The Future

by Tony Copple

I'm not sure whether futurists follow trends or trends follow futurists. Either way it is an adventure to peek into the way things may be.

  • Brian Wien's 10 surprises for 2010
  • Long Bets.org - the project to improve long-term thinking.
  • The Rosetta Project - surveying the world's estimated 7000 languages.
  • The Long Now Foundation, and its founder Stuart Brand
  • Japan, the world's second largest economy, seems to have recovered somewhat from a long decline starting in the 1990's. They have an even more aging population than Canada, but the aged are still running the country. Other major nations with an aging population must grapple with the resulting problems if they are to avoid some of the the Japanese trends.
  • China is likely to become the world's largest economy somewhat earlier than 2020 as originally forecast.
  • One event in 2000 was the largest and hopefully the most fruitful event the Billy Graham Organization has ever been involved in. It was in Amsterdam, July 29 - August 6. The Graham Organization trained hundreds of evangelists who are spearheading the remarkable growth of Christianity worldwide (other than the Western world) in this new millennium.
  • The agenda for the Feb 3,'97 Davos, Switzerland, conference of world leaders, included the items below, as reported in the Financial Post, Feb 1, p25. Attenders included Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, Newt Gingrich, Yasser Arafat, George Soros, Kofi Annan.
  • South African Scientists claim to have found a cure for Aids.
    Aids has enormous economic impact. So does the possibility of cures for most cancers and heart disease.
  • In the next 50 years we will control these diseases and life expectancy will increase by 25 to 30 years, predicts Luc Montagnier, discoverer of the HIV virus.
    That event would bankrupt every government on earth because they would be stuck with paying out 25 to 30 years more pensions and health-care benefits.
  • The probability that you might die as a result of a meteorite falling on you is three times greater than your possible death in a plane crash, says John Naisbitt, Megatrends author.
    Naisbitt also predicts that the US is best positioned to prosper in the next century because of its entrepreneurial culture and technological headstart. However, half the world's GDP will soon be generated in developing countries, up from their current contribution of 45%.
  • Monoliths like General Motors must break up to survive because only confederations of small companies will make it.
    A model is McDonalds. Another model is Visa. All its affiliates are independent. Naisbitt says the GMs are like the mainframes of old in a world of PCs.





    Cancel Third World debt, churches urge.

    Trends - shorter term stuff
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