“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 [...]

"Impressed by Muñoz's knowledge, Anderson invited him to form a company. Only later did he learn that Muñoz was 19 years old and entirely self-taught. "In my world, it doesn't matter who you are but what you can do," Anderson says. "You prove yourself by answering questions in discussion forums, showing demos on YouTube, and [...]

Dear Readers: I was recently interviewed by Andrew Hall 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 happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." In the case of one emerging technological trend this won't be true. On March 1, 2012 the state of Nevada will make it legal for self-driven cars to operate. Initially, Google, BMW and other automobile manufacturers will use the law to continue to work on improving the technology. [...]

According to a new study, surgeons performing knee surgery don't become proficient at their trade until after they have performed 150 operations. This is understandable in the sense that "practice makes perfect." It's bad news, however, for the first 150 patients who have the misfortune of being the "practice" for the new surgeon. One solution [...]