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The Foreseeable Future by Raymond Friedman
After scoffing at attempts by astrologers, prophets, oracles, and assorted psychics to make predictions, the author describes how the "age of reason", starting in the seventeenth century, led to a scientific basis for new developments. The role of science fiction as a precursor of major advances is discussed.
Important achievements of the past two centuries based on science are reviewed, including the germ theory of disease, radio and television, aviation and space travel, nuclear energy, electronic computers, and weather prediction. The author reviews predictions based on statistics and extrapolation of trends and reviews various attempts, mostly unsuccessful, to do economic forecasting, and presents reasons for failure.
The principal section of the book is a careful look into important aspects of the future, including: intelligent life in the universe, population explosion, global warming, depletion of petroleum reserves, fusion reactors, intelligent robots, genetic modification of humans, hydrogen-fueled auto, discovery of new materials, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
The final section is a discussion of the creative process, with speculation on the nature of genius. The book is written in a style accessible to non-specialists, but some appendices are provided for readers with technical training.
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ISBN: 0-9728118-6-9 Price: $14.95 Pages: 175 Format: Paperback Size: 6" x 9" |
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