Posted in Future, Future Proof, Futurist
AirPods have been incredibly profitable for Apple since the company launched the product in late 2016. Unfortunately, the device carries a massive future liability that Apple executives and shareholders need to consider today. The plastic product consists of a variety of other materials, including tungsten, tin, tantalum, lithium, and cobalt, and cannot be easily repaired…
Posted in Future, Future 15, Future Proof, Futurist, Think
Business leaders must spend more time thinking about the future. To help make this a habit, I have developed the “Future 15”–a policy of taking 15 minutes once a week to think about the future. To make the habit simple, I encourage business leaders to follow the 6 “F’s”: Every Friday at Four Forty-Five (4:45 pm) set…
Posted in Future, Future Proof, Futurist, Think, Think Like a Child
Business leaders must spend more time thinking about the future. To help make this a habit, I have developed what I call the “Future 15”–a policy of taking 15 minutes every week to think about the future. To make the habit simple, I advise my clients–and I encourage you–to follow the 6 “F’s”: Every Friday…
Posted in Construction, Future Proof, Futurist, Real Estate
Late last year, the Economist had a wonderful article on the construction industry. The most poignant point was that among all major industries, the construction industry has experienced the slowest rate of increase in productivity since the Second World War–less than 1 percent! (By contrast the agriculture industry experienced a 1600 percent increase in productivity…
Posted in Agriculture, Energy, Future, Future Proof, Futurist, Genomics, Health Care
In between all of the presidential tweets, catastrophic rain storms, fires and hurricanes, sexual harassment scandals, and Bitcoin mania, it is sometimes hard to remember that technological change is accelerating and, as it does, the world continues to evolve. Over the past year, a number of developments have occurred but below are ten which I…
Posted in Education, Future, Future Proof, Futurist, Questions
There are a number of ways to question the future. A recent trip back to my old high school got me reflecting upon how to prepare today’s youth for a world of constant change. My first piece of advice centered on getting the students to think about intelligence from a different perspective. Instead of focusing…
Posted in Future, Future Proof, Futurist
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of returning to my old high school to speak to the student body about my work as a futurist. The entire 45-minute presentation — entitled “How to Think About Your Future” — is available here. (The talk is primarily aimed at children between the ages of 12 and 18 but…
Posted in Business as Unusual, Change, Disruptive Technology, Future, Future Proof, Futurist
If you want to stay on the right side of the future, the first thing to do is to acknowledge that the future will be different–perhaps radically different–than the present. With this in mind, here are ten game-changing technologies and trends it would behoove you to begin familiarizing yourself with today. Super Quantum Computers: Nvidia…
Posted in Business as Unusual, Future, Future Proof, Futurist
What does it mean to be on the right side of the future? It’s an excellent future-related question and I don’t claim to possess the complete answer but I do know that it begins with understanding exponential growth. The chart to the right explains. In the beginning, exponential growth can almost appear linear but as…
Posted in Education, Energy, Future, Future Proof, Futurist, Government, Health Care, Higher Education, Internet, Politics
The science fiction writer William Gibson once wrote: “The future is here. It just isn’t evenly distributed.” It’s a powerful insight because it implies that savvy business people, farsighted political leaders and even average citizens can discern the future if only they heed today’s emerging trends. Five current trends, in particular, appear poised to transform…
