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Offers a picture of technology from year 2001 until 2062. Launching of the George Washington University Forecast of Emerging Technologies in 1990; Technologies having the most direct impact on daily lives; Description of technology revolution at each decade; Emerging technologies in energy, environment, farming, food and others. INSETS: The technological road ahead.;The emerging technologies..;Panel for latest George Washington University Forecast..

Reports that the rapidly growing technological prowess of humans has produced classes of improbable futures that could destroy the whole human race. Importance of studying `wild cats'; Reducing worldwide population through epidemic; Ethical questions in human cloning; Probable result of a no-carbon economy; Analysis on man's relationship with computers; Indicators of altruism outbreak; Implications of the collapse of the sperm count. INSET: More wild cards in the deck..

Predicts the emergence of a dream society to take the place of the Information Age. Views on global communication technologies; Automation of information tasks; Commercialization of emotions; Redefinition of poverty; Return of wildlife to pre-Industrial Age status. INSET: From the land of storytellers..

Forecasts that texts and writing will disappear in the future. How will technological advancement lead to the disappearance of writing and text; Development of electronic books, graphic novels and voice-recognition software; Implications on the existence of written language; Lowering literacy rate of the people.

Discusses the gap between human and machine capabilities and the reluctance of managers to face the problem; Technological potential vs human capability; Supporting intelligence rather than information gathering; Technology cans and can'ts; Concerns that the sheer volume of information provided by technology may overwhelm managers of the future making it harder to come to decisions. INSET: The gap between humans and weapons..

The article examines the impact of the linear technological forecasting on the predictability of the culture. It highlights that the technological innovation of the 1950 models of suburban homes by Levitt and Sons LLC which included built in televisions implied predictions that the television would be a group activity and that the family would automatically prefer their television in the living room. It explains that idea of the built-in television in the living room can be considered as a product of the past which disregards solitary pursuits and entertainment out of the house. It also notes that the problem for Levitt and Sons is that the television they envisioned was characterized by a linear progression of technologies which is limited only to the family unit.

Presents possible scenarios for Japan's role in the next century. Information-age superpower; Global mergers; Global cultural leadership.

Describes cold-climate technologies helpful to developing polar regions. Spray-ice islands; Snow pavers; Electromagnetic induction; More.

Reports on neologisms as reflection of recent trends in society. Compilations of editors for the American Heritage Dictionaries; Entris reflecting domination of computers and mass communications; Flame mail, flash clip, machoflops, biocentrism, eco-babble, greenlock, greenwashing; Reflections of social supersensitivity; Lookism, Ableist language, nonsizist.

Contends that telecommunications networks may be crucial to stemming further economic decline in rural America. Highlights of a report on the subject by the congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA); Proposed Rural Area Network.

Opinion. Discusses the social problem of cocooning. Technology separating people; Home entertainment, food delivery, faxed mail, and more; How to fight back.