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Forecasting 2025
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been studying a variety of forecasts to prepare for the coming year. The most useful sources are people whose views on a given topic are informed by experience, training, and data, saying “I think this is … -
Workshopping the Future: Foresight in Hindsight
At AAM 2019 in New Orleans, I led a three-hour futuring workshop, teaching attendees how to conduct foresight activities at their own organizations. Katie Eagleton attended that workshop, and in today’s post she shares how she has applied … -
Backcasting: Or, how to apply 20:20 hindsight to museum planning
“It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,’ says the White Queen to Alice.” ― Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass In today’s post, I’m going to introduce you to backcasting, a planning method that helps people … -
Futurist Friday: The Science of Prediction
Hey museum futurists, this is just a quick note to point you towards a great long read: the February issue of Science magazine, which is devoted to prediction.The issue kicks off with a brief essay by Barbara Jasny and Richard Stone on how … -
Playful strategy development for museums
When I tell people I’m a futurist, I inevitably get some jokes about crystal balls and Tarot decks. Ironically, I actually HAVE a Tarot deck on my desk: one that I’ve hacked to create a “forecasting deck”—a clever tool to help people … -
Futurist Friday: Economic “Ifs”
The Economist just released the 2015 edition of “The World If“– a companion to their annual compilation of predictions. I’m working through it today, and you can, too.The editors pose one of my favorite questions: … -
Futurist Friday: A Plug for Reading Science Fiction
Rather meta–today’s Futurist Friday is about why you should read (good) science fiction for a glimpse of realistic futures. This 8 minute video from PBS Digital Studios includes clips and quotes from many of the greats, notably … -
Futurist Friday: Past Visions of Future Highways
It is fun, and instructive, to revisit the future as envisioned by past visionaries–in this case, Disney. This [8:47] min short from 1958 envisions color-coded highways that defrost themselves, parking elevators and self-driving cars … -
Futurist Friday: Bossy Wearable Tech
We humans use technology–digital or analog–to outsource our brainwork. Calculators mean we don’t have to remember the times table anymore; calendars track our schedules; Diigo means I don’t have to remember where I … -
Towards a Green Future: Environment and Resource Sustainability in Museums
One of my stretch goals at CFM is helping to foster “a futurist in every museum.” To that end, I have been pleased to serve as an advisor to the California Association of Museums Leaders of the Future Program. That program has been the …
Tag: Forecasting
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