Future Forecasting

Technology is advancing faster than ever - but for better or for worse? On the one hand, astonishing technological developments from personalized genomics to self-driving cars to drones to artificial intelligence could make our lives healthier, safer, and easier. On the other hand, these very same technologies could raise the specter of a frightening and alienating future - eugenics, a jobless economy, complete loss of privacy, and an ever-worsening spiral of economic inequality.

The tumultuous changes of the past decade, including China's economic rise and the financial meltdown, were just the beginning. The next cataclysmic wave is surging relentlessly ahead, demanding leaders who can steer their companies through complexity and change. Leadership 2030 uncovers six megatrends that will dramatically impact organizations' markets, cultures, systems, and processes.

Bombastic headlines about science and technology are nothing new. To cut through the constant stream of information and misinformation on social media, or grab the attention of investors, or convince governments to take notice, strident headlines or bold claims seem necessary to give complex, nuanced information some wow factor. But hype has a dark side, too. It can mislead. It can distract. It can blinker us from seeing what is actually going on.

Customization is coming in every industry, for every product. Embrace it or get left behind. Smart brands such as Chipotle, Zazzle, Nike, and Pandora are ditching the outdated 20th century model of a one-size-fits-all approach to providing products and services. From a Netflix movie night to a marriage courtesy of eHarmony, customization is changing every corner of American life and business.

Welche Zukunft erwartet uns? Lässt sich dazu überhaupt etwas aussagen? Prognoseinstrumente gibt es viele, weltanschaulich Philosophisches noch weit mehr, und der Begriff "Utopie" hat seine Bedeutung mehrfach ins Gegenteil verkehrt. Wir blicken in diesem Spektrum Kompakt-Hörbuch von den Prozessen in unserem Gehirn bis hin zu der Frage, ob und wie wir uns wohl auf Kontakt mit Außerirdischen vorbereiten sollten. Spektrum Kompakt bündelt als Hörbuch Artikel zu aktuellen Themengebieten.