Our visions of the future tend to be forged in the pages of science fiction. But for the past half-century, a number of prominent thinkers, activists, and scientists have made significant contributions to our understanding of what the future could look like. Here are 10 recent futurists you absolutely need to know…

Predicting future conflicts is not easy, especially considering that social unrest and dramatic political changes can happen at virtually any time. But world-altering events don’t unfold in a vacuum — it’s all about reading the signs. Here are seven geopolitical hotspots that have the potential to change the course of …

Over the last century and a half, science fiction has evolved just as science has evolved. But does this mean there is actually a causal link between futurology and real scientific research? Could science fiction actually determine what technologies humanity ultimately invents? And if so, can this new generation of…

Bruce Sterling wrote influential works like Schismatrix and Islands in the Net, plus he practically invented cyberpunk (with all due respect, of course, to William Gibson and Rudy Rucker). We are serious fans of his work. And if his recent comments about the potential risks of greater-than-human artificial…

2012 has been an incredible year for futuristic developments, from the Olympics' Blade Runner to chimp enhancement. So what might the coming year hold? With another year upon us, we look at what science fiction books, television, comics, and movies say will happen in year 2013.

Yesterday we told you about the biggest scientific breakthroughs of 2012. But now we turn our attention to those developments that make us realize just how futuristic things are quickly becoming.

At the end of each year, IBM Research lists "innovations that will change our lives in the next five years." This year's "IBM 5 in 5" is particularly intriguing in that their braintrust is heralding the age of "cognitive computing" — a technological era in which computers and handheld devices can better approximate and…

To commemorate its 110th anniversary, Popular Mechanics has put together an epic list of 110 predictions for the next 110 years. And as editor-in-chief Jim Meigs admits, making predictions is not easy — so to that end, the PM editorial team consulted with over 20 different experts (including our own Annalee Newitz)…

The National Intelligence Council has just released its much anticipated forecasting report, a 140-page document that outlines major trends and technological developments we should expect in the next 20 years. Among their many predictions, the NIC foresees the end of U.S. global dominance, the rising power of…

The World Future Society's official magazine, The Futurist, has released its annual top 10 list of forecasts for the coming year and beyond (they typically make their prognostications within a ten-year window). This year's crop features a diverse mixture of items related to business, economics, demography, energy, the …