I really like the photo to the right. It depicts the same scene, the only difference is that on the right half of the photo the night sky is being masked by man-made light. A fitting metaphor for the modern world. Often, we are so surrounded by the modern conveniences of light that we fail…

Last year, I published my top ten trends in health care. Number Five on the list was “artificial intelligence.” Specifically, I addressed the ability of IBM’s “Watson” supercomputer to revolutionize diagnosis. Well, the folks at Memorial Sloan-Kettering have now hired Watson. If you’re in the healthcare industry, I can’t encourage you strongly enough to watch…

Last week, after 244 years, Encyclopedia Brittanica announced it would be discontinuing the physical production of the iconic encyclopedia. Given the popularity (not to mention the breadth and accuracy) of Wikipedia, it’s not really much of a surprise. It is, however, a wonderful metaphor for the future of information in the sense that information wants…

Last year, in a survey of global CEO’s, it was said that creativity and innovative thinking would be the most critical skills of the future. As a futurist and business forecaster, I agree. It’s a cliche to say we need “to think outside the box” but I want to share with you just two ideas…

Not knowing how to use a new technology has a long and storied past. The latest video to capture this idea comes compliments of a German TV show. It also shows how hard unlearning can be … For funny videos from the past, check out these two videos:

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” –Voltaire Question #21: How much of the earth is water? Did you say somewhere between two-thirds and 75 percent? If so, you are incorrect. As John Lloyd and John Mitchinson explain in their delightful book, The Book of Ignorance, “Seven-tenths of the earth’s surface is…

Dear Readers: I was recently interviewed by a prominent blogger on my responsibilities as a futurist. As I’ve done with past interviews (such as this one on the business of unlearning), I’d thought I’d also share my responses on this website. How or why did you become a futurist? By accident. In 2003, I wrote…

What is the abbreviation for “pounds”? Did you say “lbs”? Congratulations, you are correct. Now, where does the abbreviation come from? It’s rather curious. None of the letters (l-b-s) appear in the word “pound.” What should be more curious is why you have never inquired into the matter (provided that is you don’t know the…

The student and the travel were about to part ways when the student asked, “As I continue my travels, who else should I listen to as I continue my journey? Who are the best teachers?” The traveler thought about the question for a moment and replied, “It’s been my experience that the wisest counsel has…