an individual machine.
Are Modular Homes the Future?
The modular home isn't a new concept. Look at any long-term construction site, military complex, or industrial space, and you are likely to find a few. Could they also serve as the future homes for a rapidly growing human population?
Flexible Screens - Has the Future Arrived?
Foldable phones. Samsung has finally unveiled, and officialized its first folding phone - the Galaxy Fold. With a price tag of about 2,000 US dollars, it might not sell like an iPhone. But like the iPhone before it, it could be a game changer, and like the iPhone, it could redefine how we think about mobile phones - or screens.
The Future of Coworking Spaces
You take off from home, get in your car, arrive at the company office, take the elevator, and sit at your desk. For most white-collar workers, that used to be a typical routine. You get your work done at your desk in the company's offices. But in the past couple of years there has been a growing trend toward co-shared office spaces. In this article, have a look at this trend.