The Next 100 Years

[cxc]

Recently finished reading "The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century" by George Friedman. All y'all should read this. I've provided a brief overview of the various topics discussed, broken down by chapter.

Comments

[dratomic]

*His* mentioning the internet isn't a big deal -- the internet already exists. It's easy at this point to understand how it'll impact the next few decades. I'm saying that previous futurists never mentioned the internet because they couldn't even conceive of it. Just like this guy might not be mentioning X, when X turns out to revolutionize life as we know it in the next 25 years. My point is just that futurists can only work within the context of their own lives and experiences... and unfortunately for their reputations, most of the amazing stuff comes out of left field.

Consider oil. A futurist at the time might have described the ways in which petroleum would transform energy... allowing for new forms of transportation... and electric lights. So far, so good. But he or she might never have predicted how petroleum-based plastics would become a cornerstone of our society, and lead to a greater amount of disposable goods... and the environmental disasters that would result from these products and their creation. Looking at oil, the futurist wouldn't have started thinking about landfills.

Anyway, that's why when I read futurists, I'm snacking on a big ol' salt lick at the same time.