Perhaps one of the problems with predicting futures is summed up in one philosopher's version: Prediction is a tricky business, especially about the future.
Just one observation: who could have predicted in the early 1950s that the transistor would be one of the more significant culture-changing inventions? The transistor led to the transistor radio, which led to people able to listen to that radio almost anywhere (particularly at the beach, a favorite gathering spot for young people). It led to smaller and more portable electronic devices, which propelled more and more societal mobility.
The automobile is another great culture-changer, but that was perhaps more obvious to someone who really thought about it.... (read more)
Perhaps one of the problems with predicting futures is summed up in one philosopher's version: Prediction is a tricky business, especially about the future.
Just one observation: who could have predicted in the early 1950s that the transistor would be one of the more significant culture-changing inventions? The transistor led to the transistor radio, which led to people able to listen to that radio almost anywhere (particularly at the beach, a favorite gathering spot for young people). It led to smaller and more portable electronic devices, which propelled more and more societal mobility.
The automobile is another great culture-changer, but that was perhaps more obvious to someone who really thought about it.... (read more)