What is a futurology? That is when I read your beans and you believe me...
Well, sort of, but not entirely.
Futurology or the futurism is a part of the social science that consider all views about the possible outcomes of the future, including myths, speculations, and wild guess theories.
The wild geese chase, rat races, and aliens included.
Flat Earth too.
I love that one. Now we have a concave Earth, that's the newest things...
One part of this science also combines the knowledge about the past events trying to predict and correlate reasoning of the possible future outcome/s.
Well, you have government funded systematic brainwashing, the Facebook is slowly becoming a Skynet, the dooms day's weapons that can destroy a planet in a second, Elon Musk... what else do you need...
Futurology or the Future studies include 18 subcategories, but I will abruptly cut them down in a way I find it the most logical for me personally.
All these subcategories are on my interest list, but I have a different opinion about an each of them.
Some people could debate that the futurology is too much of the science fiction to start with, but what once was a science fiction, today is only the science.
Hypothetical studies and analyses
Futurology books
Futurology journals
Time periods in the future
Emerging technologies
Technology assessment
Hypothetical technology
Peak resource production
You mean people inventing things with their imagination? Quite can be better than the real thing.
The ones people knew 50-60 years ago, or the ones refurbished and sold under new hot water label?
I don't mind that people dream, but for some, the science fiction books become new gospel, maybe we should put a break on some things, don't you think so.
Take into consideration that Nibiru and now new Flat Earth theory are talking volumes about the specter of the human imagination.
Practical factors and applied science
Digital Revolution
Megastructures
Applied artificial intelligence
I say applied, not the one that sits in the laboratory or in someone's MacBook.
I have no problem with the machines doing dumbing jobs that require no or little intelligence, or to do OUR jobs, but I refuse to assist the idea they substitute us in any aspect of economical ( read financial ) meaning.
In the world where machines create, and resources are spent to make them an improved version of the humans ( lol) the humans become obsolete.
Machines can take the functions but never the jobs, because that we can not afford, or we can only afford if crucially change an entire system.
Whatever we try can't be worse than the one we already have.
I have no idea why this is a crucial part of the futurology but apparently, it is.
As I have a very narrow knowledge why it should be, I will leave it for my next discussion.
These two are in fact interconnected, and as of the digital revolution ( or evolution) we are already there, the only thing we don't have are the skull implants. Wait! Hold on for a minute! Yes, they have that too.
But, do you know WHEN is the safest moment to install a chip into the human skull? After the birth when the skull bones are still separated...
Speculations and possible civilization switchers
Doomsday scenarios
Effects of global warming
Space colonization
Human overpopulation
I personally think that a human overpopulation is a myth to induce panic and fear, we can easily feed much more human being that we afraid one day may be on this planet.
Now before we open a topic of HUMAN overpopulation, how about - before we start limiting our own species - we eradicate the overpopulation of others as well.
Do I need to even start listing any? My favorites are the volcanic eruption of the supervolcano, meteorite impact, and solar flare. The last one will not terminate the planet, but I am sure it will terminate a lot of things that rely on technology... like the traffic. Because we can't possibly know how to drive unless the light tells us to turn left without hitting another driver or a pedestrian...
Or banking system implosion, because .. you know... nature is powered by money, no way to live without it....
Unless we are so warm that we are toasted, don't bother to rise panic... The planet is constantly changing and constantly cycling throughout the cold and warm periods, and apparently, this is a cold period. Now.. imagine the warm one.
As for the space colonization, do you see any other practical reason for us to take a hike if something is not crucially wrong?
Enhancements and philosophy
Extropianism
Transhumanism
Long Now Foundation
Futurologists
Well, these are the individuals, groups or even the whole communities who are trying to predict and estimate scientifically what could be an outcome of the near/far future.
Quoted from Wikipedia about the extropianism
.. .evolving framework of values and standards for continuously improving the human condition
Hands down, the only way our human race will survive is a constant flexibility and capability to change, but let me tell you, about those evolving values ... I believe that it could happen some sort of an apocalyptic trench opened between does who do and the ones who don't want to, in the scale of the Biblical proportions, as 90% of the human race is only concerned about favorite tv show even if they have the abilities that are million times above that. So, you know, we are just a step away from the distopian nightmare.
The both images are original work of my daughter and represent the Universe