FUTURE BREAKTHROUGHS IN TECHNOLOGY REVEALED IN SPECIAL REPORT

Bethesda, MD: For the first time in history, knowledge—the very heart of scientific progress—is being harnessed systematically on a massive scale.

Rapid advances in information systems, data storage, and increased dialogue among the world's universities, think tanks, and governments are driving breakthroughs in all scientific fields. The decoding of the human genome, for instance, was made possible by the collective use of a dozen supercomputers to decipher the 3 billion bits of information stored in DNA. The future promises even greater advances occurring at an ever-quickening pace.

To help the public better understand these swift-moving developments, the World Future Society has assembled a special report entitled: "Technology's Promise: Highlights from the TechCast Project."

George Washington University science and innovation professor William E. Halal has pooled the insights of 100 high-tech executives, scientists, engineers, academics, consultants, futurists, and other leading experts around the world to outline how the technology revolution is poised to transform life over the next 20 to 30 years.

The report examines the key breakthroughs—and their likely ramifications—in the fields of the information technology, e-commerce, energy and the environment, manufacturing and robotics, medicine and biogenetics, telemedicine, transportation, and space exploration.

"The obvious question raised by forecasts is, 'How accurate are the results?' TechCast has been using this method for 15 years on a variety of projects, and the results show that variation among forecasts averages a margin of error of three years. We have also recorded 'arrivals' of several technologies roughly within this same three-year error margin," says Halal.
"Technology's Promise" is available for free for a limited time. Just go to:

www.wfs.org/tomorrow

ABOUT THE SOCIETY:
Founded in 1966, The World Future Society is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization in Washington, D.C., the Society has some 25,000 members in more than eighty countries around the world. Individuals and groups from all nations are eligible to join the Society and participate in its programs and activities.

Editors: To request a review copy of "Technology's Promise" or to inquire about the World Future Society, contact director of communications Patrick Tucker at 301-656-8274, ext. 116, or ptucker@wfs.org. More information about the World Future Society can also be obtained from the Society’s Web site, www.wfs.org.

Contact:
Patrick Tucker
Assistant Editor
The Futurist
Director of Communications
World Future Society
301-656-8274
ptucker@wfs.org