The other day I posted an article outlining ten trends transforming the future of marketing. Hidden within these trends is an important new insight: The future of marketing will be a battle over gratification. More specifically, marketers will use new technologies (Big Data, mobile, social and location-based technologies, etc.) to get consumers to instantly gratify [...]

Below is a math question from an admissions test for an elementary school in Hong Kong. The question was part of an admissions test for first-graders. They had 20 seconds to answer. Can you solve it? If not, you might want to consider getting a reverse mentor.

This past February, I read this article in my local newspaper: “Nearly a Billion Monarchs Have Vanished.” After reading the article, I asked myself two questions: How do I feel about the condition of the butterflies? How do I explain the condition of the monarch butterflies to my children? The answer to the first question [...]

(Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from an updated version book, 20/20 Foresight: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow. This chapter covers trends in the banking and financial services sectors.) By the end of 2013, peer-to-peer lending services had issued $2.4 billion in loans, and it’s estimated that in 2014 the amount lent will more than double [...]

The more time I spend as a futurist, the more humble I become. As a visual learner, I've become fond of analogies or metaphors that help keep me humble--often, by reminding me of my ignorance. The New York Times recently published this piece, What North Dakota Would Look Like If Its Oil Lines Were Above Ground, and [...]

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When we first see new technologies, often they are big, fat and awkward. (Think of early versions of the cellphone.) Over time, the technologies mature and morph into sleeker and more elegant objects. Please keep this point in mind when you encounter early versions of virtual reality technologies such as Oculus Rift or Samsung's "Project [...]

Early Sunday morning, the first 3D printer was launched into space. This news is yet another sign that the field of 3D manufacturing is maturing. The zero-gravity 3D printer will possess the ability to use thermoplastics capable of withstanding high temperatures. Longer term, it is hoped that future versions will utilize more  advanced materials, including aluminum [...]

It's been a decade since I wrote, The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business, but the field is really coming into its own. A few months ago, I shared a video of Samsung's self-healing smartphone which uses advanced nanomaterials to eliminate scratches. Now, I'd like to [...]