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The future and what it may hold for us is a constant
source of fascination as the success of science fiction films like
Solaris, TV programmes like Star Trek and the popularity of horoscopes
shows.
It is often said that in the 21st century we,
in western countries if not the whole world, are experiencing change
that is more rapid than ever before in history. This may, or may
not be the case, but it is apparent that many things in our world
are changing and that many opportunities and threats are appearing
that mean that the future is likely to be very different.
These presentations offer an examination of selected
issues of importance for the future:
Demographic
Change
Explores the implications of changes in world population,
the demographic transition, the ageing population in developing
countries and household size
Technology
Examines potential developments
in information
technology, bio-technology and nano-technology and their
implications
Environment
Provides an overview of related concerns
about resources, food
supply, energy and pollution
Globalisation
Raises questions
about the impact
of globalisation on everyday life, its scale, inevitability,
extent and the arguments about it.
Work and employment
Examines
trends in employment and poses scenarios for the future of
work
What the future holds:
Insights form Social Science Richard N Cooper & Richard Layard
(editors) MIT Press 2002
The World Ahead: Our
Future in the Making Frederico Mayor & Jerome Binde, Zed
Books 2001
World Future Society
www.wfs.org
Shaping Tomorrow
www.shapingtomorrow.com
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