Category Archives: futures

Imagining the pandemic continues into 2023: part 1

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

What happens if we don’t have a COVID-19 vaccine by early 2021?  Or 2022?  In other words, what might the world look like if the pandemic continues for several years? In this post I’d like to explore what 2023 might … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, futures | 17 Comments

A wave of American protests: where are we headed?

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

What happens next in America, after the events of the past few days? Personally, I have followed developments with a mix of horror, dismay, admiration, and dread.  I have not participated in face to face protests, from fear of COVID-19 … Continue reading →

Posted in futures | 8 Comments

Anticipating a pandemic

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

Here’s one thing about being a futurist.  Sometimes the world confirms one of your scenarios or models, but it’s not something to celebrate.  That’s because what you foresaw isn’t good news for anyone when it actually enters the real world. … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, futures, writing | 8 Comments

Coronavirus and the world: today and four forecasts

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

It’s March 18th, COVID-19 keeps spreading, and the world’s reactions are deepening.  Global infected numbers passed 180,000 and deaths near 9,000, reportedly (and there are doubts about numbers).  There are more infections and deaths outside of China than in, according … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, futures, scenarios | 6 Comments

Coronavirus and the world: how futurists have been working on this kind of thing for years

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

I’m sometimes asked what futures work is good for.  Some folks complain that it doesn’t always provide solid predictions of what’s next.  Others think it’s just fantasies and a waste of time in pratical reality. One standard response from the … Continue reading →

Posted in coronavirus, futures, gaming, professional development, scenarios | 2 Comments

4 futures for how civilization could respond politically to climate change

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

Thinking about how higher education and climate change may intersect is a deeper topic that it might appear.  Because climate change is so vast and because higher ed is so complex and sprawling, all kinds of domains and issues enter … Continue reading →

Posted in climatechange, future of education, futures, scenarios | 2 Comments

Cybersecurity futures: scenarios and good practice

Posted on January 12, 2020 by Bryan Alexander

What can we forecast about upcoming cybersecurity threats?  And how can we best conduct futures work?  How can we learn from scenarios? Berkeley’s Steven Weber recently published a useful and bracing essay that I can commend to you all.  It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in futures, scenarios | 1 Comment

The most dangerous report in higher education

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Bryan Alexander

Last week a small, Boston-based firm prepared to release a report about the financial status of nearly 1,000 American colleges and universities.  Inside Higher Ed prepped an article on Edmit’s report. The report never appeared. In this post I’ll try … Continue reading →

Posted in future of education, futures, higher education | 7 Comments

What is the Zeroth World, and how can we use it?

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Bryan Alexander

What is the Zeroth World? I bumped up against this odd term for the first time in August and it just stuck in my mind.  The first encounter with a new word or phrase in a language one knows well … Continue reading →

Posted in futures | 7 Comments

What Americans think of the present and future of science and technology

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Bryan Alexander

Where will science go in the future, and how will that impact our lives? I’ve been tracking this question for a while, so it’s good to have fresh research to hand.  A new Pew Research survey asked Americans what they … Continue reading →

Posted in education and technology, futures, technology | Leave a comment