futurists, sometimes they get it right.....

Design Discussions general design discussion
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Most of the best futurists write hard SciFi in my opinion, but there are others that seem to have a good nack for “kenning” whats over the horizion. I favor a guy by the name of brin, spot on a number of things but there were others as well such as A.C.Clark and the microwave oven, statcom and a host of others. I go back and revist some of them from time to time to see how well their musing has held up, and some times use it as a insperation for design and invention.

Back in 89 a program was aired by a the fellow who had the popular progam “connections” (burk). Called “after the warming” it was about global warming, fully 18 years ahead of Inoconvient truth but done in many ways better. ( After the Warming (TV Series 1989– ) - IMDb ) This program that was aired on PBS here in the USA, BBC and CBC to resounding yawns and low rating but worth a watch in my opinion.

So you all have any authors that you have found seem to glimse likely futures well?

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Honestly, not in a long time. What happened to futurists? It seemed very hot “pre-millenium.” Neal Stephensen, Ray Kurzweil etc. Glancing at my bookshelf now, I mostly see new books talking about new methods and trends for the present.

More relevant for designers: where have the big “visions of the future” projects gone?

I think we’ve all begun living in a futuristic state of perpetual now.