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  • Disconnecting to Reconnect Can People Unplug from a Hyperconnected World?

    In our always-on, hyperconnected world, people are beginning to assess the potential downside of being tethered to the Internet and hand-held devices. Turns out, however, that digital detox isn’t always easy; the umbilical Internet is …
  • On Objects, and Storytelling

    Rob Walker The theme for this year’s annual meeting is Storytelling, and we’ve recruited Rob Walker, co-designer of the Significant Objects project, as a thought leader to help us explore how stories add tangible value to the …
  • The Membership Game

    Yesterday I attended an event at the Hirshhorn organized by the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, exploring the use of digital badges in museums. It was a great session, and you can watch a recording of the whole …
  • Art Viewing and Mindfulness Meditation

    Of the six trends we feature in TrendsWatch 2013, one that has generated the a lot of feedback so far is “Disconnecting to Reconnect”—our exploration of how people are going to great lengths to “unplug.” One of the people I connected with …
  • Your Guide to the Future at the 2013 Alliance Annual Meeting

    Once again, I’m sharing a selection of futurist picks for the upcoming Alliance annual meeting. The advance registration deadline is April 26, so if you are not signed up yet, jump online! First, an overview of what CFM is up to in …
  • 2014 TrendsWatch Contenders

    With TrendsWatch 2013 hot off the digital presses, Phil and I are already scanning for early signals of the trends we will feature next year. When it comes to scanning, more eyes = better results! We are fortunate to have a growing cadre …
  • Museums are the Future of Education

    Earlier this year, I shared some thoughts regarding the future of education with face-to-face and on-line attendees at Museums Advocacy Day. My thesis, which I’ve advanced on this blog before, is that we are on the cusp of transformative …
  • Reports of Losing Your Museum Job to a Robot have been Greatly Exaggerated.

    Forecasting is about exploring “fringe futures” as well as more probable outcomes. Part of the art of futures studies is casting your imagination out to the edges of the Cone ofPlausibility, but also knowing when to reel it back in. This …
  • Keeping up with the 2013 Trends

    I hope you’ve had a chance to download TrendsWatch 2013, which we released last month. Phil Katz and I did a Town Hall webcast last week, presenting a brief overview of the report–you can access a recording of that event here.I …
  • Museo-Mindfulness

    CFM’s newly released TrendsWatch 2013 highlights the growing desire of people to disconnect from our perpetual tether to technology in general and the Internet in particular. This led to a Twitter exchange with Andrea Michelbach, a Masters …

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