The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future,everything that currently exists and will exist can be categorized as either permanent,meaning that it will exist forever,or temporary,meaning that it will end. In the Occidental view,which uses a linear conception of time,the future is the portion of the projected timeline that is anticipated to occur. In special relativity,the future is considered absolute future,or the future light cone.
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar,also known by his spiritual name Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti,and known as Bábá ("Father") to his disciples,was a spiritual guru,philosopher,social reformer,linguist,author and composer of 5,018 songs mostly in the Bengali language. He founded Ananda Marga in 1955 as a spiritual and social organisation that continues to offer instruction in meditation and yoga. and runs numerous social service and disaster relief projects throughout the world.
Futurists are people whose specialty or interest is futurology or the 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.
Futures studies,futures research,futurism,or futurology is the systematic,interdisciplinary and holistic study of social/technological advancement,and other environmental trends;often for the purpose of exploring how people will live and work in the future. Predictive techniques,such as forecasting,can be applied,but contemporary futures studies scholars emphasize the importance of systematically exploring alternatives. In general,it can be considered as a branch of the social sciences and an extension to the field of history. Futures studies seeks to understand what is likely to continue and what could plausibly change. Part of the discipline thus seeks a systematic and pattern-based understanding of past and present,and to explore the possibility of future events and trends.
In futurology,especially in Europe,the term foresight has become widely used to describe activities such as:
Richard Slaughter is a scholar and writer in the field of futures studies,applied foresight and social innovation. He is the co-director of Foresight International,and has guest edited the journals Futures and foresight. His work has centred on developing the theory and practice of futures in education;the transition from empirical to critical futures work;bringing Integral theory into futures,and working with others to stimulate effective responses to what he regards as a "global emergency" created,in part,by the confluence of peak oil and global warming.
Futures techniques used in the multi-disciplinary field of futurology by futurists in Americas and Australasia,and futurology by futurologists in EU,include a diverse range of forecasting methods,including anticipatory thinking,backcasting,simulation,and visioning. Some of the anticipatory methods include,the delphi method,causal layered analysis,environmental scanning,morphological analysis,and scenario planning.
The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) was founded in 2002 to validate the competencies of emerging futurists. As analysts,speakers,managers or consultants,APF's credentialed members cultivate strategic foresight for their organizations and clients. APF represents the professional side of the futures movement,while groups such as the World Futures Studies Federation,the World Future Society or The Millennium Project,represent its academic,popular,and activists expressions,respectively.
Mika Aaltonen is a Finnish futurologist and former footballer. His position was an attacking central midfielder. He also played for the Finnish national team. Aaltonen is a Ph.D. in economics,associate professor,founder of the Royal Society of Arts Helsinki Chapter,editorial board member of European Foresight Journal,and editorial board member of E:CO.
The University of Houston College of Technology is the second largest among 13 schools and colleges at the University of Houston. It offers 11 undergraduate degrees and 12 graduate degrees throughout four different departments. In fall of 2017,there were 6,520 students enrolled in the college. The University of Houston has a new building in Sugar Land,Texas,for the College of Technology;programs are being moved there and a couple of programs will solely be offered at that campus.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to futures studies:
The Journal of Futures Studies (JFS) is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the discipline of futures studies. It is published by Tamkang University Press on behalf of the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies at Tamkang University in Tamsui,Taipei,in Taiwan. The journal is published quarterly,in the months of February,May,August,and November.
Dada Maheshvarananda is a yogic monk,activist,writer and the founder of the Prout Research Institute of Venezuela.
Emerging issues analysis is a term used in futures studies and strategic planning,to describe the process of identifying and studying issues that have not been influential or important in the past,but that might be influential in the future. Since the issues identified in EIA are new,we cannot rely on their history to predict how they will influence the future. This distinguishes EIA from trend analysis. Trend analysis is used for issues where we have historical data that can be used to identify a trend,that can then be extrapolated to the future.
Foresight:The Journal of Futures Studies,Strategic Thinking and Policy is an international bi-monthly journal published by the Emerald Publishing Group. The name connotes the term "foresight" as it is used in futures studies. Established in 1999,the journal provides a powerful framework and set of techniques that allow for understanding trends and drivers shaping the world,exploring alternative futures,setting priorities and formulating strategies for action. Foresight is a valuable source for futurists and foresight practitioners who should be at the forefront of discovering practical ways to manage 21st century life under growing complexity with a long-term perspective. The journal offers a much-needed forum for sound thinking about the future and socio-technological innovations,and focuses on themes and issues shaping the future,new quantitative and qualitative methods,as well as case studies with novel approaches. The journal is edited by Prof.Dr. Ozcan Saritas since 2009.
Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) is a future research theory that integrates various epistemic modes,creates spaces for alternative futures,and consists of four layers:Litany,Social and Structural,Worldview,and Myth/Metaphor. The method was created by Sohail Inayatullah,a Pakistani-Australian futures studies researcher.
Fourth bottom line is a concept extended from the triple bottom line;instead of simply focusing on the 3 Ps:people,planet and profit,this concept involves extending to a fourth factor which not only has motivation for a business but also transcends to a humanistic value and beyond by factoring in terms such as "spirituality","ethics","purpose","culture","compassion".
Youngsook Park is a leading futurist from South Korea She serves as Chair of Millennium Project Korea Node. She also represents several global futures research organizations such as TechCastGlobal,and Davinci Institute. She has been Information Officer of the British Embassy Seoul (1982–2000) and Director of Public Diplomacy of the Australian Embassy Seoul (2000–2010) where she was trained as a futurist by attending World Future Society conferences,and other futurists meetings. Park is known for bringing global futurists to Korea for the last 30 years,and is a co-organizer of Korea Future Forum along with News1,a Korean news agency,inviting famous futurists to Seoul to speak on futures.
Andy Hines is an American futurist,head of graduate studies in Foresight at the University of Houston,and author of several books on strategic foresight. Hines is a professional futurist,co-creator of the framework foresight method,Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Foresight at the University of Houston,Principal of foresight consulting firm Hinesight,and former organizational futurist at Kellogg Company and Dow Chemical. He has written extensively on futures studies,strategic foresight,foresight research methods,the role of organizational futurists,and the consumer landscape.
Clement Chang was a Taiwanese academic and politician.
