Futuristics

March 12, 2010

On the verge of a cashless society?

“Fred,” a VC, writes about how he goes without cash in New York City–not because of any laws, but because it’s simply easier. I can hear the eschatological pens scratching away now. Missionaries know cash is still required in many places, of course…

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March 4, 2010

From 1995: why the Internet will fail

A failed prediction: “No online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.” – Clifford Stoll, Newsweek, Feb 27, 1995

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March 3, 2010

Online news more popular than newspapers

Which is why I said “no” to our local newspaper. I can get so much more news than they cover. What is the impact on mission journals and books? via BBC News.

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April 1, 1999

Nanotechnology and the church

Nanotechnology is an emerging field that has long-term ramifications for our world over the next century. It could very well equal biotechnology in both scope, impact and monetary value. Nanotechnology deals with the manipulation of material at the atomic level. It is mainly concerned with construction, but it has wide ranging implications for computers and [...]

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October 5, 1998

Wildcards: extreme possibilities and how to plan for them

The art of futurism is about planning for the future, often through the use of scenarios. Futurists usually develop 4 scenarios (a quadrant) which are each very different and yet share certain characteristics. Plans can be made based on the common characteristics, and then trends are monitored to see which of the 4 quadrants is [...]

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