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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

UPDATE FROM THE WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY, PLUS A CAVEAT AND A HELPFUL PROTOCOL.

UPDATE FROM THE WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY, PLUS A CAVEAT AND A HELPFUL PROTOCOL.

This article was written by Douglas Castle (http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com and originally published in THE GLOBAL FUTURIST (http://theglobalfuturist.blogspot.com). It may be reprinted or republished in its entirety without permission, provided that this this author and the original source of publication are conspicuously displayed immediately under the title or header of the reprint or republication, inclusive of live hyperlinks. For more useful and often humorous information about survival in both the present and the future, please join THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (http://www.thenationalnetworker.com)for/ free at http://twitlik.com/IN for more information about surviving and thriving through both the present and the future.

Dear Friends:

Following is a "cut and paste" unedited or re-formatted copy of the most recent correspondence sent to my attention by the WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY. In all candor, I frequently disagree with their priorities, analyses of trends, forecasts, metrics and relevance. But they have never failed to spark my interest, and to make me think. I respect them for their efforts, for their informational integrity, and for their acknowledgement of the importance of envisioning the future in the present. While my approach is somewhat different, I am obligated to share the contents of this correspondence with all of you.

The more information we have at our disposal, the better our decision making capabilities. But: there are caveats and a simple protocol to follow in wading through this ocean of information:

1. Sift through the information (instead of being paralytically overwhelmed by it;

2. Always look at the source of the information, and the motivation for presenting it;

3. Look at the way in which the information is presented and supported;

4. Look for repetitive themes -- they might be event of parallel thinking, but they also might be the fuel for a self-fulfilling prophesy worth knowing about. They tend to add weight to the likelihood of veracity;

5. Aggressively use the process of elimination is determining which trends to focus upon and which to study -- allow your intuition and instincts to play a role in this -- they are underestimated and underutilized analytic tools which operate at a very high (superconscious) level;

6. There is a COMMENT button at the end of every article presented on this blog. Please give me your feedback, input and opinions on the topics presented, and even on topics which you feel I should be addressing. I would be delighted to post your views openly to share with our readers;

7. Always bear in mind that you can forecast the future (passively), or you can work to make the future (creatively). This takes imagination, initiative, frequent reality and trajectory checks and genuine effort. Reciting the Serenity Prayer from time to time is also helpful.

Faithfully, and with great respect,

Douglas Castle
####

FUTURIST UPDATE   
News and Previews from the World Future Society   
December 2009 (Vol. 10, No. 12)   

Read online: www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm    

Pass this newsletter along! FUTURIST UPDATE may be freely shared if   
forwarded in its entirety.

Receiving a pass-along copy or haven't joined WFS yet? Check out our
special membership offer. http://www.wfs.org/foresight

In This Issue:
* Kilimanjaro May Be Snowless In 20 Years
* Fashioning a Solution for Female Workers
* Women Reach Parity--As HIV/AIDS Victims
* Click of the Month: Trends in Japan
* News for the Futurist Community
* What's Hot @WFS.org


========================================
KILIMANJARO MAY BE SNOWLESS IN 20 YEARS
========================================

The snows of Kilimanjaro may disappear within the next two decades or   
sooner, predict researchers from Ohio State University and the National   
Science Foundation (NSF).

The researchers are worried not only by the rapid retreat of the ice   
fields atop Kilimanjaro, but by the ice surface's thinning. They now   
believe that the volume of ice lost to thinning is equal to that lost   
by shrinkage, which is occurring on all sides of the famed Tanzanian   
mountain.

"The loss of Mount Kilimanjaro's ice cover has attracted worldwide   
attention because of its impact on regional water resources," says   
David Verardo, director of the NSF's Paleoclimate Program. "Like many   
glaciers in mid-to-low latitudes, Kilimanjaro's may only be with us for   
a short time longer."

SOURCE: National Science Foundation
www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?org=NSF&cntn_id=115847&preview=false


=========================================   
FASHIONING A SOLUTION FOR FEMALE WORKERS
=========================================   

Designers of work clothes need to keep female workers' needs in mind,   
according to Jan Peters, president of the Women's Engineering Society   
(WES) in Britain. Fashioning better-fitting garments will not only keep   
workers safer, but also make the careers requiring them more   
attractive.

"There are over 65,000 women working in engineering, technology, and   
construction. That's around 10% of the workforce," says Peters. "But   
women are built differently from men and find that work-wear is not   
satisfactory. Inappropriate and ill-fitting clothing can put them off   
from pursuing careers in these sectors."

Safety clothing and boots that are too big are also unsafe, so   
Britain's female engineers are urging women working in science,   
engineering, technological, and construction industries to share their   
complaints with clothing manufacturers.

In the future, female construction workers won't have to pack extra   
socks so their work boots will fit. And perhaps the idea of wearing   
ill-fitting work clothes will no longer keep young girls from pursuing   
careers in engineering, construction, and other trades.

SOURCE: Women's Engineering Society http://www.wes.org.uk


****************advertisement************************ 

DISCOVER STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURES!

Join a thousand forward-thinking men and women from around the world at   
WorldFuture 2010: Sustainable Futures, Strategies, and Technologies, to   
be held in Boston, July 8-10, at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel.

You'll hear inventors Ray Kurzweil and Stephen Thaler, health futurists   
Kevin Fickenscher and Jay Herson, and media experts Michael Rogers, Lee   
Rainie, and Michael R. Nelson. Also among recently confirmed speakers   
is education futurist Gary Marx, president of the Center for Public   
Outreach.

Panel sessions, workshops, and stimulating keynote presentations will   
focus on what we mean by "sustainable futures," what paths may lead us   
there, and what strategies and technologies we may be able to use to   
create the futures we aspire to achieve.

LEARN MORE: http://www.wfs.org/2010main.htm

RESERVE YOUR HOTEL ROOM AT SPECIAL CONFERENCE RATE:
http://www.wfs.org/2010hotel.htm

SAVE $200! REGISTER FOR WorldFuture 2010 BY DECEMBER 31:
http://www.wfs.org/2010regform.htm


=======================================   
WOMEN REACH PARITY—AS HIV/AIDS VICTIMS
=======================================   

Women now make up half of the 33 million people around the world who   
are living with HIV/AIDS, reports the Johns Hopkins University School   
of Nursing.   

Young women in sub-Saharan Africa are dying of AIDS at three times the   
rate of males, and in the United States, young African American women   
are contracting HIV at higher rates than all other groups, according to   
researchers Jacquelyn Campbell and Nancy E. Glass.

One key factor in the increased vulnerability of these women is   
intimate-partner violence, which increases the risk of HIV transmission   
in rich and poor countries alike. "If you're being beaten up and raped,   
it's hard to negotiate for condom use by an HIV-infected partner,"   
Campbell observes.

SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
http://www.nursing.jhu.edu/


====================================   
CLICK OF THE MONTH: TRENDS IN JAPAN
http://web-japan.org/trends/
====================================   

What's cool in Japan right now? Well, maybe "cool" is no longer the   
correct word. Warm, cute, and cuddly things seem to be what's captured   
the imaginations of Japanese consumers.

In addition to fashion, food, and travel articles, "Trends in Japan"   
features stories showing some general directions in technology, the   
environment, and society. Recent items include:

- A robot in the form of a cute plush-toy baby seal provides comfort   
for the elderly. The therapeutic robot, called Paro, includes a suite   
of sensors enabling it to respond to touch and to simple spoken   
greetings.

- A team of three young ladies were named "Ambassadors of Cuteness" to   
represent Japan's vibrant pop culture abroad, promoting a move away   
from traditional imagery and toward that popularized by anime and manga   
art forms.

- A new online game called "Ichige" (Location Games) for smart-phone   
users; winners earn virtual currency based on how far they travel. The   
game has become popular among young workers and students with long   
daily commutes.

- A mobile water desalination unit called Courier Water to help   
alleviate growing water shortages in developing countries. The system   
also promises to help in areas struck by natural disasters.


=================================   
NEWS FOR THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY   
=================================   

* THE BIOPOLITICS OF POPULAR CULTURE: The Institute for Ethics and   
Emerging Technology is sponsoring a one-day seminar on December 4 to   
explore the impacts of science fiction film, TV, and other popular   
media on shaping our perception of new technologies and our images of   
the future. Among the participants are futurist Jamais Cascio, author   
David Brin, science-fiction critic Annalee Newitz, and filmmakers   
Richard Kroehling, Michael Masucci, and Matthew Patrick. The seminar   
will be held at EON Reality in Irvine, California. DETAILS AND   
REGISTRATION: http://ieet.org/bpcs09

* PATHWAYS TO A NEW FUTURE: An "intense, hands-on" workshop led by Don   
Beck and John Petersen will explore large-scale change and map the   
pathways to a future new world. Be prepared to "tackle some of the   
biggest questions related to transitioning to a new world." The   
workshop, "Designing the Architecture of a Global Transition," will be   
held December 11 and 12 at The Country Inn in Berkeley Springs, West   
Virginia. DETAILS: http://esensemarketing.com/arlinst/JPBECK.html

* DIRTY ROTTEN STRATEGIES, a new book by Ian I. Mitroff and Abraham   
Silvers, shows you how to avoid solving the wrong problems and to   
detect when others, either organizations or individuals, may be leading   
you astray. Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich describes   
the book as "a lucid and thoughtful account of why we fail to be   
adequately lucid and thoughtful—and what we can do about it." ORDER:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0804759960/thefuturistbooks


====================
WHAT'S HOT @WFS.ORG
====================

* 2020 VISIONARIES: The January-February 2010 issue of THE FUTURIST   
launches a special series of articles on "2020 Visionaries," offering   
profiles and interviews of some of the world's cutting-edge thinkers in   
a wide range of influential fields. First up are education and health   
care. The issue will be mailed to WFS members on November 30. JOIN or   
RENEW now to be sure you'll receive your copy!
http://www.wfs.org/forecasts/#memberapp

* PRIVACY VS. PERFECTIBILITY: The latest video on the WFS YouTube   
channel is an excerpt from bioethicist Arthur L. Caplan's presentation   
at WorldFuture 2009. In this clip, Caplan explains that eliminating the   
right to privacy carried in Roe v. Wade could potentially allow   
government to mandate the use "designer baby" technologies. WATCH:   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcTEN5zRxkg

* FUTURIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS: The World Future Society is now   
accepting nominations for outstanding futurist of the year. The Society   
is seeking candidates at both the professional and "young futurist"   
levels, whose work in the past year has advanced the understanding of   
foresight principles and techniques or demonstrated the successful   
application of foresight. The deadline for nominations is December 31.   
The awards will be presented at WorldFuture 2010, the Society's annual   
meeting in Boston. For details or to submit a nomination, visit   
http://www.wfs.org/FOY09.htm


*************************************************** 
   
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an e-
mail newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST   
magazine. Copyright © 2009, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue,   
Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail   
mailto:info@wfs.org Web site http://www.wfs.org   
   
Editor: Cindy Wagner, mailto:cwagner@wfs.org   
   
Senior Editor: Patrick Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org   
   
Network Administrator: Jeff Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org   
   
Vice President, Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard, 
mailto:sechard@wfs.org   
   
To subscribe, enter your e-mail at   
http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm   
   
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, send an e-mail to   
mailto:jcornish@wfs.org with "unsubscribe" or "change address" in the   
subject line.   
   
Submit feedback: mailto:cwagner@wfs.org   
   
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and   
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in   
the Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $59 per year,   
or $20 for full-time students under age 25. Professional and   
Institutional membership programs are also offered; contact Society   
headquarters for details: http://www.wfs.org

Networking with WFS:

* Facebook:   
http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Future-Society/19655051088
* LinkedIn (WFS Membership required):
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=77204&trk=anet_ug_grppro
* MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thefuturistmagazine
* Twitter (THE FUTURIST): http://twitter.com/Theyear2030
* Twitter (WFS): http://twitter.com/WorldFutureSoc
* YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/WorldFutureSociety
* Local futurist groups: http://www.wfs.org/chapnew.htm

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