Futurology or future studies is the science, art and practice of postulating possible, probable and preferable events and the underlying worldviews and myths. Future studies seek to understand what is likely to continue, change, and what will be new. Part of this discipline seeks systematic, pattern-based knowledge about the past and present, and determining the probability of future events and trends. A key part of this process is understanding the potential future impact of decisions made by individuals, organizations and governments. Leaders use the results of this work to help them make decisions.

Futurology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the changes of yesterday and today, adding and analyzing both lay and professional strategies and opinions regarding tomorrow. It includes the analysis of the sources, patterns and causes of change and stability, attempting to develop foresight and the ability to plan possible futures. Therefore, as already mentioned, they emphasize the importance of alternative futures.

There are three factors that distinguish Futurology from research in other disciplines (although some disciplines overlap to varying degrees). First, futurology examines not only possible futures but probable, preferable, and “wild card” futures. Second, futurology usually attempts to obtain a holistic or systemic view based on discoveries obtained in a range of different disciplines. Third, futurology challenges and uncovers assumptions behind dominant and competing visions of the future. The future then is not empty, but full of hidden assumptions.

Futures studies generally do not include the work of economists who forecast changes in interest rates in the next business cycle, or that of managers or investors with short-term horizons. Most strategic planning, which develops operational plans for preferred futures with time horizons of one to three years, is also not considered futurology. However, plans and strategies with broader frameworks of action that attempt to specifically anticipate and be robust about possible future events are part of a subdiscipline of futurology called strategic forecasting.

The field of futurology also excludes those who make predictions through supposed supernatural means. At the same time, it seeks to understand the models that these groups use and the interpretations they give to those models.

Contenido

En el arte y la cultura, varios movimientos y géneros artísticos exploraron el futuro. El movimiento artístico futurista, a comienzos del siglo , exploró cada una de las formas de arte: la pintura, la escultura, la poesía, el teatro, la música, la arquitectura e incluso la gastronomía. Los futuristas tenían un odio apasionado hacia las ideas del pasado, en especial las tradiciones políticas y artísticas. La música futurista rendía homenaje a las máquinas, al imitar su sonido. El futurismo se expandió para abarcar otros dominios artísticos y a la larga incluyó el diseño industrial, los textiles y la arquitectura.

Science fiction

Robert A. Heinlein, science fiction writer, defines it as "realistic speculation about future events, based firmly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a deep understanding of the nature and meaning of the scientific method." More generally, science fiction is a genre of fiction that deals with speculation based on current or future technology and its impact on society. Science fiction differs from fantasy because, in the context of the story, its imaginary elements are possible in the future, within established or postulated laws of nature (although some story elements may be based on pure imaginative speculation). That is, the topics discussed must be treated with the scientific method, even if they are about new technologies or new fields of science. Common themes may include, but are not limited to, alternative timelines, works dealing with new scientific principles such as time travel or psionics, new technology such as nanotechnology, faster-than-light travel, or robots. Exploring the consequences of these themes is the traditional purpose of science fiction, becoming a "literature of ideas."

Some science fiction authors construct a postulated future history that serves as a general background for their fiction: a "universe." Such is the case of the Foundation trilogy and other books by Isaac Asimov that share the universe of Trantor as a base. Sometimes the author publishes a chronology of events in his story, while other times the reader can reconstruct the order of the stories from the information found in them. Asimov also created a fictional science for his writings called psychohistory "Psychohistory (fiction)"). This theory aims to predict the future by treating humans in a similar way to the molecules of a gas, that is, the behavior of the whole can be predicted but not the individual parts.

Physics

In physics, the causal future of an event A is called the set of all points in space-time that can be influenced by what happens in A. There are some differences between the classical notion of the future and the relativistic notion of the future:

It should be taken into account that in relativistic physics different observers differ in defining which events are simultaneous, so the "now" of different observers may differ and, therefore, the difference between future and past that they make. However, in special relativity this does not lead to any violation of physical causality "(Physical) Causation"). In general relativity the situation is more complex, especially in universe models that admit closed time curves, such as Gödel's universe, where it is not possible to systematically distinguish between past and future.

Futurology or future studies is the science, art and practice of postulating possible, probable and preferable events and the underlying worldviews and myths. Future studies seek to understand what is likely to continue, change, and what will be new. Part of this discipline seeks systematic, pattern-based knowledge about the past and present, and determining the probability of future events and trends. A key part of this process is understanding the potential future impact of decisions made by individuals, organizations and governments. Leaders use the results of this work to help them make decisions.

Futurology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the changes of yesterday and today, adding and analyzing both lay and professional strategies and opinions regarding tomorrow. It includes the analysis of the sources, patterns and causes of change and stability, attempting to develop foresight and the ability to plan possible futures. Therefore, as already mentioned, they emphasize the importance of alternative futures.

There are three factors that distinguish Futurology from research in other disciplines (although some disciplines overlap to varying degrees). First, futurology examines not only possible futures but probable, preferable, and “wild card” futures. Second, futurology usually attempts to obtain a holistic or systemic view based on discoveries obtained in a range of different disciplines. Third, futurology challenges and uncovers assumptions behind dominant and competing visions of the future. The future then is not empty, but full of hidden assumptions.

Futures studies generally do not include the work of economists who forecast changes in interest rates in the next business cycle, or that of managers or investors with short-term horizons. Most strategic planning, which develops operational plans for preferred futures with time horizons of one to three years, is also not considered futurology. However, plans and strategies with broader frameworks of action that attempt to specifically anticipate and be robust about possible future events are part of a subdiscipline of futurology called strategic forecasting.

The field of futurology also excludes those who make predictions through supposed supernatural means. At the same time, it seeks to understand the models that these groups use and the interpretations they give to those models.

Contenido

En el arte y la cultura, varios movimientos y géneros artísticos exploraron el futuro. El movimiento artístico futurista, a comienzos del siglo , exploró cada una de las formas de arte: la pintura, la escultura, la poesía, el teatro, la música, la arquitectura e incluso la gastronomía. Los futuristas tenían un odio apasionado hacia las ideas del pasado, en especial las tradiciones políticas y artísticas. La música futurista rendía homenaje a las máquinas, al imitar su sonido. El futurismo se expandió para abarcar otros dominios artísticos y a la larga incluyó el diseño industrial, los textiles y la arquitectura.

Science fiction

Robert A. Heinlein, science fiction writer, defines it as "realistic speculation about future events, based firmly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a deep understanding of the nature and meaning of the scientific method." More generally, science fiction is a genre of fiction that deals with speculation based on current or future technology and its impact on society. Science fiction differs from fantasy because, in the context of the story, its imaginary elements are possible in the future, within established or postulated laws of nature (although some story elements may be based on pure imaginative speculation). That is, the topics discussed must be treated with the scientific method, even if they are about new technologies or new fields of science. Common themes may include, but are not limited to, alternative timelines, works dealing with new scientific principles such as time travel or psionics, new technology such as nanotechnology, faster-than-light travel, or robots. Exploring the consequences of these themes is the traditional purpose of science fiction, becoming a "literature of ideas."

Some science fiction authors construct a postulated future history that serves as a general background for their fiction: a "universe." Such is the case of the Foundation trilogy and other books by Isaac Asimov that share the universe of Trantor as a base. Sometimes the author publishes a chronology of events in his story, while other times the reader can reconstruct the order of the stories from the information found in them. Asimov also created a fictional science for his writings called psychohistory "Psychohistory (fiction)"). This theory aims to predict the future by treating humans in a similar way to the molecules of a gas, that is, the behavior of the whole can be predicted but not the individual parts.

Physics

In physics, the causal future of an event A is called the set of all points in space-time that can be influenced by what happens in A. There are some differences between the classical notion of the future and the relativistic notion of the future:

It should be taken into account that in relativistic physics different observers differ in defining which events are simultaneous, so the "now" of different observers may differ and, therefore, the difference between future and past that they make. However, in special relativity this does not lead to any violation of physical causality "(Physical) Causation"). In general relativity the situation is more complex, especially in universe models that admit closed time curves, such as Gödel's universe, where it is not possible to systematically distinguish between past and future.