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Futurist Anders Sorman-Nilsson: Tech Report on Sky News Business / Top 5 Business Apps – Video

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Futurist Anders Sorman-Nilsson: Tech Report on Sky News Business / Top 5 Business Apps
In this interview, global futurist Anders Sorman-Nilsson is interviewed on the Tech Report on Sky News Business on the Top 5 Apps to Manage Your Business Whi...

By: Anders Sorman-Nilsson

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Futurist Anders Sorman-Nilsson: Tech Report on Sky News Business / Top 5 Business Apps - Video

Futurist – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Futurists (not in the sense of futurism) or futurologists are scientists and social scientists whose speciality is to attempt to systematically explore predictions and possibilities about the future and how they can emerge from the present, whether that of human society in particular or of life on earth in general.

The term "futurist" most commonly refers to authors, consultants, organizational leaders and others who engage in interdisciplinary and systems thinking to advise private and public organizations on such matters as diverse global trends, plausible scenarios, emerging market opportunities and risk management.

The Oxford English Dictionary identifies the earliest use of the term futurism in English as 1842, to refer, in a theological context, to the Christian eschatological tendency of that time. The next recorded use is the label adopted by the Italian and Russian futurists, the artistic, literary and political movements of the 1920s and 1930s which sought to reject the past and fervently embrace speed, technology and, often violent, change.

Visionary writers such as Jules Verne, Edward Bellamy and H.G.Wells were not in their day characterized as futurists. The term futurology in its contemporary sense was first coined in the mid1940s by the German Professor Ossip K. Flechtheim, who proposed a new science of probability. Flechtheim argued that even if systematic forecasting did no more than unveil the subset of statistically highly probable processes of change and charted their advance, it would still be of crucial social value.[1]

In the mid1940s the first professional "futurist" consulting institutions like RAND and SRI began to engage in long-range planning, systematic trend watching, scenario development, and visioning, at first under World WarII military and government contract and, beginning in the 1950s, for private institutions and corporations. The period from the late 1940s to the mid1960s laid the conceptual and methodological foundations of the modern futures studies field. Bertrand de Jouvenel's The Art of Conjecture in 1963 and Dennis Gabor's Inventing the Future in 1964 are considered key early works, and the first U.S.university course devoted entirely to the future was taught by futurist Alvin Toffler at The New School in 1966.[2]

More generally, the label includes such disparate lay, professional, and academic groups as visionaries, foresight consultants, corporate strategists, policy analysts, cultural critics, planners, marketers, forecasters, prediction market developers, roadmappers, operations researchers, investment managers, actuaries and other risk analyzers, and future-oriented individuals educated in every academic discipline, including anthropology, complexity studies, computer science, economics, engineering, Urban design, evolutionary biology, history, management, mathematics, philosophy, physical sciences, political science, psychology, sociology, systems theory, technology studies, and other disciplines.

"Futures studies"sometimes referred to as futurology, futures research, and foresightcan be summarized as being concerned with "three P's and a W", i.e. "possible, probable, and preferable" futures, plus "wildcards", which are low-probability, high-impact events, should they occur. Even with high-profile, probable events, such as the fall of telecommunications costs, the growth of the internet, or the aging demographics of particular countries, there is often significant uncertainty in the rate or continuation of a trend. Thus a key part of futures analysis is the managing of uncertainty and risk.[3]

Not all futurists engage in the practice of futurology as generally defined. Preconventional futurists (see below) would generally not. And while religious futurists, astrologers, occultists, New Age divinists, etc. use methodologies that include study, none of their personal revelation or belief-based work would fall within a consensus definition of futurology as used in academics or by futures studies professionals.

THE FUTURIST magazine A magazine published by the World Future Society

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Futurist - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Futurist: Technology can help rural America attract young people

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Futurist: Technology can help rural America attract young people

A futurist said Nov. 5 that young people view the communications devices they use as a part of their community, not mere tools, and this perspective will change how they live, work and play in ways that could benefit rural America.

Meantime, rural Nebraskans already are generating new ideas to revitalize their communities, ranging from using smartphone apps to give old town museums new life to providing special credit or donated land to help young farmers and ranchers get a start.

Tom Koulopoulos, founder of the Delphi Group, was keynote speaker for the University of Nebraskas second annual Rural Futures Conference, which ended Nov. 5 at the Cornhusker Hotel.

Koulopoulos said that humans always have sought out community, but technology is changing how they define it.

Community is what we seek and embrace, he said. Urbanization occurred because people found it necessary to gather in large numbers to conduct commerce and communicate. Thats not true anymore.

Kids are growing up constantly connected to each other and their devices. These devices become part of their community, Koulopoulos said. The notion of what community is will change in ways that are impossible for us to fathom right now.

Those changes could benefit rural America, he added. He predicted a mass exodus of future generations away from cities.

These kids want meaning. They want quality. They want a better life, he said. Kids realize they dont have to live in cities to get it.

NU President James B. Milliken said the Rural Futures Institute, which sponsors the conference, fits perfectly with the land-grant universitys mission, first set out more than 150 years ago, to connect universities to their states citizens.

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Futurist: Technology can help rural America attract young people

Robert Downey: A futurist knows

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FORTUNE -- Robert Downey Jr. has become one of the most powerful players in Hollywood. But the 48-year-old actor admits he's not much of a networker. "I think about people, and I have a conversation with them in my head," he says. "But I tend to not reach out." In an interview about his career and the future of the movie industry, the Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes actor tells Fortune about the real-life discussions (Elon Musk!) that have influenced his thinking about technology, business, and entertainment. Edited portions of the interview will appear in the January 13 issue of Fortune; a lengthier excerpt of the Q&A follows.

Q. This isn't the first time your image has been on the cover of a business magazine. Tony Stark's face has graced the cover of a few news titles.

A. Yes! I wanted to close the circle.

Elon Musk has been compared to Tony Stark, and parts of Iron Man 2 were filmed at a SpaceX facility. Did you ever meet?

The genesis of that goes back to preproduction for Iron Man I, when SpaceX was in a smaller facility and Elon Musk was not a household name. As part of my research, I wanted to interview two people: John Underkoffler [the chief scientist at computer interface company Oblong] and Elon. I thought it was really interesting that he literally had decided to become a rocket scientist. And although the similarities kind of end with a certain -- what would you say? -- just an amazing self-agency, you know, that I think Elon really embodies. I was looking to Underkoffler for straight technology [advice]. You remember in Minority Report, the character is wearing those gloves and moving the screens around? He and his company built that into a reality, so I was taking some cues from him: If Tony had designed his own software and his own programs and the machinery to operate them, what sort of language would he design to be able to manipulate his environment? And over the course of all these movies, that's been as much a part of Tony's character as anything else.

MORE:The Fortune crystal ball

The spirit of Elon was really inspiring to me because Tony goes from doing one thing so well and so successfully, and goes to do something that's a lot more risky and much more far reaching.

And then in the second Iron Man, Tony Stark has a conversation with Elon Musk about doing a project together. I think it's electric jets if I'm not mistaken.

Were there any other business leaders or powerful people who inspired your performance?

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Robert Downey: A futurist knows

Global Futurist and Technology Forecaster Jack Uldrich Presents His Top Predictions for 2014

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) December 17, 2013

Popular and provocative keynote speaker, best-selling author and renowned global futurist Jack Uldrich has released his annual list of predictions for 2014. Included on this years list are: a superstar MOOC professor, a sexting senator, a deadly virtual rollercoaster, an irrationally exuberant Alan Greenspan, a $100 bio-burger, a Miley Cyrus-stalking drone, and a Tesla-fuled electrical grid blackout ... among other things.

The scenarioswhich are quite specificare not intend to be taken literally, said Uldrich, the best-selling author of Foresight 20/20: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow and Higher Unlearning: 39 Post-Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future. However, the technology underlying the scenarios must be taken seriously. Each prediction is intended to provoke the readers thinking and help him or her better understand how many of todays technology trends will continue to transform the world around them. Continued Uldrich, the list is also designed to be useful for corporations and organizations involved in strategic planning. To this end, the predictions often show the positive as well as the negative implications of tomorrow's technological transformations.

In the past year, Uldrich--who also recently released this report on 10 Game-Changing Technological Trends Transforming Tomorrow--has addressed hundreds of business groups around the world, including delivering customized keynote presentations to Eaton, Invensys, United Healthcare, Boston Scientific, Franklin Templeton, Optus, Bausch and Lomb, Avnet, Digi-Key, the European Association of International Educators and scores of other corporations, associations and organizations.

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website at: http://www.jumpthecurve.net. Media wishing to know more about the event or interviewing Jack Uldrich can contact him directly at 612-267-1212 or jack(at)schoolofunlearning(dot)com.

Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, technology forecaster, best-selling author, editor of the monthly newsletter, The Exponential Executive, and host of the award-winning website, http://www.jumpthecurve.net. He is currently represented by a number of professional speakers' bureaus, including Leading Authorities.

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Global Futurist and Technology Forecaster Jack Uldrich Presents His Top Predictions for 2014

Ford's Futurist Sheryl Connelly Forecasts 'Game-Changing' Trends at Ad:tech Keynote

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NEW YORKThinking about the future can be both terrifying and exciting, Ford Motor Company futurist Sheryl Connelly said in her keynote address on day two of the ad:tech conference here.

Connelly's opening trend centered around the growth of the world population and concern that the planet might not be able to handle it. With some projections suggesting the world population will be as high as 11 billion by 2050, many wonder whether resources will soon become too scarce, she explained.

Smaller families are also becoming more prevalent, Connelly pointed out, and while small family sizes may have been mandated in China, reports now show that Western families are having fewer or no children by choice. This change has led to the emergence of other trends, namely the rise of the aging population of the world and the growth of the dependency ratio in several countries.

"An exploding population of older people is coinciding with longer life expectancy worldwide," Connelly explained. In some cases, this is altering the dependency ratio, or ratio of individuals that aren't working to those that are. "In Japan, the number of workers will soon be outnumbered by the number of people depending on those workers," making it difficult for the country to thrive economically, Connelly said. The growth of BRIC countries [Brazil, Russia, India, and China], specifically China and India, will be a "major game changer" as well, Connelly said. India, where the ratio of workers to dependents is high, will become a dominant force in the region, she believes.

The increasing urbanization of the population is another growing trend, largely due to its impact on mobility in major cities. According to Connelly, Henry Ford saw the ability to move as essential for freedom and prosperity, an idea shared by current chairman Bill Ford. "As more and more people move into major cities, mobility, a critical component of innovation and freedom, will be in jeopardy," Connelly said.

The lack of high-level talent in workplaces is becoming problematic as well, Connelly pointed out, as the post-recession period brought on a shortage of skilled talent. The recession did, however, lead to the creation of more jobs for women. "Jobs in healthcare and the service industry are growing as male-dominated construction and finance jobs decrease," Connelly said. "By 2050, the number of female billionaires will outnumber male billionaires," she added.

Connelly closed her keynote by turning her attention to society's addiction to information, and the impact of information overload. "The abundance of information can also lead to fatigue among consumers, in some cases to the point where they delay buying in hope of getting a better deal only to end up looking at the next-generation model of the product and possibly never buying it at all," Connelly asserted. "If you give customers too many choices, too much information, they can't make a decision," she added.

Participants in ad:tech's Social Advertising panel echoed some of Connelly's predictions, focusing especially on society's dependence on information as well as information overload.

"It's not enough to just build audience anymore. There's so much information out there, so many channels, that now you have to not only get customers' attention, but also be continually relevant," Rudina Seseri, partner at venture capitalist firm Fairhaven Capital, said.

If social media is leveraged correctly, however, brands can experience a tremendous amount of success, the panelists agreed. "If you're a marketer today, there's never been a better time in terms of reaching out and connecting with customers. Part of the challenge now is growing ROI, but it's only a matter of time before social becomes a central anchor for driving sales," Dhiraj Kumar, head of performance solutions at Facebook, said.

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Ford's Futurist Sheryl Connelly Forecasts 'Game-Changing' Trends at Ad:tech Keynote

For futurist, ‘intellectual capital’ is key

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Govt urged to foster culture that allows for mistakes By Miguel R. Camus Philippine Daily Inquirer

Collecting garbage or making rock tunes for a living?

The good news is, you might have a place in the future, as envisioned by celebrity futurist and theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, who told a packed audience in Manila that the jobs of the future would move away from repetitive skills like several manufacturing functions and into more common sense and intuitive tasks.

Kaku, a guest speaker at a business forum organized by the First Pacific Leadership Academy Thursday, shared his views on the jobs of tomorrow and how a country like the Philippines can leap forward if it embraces digital technology, infrastructure and new attitudes toward entrepreneurship.

Saying several tasks will eventually be replaced by man-made robots, Kaku noted that people should focus on skills that require intuition, creativity and leadership.

We are seeing a gradual shift from commodity capital to a mix of commodity and intellectual capital. And that is going to be the currency of the future, said the regular host at the Science Channel/Discovery Channel, where he tackles topics like Einsteins dream of a theory of everything.

The losers [of the future] will be blue-collar jobs that are totally repetitive: automobile workers that do the same motion over and over again, textile workers that do the same thing over and over again. However, garbage men will have jobs, every garbage is different. Construction workers will have jobs, every construction site is different. The police will have jobs, every crime is different, Kaku said.

Stock brokers, scientists, analysts, rock stars and entrepreneurs are likely to have a place in the future as well, noted the physicist.

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For futurist, ‘intellectual capital’ is key

Philippines can leapfrog to developed status, says futurist Michio Kaku

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By: Ben Arnold O. De Vera, InterAksyon.com November 7, 2013 7:16 PM

Michio Kaku speaking at First Pacific Leadership Academy forum

InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS

MANILA - Technological transfer coupled with education and entrepreneurship will make it easier for developing countries like the Philippines to leapfrog into high-income status, according to world-renowned futurist, scientist, author, and TV and radio host Michio Kaku.

The Philippines is poised to leap into the future. You have a population that is semi-educated, ready to move in the future. And remember that developing counties dont have to go through the same stages as the West, said Kaku, who is widely known for his ongoing attempt to complete Albert Einsteins dream of devising a theory of everything that would summarize all the physical laws of the universe.

Kaku said technology and information have leveled the playing field, making economic development easily attainable.

Here, you can leapfrog to the future. You dont have to wire up your citiesyou can go wireless. Technology transfer can compress all these technologies and send them on a microchip. This means that instead of taking a hundred years to industrialize, in one generation you can leap into the 21st century. Thats the benefit of this digital revolution, he said.

According to Kaku, modern technological infrastructure has made physical infrastructure in developed economies pass.

We have an ageing infrastructure in London, Paris and New York City. Subways are falling apart, bridges are falling apart, he said.

Kaku sees progress only in economies that constantly innovate to tap speedy information and technology transfer.

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Philippines can leapfrog to developed status, says futurist Michio Kaku

Philippines can leapfrog to the future, futurist Michio Kaku says

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By: Ben Arnold O. De Vera, InterAksyon.com November 7, 2013 7:16 PM

Michio Kaku speaking at First Pacific Leadership Academy forum

InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS

MANILA - Technological transfer coupled with education and entrepreneurship will make it easier for developing countries like the Philippines to leapfrog into high-income status, according to world-renowned futurist, scientist, author, and TV and radio host Michio Kaku.

The Philippines is poised to leap into the future. You have a population that is semi-educated, ready to move in the future. And remember that developing counties dont have to go through the same stages as the West, said Kaku, who is widely known for his ongoing attempt to complete Albert Einsteins dream of devising a theory of everything that would summarize all the physical laws of the universe.

Kaku said technology and information have leveled the playing field, making economic development easily attainable.

Here, you can leapfrog to the future. You dont have to wire up your citiesyou can go wireless. Technology transfer can compress all these technologies and send them on a microchip. This means that instead of taking a hundred years to industrialize, in one generation you can leap into the 21st century. Thats the benefit of this digital revolution, he said.

According to Kaku, modern technological infrastructure has made physical infrastructure in developed economies pass.

We have an ageing infrastructure in London, Paris and New York City. Subways are falling apart, bridges are falling apart, he said.

Kaku sees progress only in economies that constantly innovate to tap speedy information and technology transfer.

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Philippines can leapfrog to the future, futurist Michio Kaku says

Transform Africa Summit 2013: Africa’s Time – Futurist Talk – Kigali, 28 Oct 2013 – Video

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Transform Africa Summit 2013: Africa #39;s Time - Futurist Talk - Kigali, 28 Oct 2013
An open discussion on how the African ICT landscape has changed since the Connect Africa Summit in 2007. Part 1: Futurist Talk -- Africa #39;s time: Dr. Hamadoun...

By: Transform Africa

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Transform Africa Summit 2013: Africa's Time - Futurist Talk - Kigali, 28 Oct 2013 - Video

Business Forecaster and Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote Indianapolis YPO Event

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Chicago, IL (PRWEB) October 31, 2013

Following on the heels of successful keynote presentations to Harrisburg, PA chapter of the YPO and the St. Louis chapter of the World Presidents' Organization (WPO), popular keynote speaker, renowned global futurist, technology forecaster and best-selling author, Jack Uldrich has been selected to deliver a keynote talk to the Indianapolis chapter of the YPO. Uldrich will be speaking on Why Future Trends Demand Unlearning.

The material presented in the two keynotes will be based on a combination of Uldrich's best-selling books, Jump the Curve; 50 Essential Strategies to Help Your Company Stay Ahead of Emerging Technologies and his latest book, "Higher Unlearning: 39 Post Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future." The interactive speech, which has been tailored specifically to the Indianapolis region, is designed to provide local and regional business leaders a solid and thought-provoking foundation upon which to continue creating their own future. An overview of some of Uldrichs ideas can be found in this short video clip, Why the Future of Healthcare Will Require Unlearning, which Uldrich delivered to executives at United Healthcare.

Uldrich will also provide an overview of how technological change is upending long-standing business models and discuss why future trends will demand unlearning. Uldrich, who has been hailed as "America's Chief Unlearning Officer," will conclude his talk by reviewing the negative consequences of not embracing the concept of unlearning. Throughout his talk, he will use vivid analogies and memorable stories, drawn from a wide spectrum of industries, to ensure his message of unlearning "sticks" with his audience. A sample of some Uldrichs ideas on the future can be found in this chapter, A Tailored Fit: The Future of Retailing, from his latest book, Foresight 2020: A Futurist Looks Ahead to Ten Trends That Will Shape the Coming Decade.

In the past year, Uldrich has addressed hundreds of business groups around the world, including delivering customized keynote presentations to Eaton, Invensys, United Healthcare, Franklin Templeton, Optus, Bausch and Lomb, the European Association of International Educators and scores of other corporations, associations and organizations.

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website at: http://www.jumpthecurve.net. Media wishing to know more about the event or interviewing Jack Uldrich can contact him directly at 612-267-1212 or jack(at)schoolofunlearning(dot)com.

Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, technology forecaster, best-selling author, editor of the monthly newsletter, The Exponential Executive, and host of the award-winning website, http://www.jumpthecurve.net. He is currently represented by a number of professional speakers' bureaus, including Leading Authorities and Executive Speakers Bureau.

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Business Forecaster and Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote Indianapolis YPO Event

The Pentagon May Retire "Yoda," Its 92-Year-Old Futurist

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52454291 story Posted by timothy on Tuesday October 29, 2013 @01:36PM from the as-he-himself-foresaw dept. Daniel_Stuckey writes "Of all the weapons the Pentagon relies on to defend the United States, one of the strangest and most secretive is Andrew Marshall, a 92-year-old man who's spent the last 40 years staring into the future trying to predict the next big threat to America. Known fondly as "Yoda" to his many fans in Washington, Marshall heads up the Office of Net Assessmentthe Defense Department's think tank tasked with taking a long view, out-of-the-box approach to defense strategy. In his role as the Pentagon's visionary sage, Marshall is credited with predicting the fall of the Soviet Union, the rise of China's global prominence, the role of autonomous weapons and robots in warfare, and even helping end the Cold War. Now, facing budget cuts, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is considering reorganizing or possibly even shuttering the futurist think tank, Defense News recently reported." You may like to read: Post

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The Pentagon May Retire "Yoda," Its 92-Year-Old Futurist


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