What is Future: Definition and 784 Discussions

The future is the time after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist can be categorized as either permanent, meaning that it will exist forever, or temporary, meaning that it will end. In the Occidental view, which uses a linear conception of time, the future is the portion of the projected timeline that is anticipated to occur. In special relativity, the future is considered absolute future, or the future light cone.In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists and the future and the past are unreal. Religions consider the future when they address issues such as karma, life after death, and eschatologies that study what the end of time and the end of the world will be. Religious figures such as prophets and diviners have claimed to see into the future.
Future studies, or futurology, is the science, art, and practice of postulating possible futures. Modern practitioners stress the importance of alternative and plural futures, rather than one monolithic future, and the limitations of prediction and probability, versus the creation of possible and preferable futures. Predeterminism is the belief that the past, present, and future have been already decided.
The concept of the future has been explored extensively in cultural production, including art movements and genres devoted entirely to its elucidation, such as the 20th-century movement futurism.

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  1. M

    News Is the Future of the UN in Question?

    Does it have a future? The largest members can walk over it and then there is these other cases. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/26/un-body-oks-call-to-curb-religious-criticism-1/ I can't see any more reason to keep it going at least in its present form. Security counsel is...
  2. Astronuc

    The Future of Capitalism: FT Series & Rethinking Wealth of Nations

    The Financial Times has started a new series - The Future of Capitalism - which should provoke a lively discussion. http://www.ft.com/indepth/capitalism-future There is also another independent discussion on "Rethinking the Wealth of Nations".
  3. rootX

    Will Remote Tribes Sustain Their Cultures Amid Modern Pressures?

    I know about some in South America, Australia, Middle East, Asia, and North America. It looks like in most cases, they are coming under extreme pressure to integrate into developed societies (e.g. Australia and N.A) and also are subject to discrimination (Australia for sure) and low life...
  4. rootX

    Animal's ability to plan future events

    Can dogs/cats (or wild animals [elephants]) anticipate future events and plan accordingly? I am sure that they can remember events and know how to respond to a particular event (like see stranger => bark hear a name => if its calling name => respond to it winter is coming => migrate etc) but...
  5. A

    The Growing industries of the future .

    The Growing industries of the future... In 10-15 years, what are some technologies or fields that should be booming? I want to enter an engineering career that will be the most lucrative in the future (I also love all of them)... btw, electrical engineering or chemical engineering?
  6. J

    Does Time Exist as a Physical Dimension and How Do We Make Sense of It?

    Does time exist as a physical dimension like the spatial dimensions. And if it does are objects extended 4 dimensional (or higher if you believe the relevant theories) structures or do they move through time? Or is time modeled as a dimension a mathematical convenience and what we really...
  7. T

    Is the Global Economy on the Brink of Collapse?

    My fears for the future... From what I have been reading for the past several months, I am starting to believe that the entire world's economy will collapse entirely. Every single market will be at zero points. If this happens, and there is 100% unemployment world wide, (that is almost seven...
  8. G

    Explore Future Household Energy Concepts with a Powerball Generator

    Take a look at this: http://www.gadgetsquick.co.uk/product_thumb.php?img=images/powerball-neon-blue-litup.jpg&w=214&h=200 I am looking for ideas about a physics project. The theme is "future household energy concepts". I found this thing from a http://www.gadgetsquick.co.uk website. How...
  9. A

    Is neuroscience a profitable job in the future of about 10-15 years?

    Is neuroscience a profitable job in the future of about 10-15 years? What kinds of things can you do with a degree in neurosci?
  10. E

    Could positrons be electrons from the future traveling back in time?

    Could positrons be electrons from the future traveling back in time? The Feynman diagrams suggest mirror time symmetry.
  11. L

    Why can't we remember the future?

    Why is it that we can remember the past but not the future?
  12. N

    Estimating Future Velocity w/ Radar Gun & Internal Error

    Suppose I have a radar gun that can measure velocity with an internal error with a mean of 3 m/s and a standard deviation of 1m/s on that error eg velocity 10 +- 2.8 6 +- 3.1 21 +- 3.2and so on. Now I want...
  13. Ivan Seeking

    News The political future of Chelsea Clinton

    Will we, and if so, when will we see Chelsea emerge as a political candidate? She is smart, poised, and impressive with crowds. And what a political education she has had for a person so young! What an advantage she would have. She may know more about politics than most politicians.
  14. S

    DeLorean Acceleration in Back to the Future III

    For a semester project in my physics class, I am determining whether this is physically possible. In Back to the Future III, Marty and Doc use the train to push the DeLorean, and must accelerate to 88 mph before they fly off the cliff. I'm trying to figure out whether it's realistic for a...
  15. A

    Top 5 most stable, well-paying careers in the future?

    Hi, can anyone provide their list of what they believe will be the top 5? Regards
  16. JasonJo

    Help me visualize this, boundary of the future

    Let S be any subset of M, where (M, g_ab) is a spacetime. Can you guys help me kind of visualize why the boundary of the chronological future of S is an achronal, 3 dimensional embedded manifold? I am just having a hard time seeing why this is so. I'm picturing a sphere, and then having...
  17. M

    What career options are available with a degree in applied math?

    i spent most of college preparing for grad school in either theoretical physics or pure math. after taking many upper-divs (and enjoying them)and an REU, I'm pretty sure that I don't want to do pure math, and not experimental physics either. Also, probably not theoretical physics, but I'm more...
  18. K

    Nano technology - something for the future or just a hype?

    Is it wise to go for an education in nano technology, or is it just a big hype? Nano technology is often divided into bio nanotechnology, nano electronics and nano material technology. Which one would you go for?
  19. S

    Predicting the future using chemistry and physics

    In my physics lesson this morning my teacher posed a question. If we had a supercomputer that could predict the result of every chemical reaction in the body, could we predict what out reactions and thoughts would be in a certain situation. And if so, could we then predict how we would react to...
  20. C

    Will the Future of Computing Move Beyond Electricity?

    I really love learning about computers and really figuring out about what they are actually doing. I started programming in python and now i basically just do assembly because its so low level. Now assembly has made me understand a decent amount about the hardware and its layout but I am...
  21. I

    What is the Future of Computer Science?

    Hi! I want do my major in COMPUTER SCIENCE. Can anyone tell me the future in computer science. I want to know if there are good chances of getting job computer programming or in software engineering. Thanks for any help in advance!
  22. V

    Discussing the Future of CERN and Particle Physics in General

    Where do you see Particle Physics/CERN heading in the next 50-100 years? What will come after the LHC? What research will come after the completion of the ATLAS, ALICE, CMS, and LHCb experiments? How will the discovery of the Higgs Boson impact research in other areas of physics, both...
  23. H

    Advice for a future physics teacher

    Coming into college, I had a vague idea that I wanted to be an engineer. After the first quarter of engineering classes, though, I realized how "industrial" the profession was. I never considered the business part of it, sitting down in an office and designing parts all day. So I dropped out of...
  24. S

    Question on electric cars coming in the future

    Hi. I've been planning to get an electric car around 2010 or after when most manufacturers will have cars out. After some searching I've seen Chevy will have their Volt which can go 40 miles on a charge. Mitsubishi is making one (the Colt) that will go 90 miles on a charge. I'm not sure of the...
  25. Math Is Hard

    Physics for Future Presidents book

    Do you think McCain and Obama have purchased copies? Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393066274/?tag=pfamazon01-20 Product Description Learn the science behind the headlines—the tools of terrorists, the dangers of nuclear...
  26. U

    Revolutionizing Energy: The Future of Fusion Reactors Explained

    i was watching this show on the Science Channel and in it they talked about a new type of fusion reactor that is currently being built(construction started like 30 years ago). They said it will produce energy for entire world the same way the sun produces energy (fusing hydrogen). It's suppose...
  27. O

    News What is the potential impact of internet censorship on our society?

    Take a look at this video. [crackpot link deleted] Recently comcast.net apparently blocked infowars.com, a news aggregation site with a focus on current affairs and the way our world works / how we can fight this invisible oppression. The guy in the video, the owner of infowars.com, is...
  28. U

    What is the job outlook for engineering majors in the future?

    I decided to major in Chemical Engineering because I love science and math, but most engineers and engineering majors would be lying if they said salary was not a motivation for entering their field. That being said, what does the future career outlook look like for engineering in general...
  29. jal

    Future Prospects for Nuclear Physics

    This is no joke! Has anyone here done any work on this neutron skin? http://www.sirius.ac.uk/BSC_future_prospects_for_nuclear_phy.htm Future prospects for nuclear physics ----- jal
  30. F

    Carbon Nano Tubes is like asbest? the future of nano?

    You've probably heard about the isolating material asbest which was used a lot around the turn of the 1900's. It got these long fibers that pierces the cell and accelerates rapid cell growth. This cell growth more than often gives the recipient cancer in the lung. In the recent issue of...
  31. Ivan Seeking

    Shape Your Future: Build a Quixtar Business for Life Goals

    http://www.quixtar.com/ I saw that Amway now has a slick advertising campaign running on TV. I don't have the time to comment on this in detail right now, but I can say that I got involved in Amway when I was 18 years old. I had a downline of over 50 people, including one of the richest men...
  32. Z

    Childhood's End: A Philosophical Critique of Our Species' Future

    What might be a philosophical critique of Childhood's End, a 1957 book; might there be anything prescient for the future of our species?
  33. J

    What industries will see growth in the next 10 years?

    I liked the "most useful 4yrs degree" and want to get a similar discussion started on industries. Let's hear what careers fields you think are going to grow in the next 10 years. Here's my list (easy list): Healthcare: Population grows and new diseases appear. Nurses, doctors, EMTs...
  34. D

    The Future Predetermined? Free Will & Physics Simulation

    does that mean the future is already written,predetermined when it has been simulated? If so, then instead of the appearance of free choices, the universe itself is actually operating on causality? I mean, if the future can be simulated without error, then where does free will come in...
  35. E

    The Grim Future of Civilization: A Cynical Perspective

    Considering the current rate of technology advancement and the political situation around the world, I think that there is no way our civilization will make it to the year 2100. I have thought about this a lot and I just cannot imagine a scenario in which civilization is not totally destroyed...
  36. Ivan Seeking

    Exploring the World of 2058: What the Future Holds

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24201711/
  37. S

    Is Time Travel the Key to Understanding Determinism and the Future?

    If you could travel to the future wouldn't that mean that the outcome of every action and the resulting reaction were already determined? I know that we are constantly moving to the future, but I am talking about a situation similar to back to the future except he doesn't go back in time again...
  38. C

    What is the future for photovoltaics?

    Yes, I was wondering if anyone was, perhaps familiar with the industry of photovoltaic cells and how that industry is maturing. In particular, how efficient are the best cells available today. I would guess its measured in something like Watts/Surface Area, or some statistic like that...
  39. E

    Seeing the past future and possible in an image.

    Hi, This is my first post in this forum and glad to be a member. Since from the DSP lessons in university, i am having this strange problem that i haven't found an answer. As I cannot progress and couldn't find any theories regarding to this, i want to share this problem with you guys...
  40. N

    What are the disadvantages of traveling into the future?

    Hey ya'll! I heard a several times people talking about traveling into the future, but I would really like to know what are the disadvantages of traveling into the future, but please in an informative way like for example in 2-3 paragraphs or something coz I really want to understand it in a...
  41. W

    Future of Gold: Investing, Mining & Technology

    Will gold be a valuable resource in the future? What kinds of technologies depend on gold, and is there enough demand for gold in areas other than jewelry? Gold is always safe right, as an investment. When paper money loses it's value, gold won't right? Is that what is beginning to happen...
  42. Greg Bernhardt

    Can Alternative Technologies Overcome the Cost of Fuel in Vehicle Progression?

    What do people think of the developments and future of Waste Exhaust Heat Recovery? Thermoelectric Conversion of exhaust heat into electric power to drive auxiliaries. Thermodynamic Conversion of waste exhaust ( + radiator + Charge air cooler + EGR cooler) heat into additional...
  43. O

    Moon-Earth System's Final Distance Calculation

    [SOLVED] Moon's future rotation Homework Statement COnsider the Earth and moon as if they formed an isolated system. The length of the day increases every year, a feature attributed to tidal effects. At some distant time in the future the Earth moon system will be orbiting such that the...
  44. T

    Future of Genetics: What Experts Think

    Hi there, sorry this question may already have been answered, several times. I tried to use the search function but couldn't come across such a thread. Long story short, I was wondering what you think of the future in Genetics? I'd imagine each embryo will be genetically modified perhaps to...
  45. B

    Traveling into the future in order to travel back into the past

    Have physicists ever consider traveling into the future in order to travel back to the past? I know it sounds crazy, but one of the paradigms for time travel is Godel's closed time loop curve, where time I think is circular rather than linear. Special relativity permits travelers , if they...
  46. N

    BA or BS in physics for future engineer?

    Whats the big difference between BA/BS?? Right now I am doing the BS in physics in my sophomore year. Here at my school you are required to have an "emphasis" area in the physics programs. I am hoping to do some type of engineering (Mechanical is prefered, though i hear the only one that works...
  47. A

    The Future of Computer Tech: What's Next in the Next 20 Years?

    what will be development of computer in next 20 years?
  48. S

    Schools Which summer position for my future goal of top tier grad school

    Hi, I am an undergrad second year math and CS major. I am considering different summer positions for this summer. My eventual goal is to enroll in a CS PhD program at a top tier school. I was recently offered a very well paid summer intern position (technology/CS related) at a prestigious...
  49. B

    What is the future of Biotechnology?

    Hi everyone, (Before hand, sorry for the long post) I was interested to hear from people in the workforce already or from people who may have knowledge about the future prospects of Biotechnology or Bioengineering. Will there be more jobs, will the pays be any good or will they be crap? Will...
  50. larkspur

    Play the Future Weapons Cannon Game

    I thought this was a fun game. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/future-weapons/games/cannon/cannon.html"
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