2050 A Future History Volume I

This future history of the next thirty years, imagined by bestselling author Thomas Harding, is a compelling and startling call to action. In 2020, a researcher is shocked to find a set of notebooks detailing the history of the next thirty years. Is this a hoax? Or could it be real? The notebooks, written in the year 2050, contain interview transcripts between teenage Billy and Gran Nancy. We learn about the great climate SHOCK, when global temperatures rise much faster than anticipated, resulting in catastrophic consequences for humanity. We learn about a shift away from democracy, toward unelected “ethnarchs” — heads of corporations who use their access to our personal data to competently run the world. We learn about the giant city towers where most people live, work and play inside — where it's safe from natural disasters and viral outbreaks. And between these interviews, we learn more about Billy, whose interest in the history that has been erased from the official record is causing trouble in 2050. Is it too late to change the past to save the future? Key Text Feature glossary

2050: A Future History begins two thousand years after the fall of civilization, when a wanderer named Vilb sets out on a pilgrimage, only to discover that he may be little more than a pawn of "the gods," a remnant of ancient beings who have been waiting for this very moment to fulfill their destiny, not his. It is set in a post-apocalyptic Antarctica, which though habitable has fallen into perpetual drought; the lack of water and food has set this new "Little Earth" on a course for crisis, and Vilb holds-- though he hardly knows it--both its cause and its resolution. Vilb is on a journey for information and for self-discovery. Understanding his own past is critical if his crisis is to be understood. And so he learns about the history of Little Earth at the critical year from which it emerged: 2050 a.d. The book is epic in scope, speculative in theme, and character-driven. This is the Revised Trilogy Edition. Volumes II and III will be published in 2012 and 2013.

What power rules the world? Two thousand years after the fall of civilization, Vilb continues his epic journey, desperately in search of his humanity in a post-human world. With explorations of both Earth of 2050 and the new world he lives in millenia later, Vilb Solenthay and a memorable cast of characters continue to unravel the mysteries of Little Earth. Keys found in the past could unlock knowledge of the present, and reveal the secrets to future.

"2050: a future history begins two thousand years after the fall of civilization, when a wanderer named Vilb sets out on a pilgrimage, only to discover that he may be little more than a pawn of "the gods," a remnant of ancient beings who have been waiting for this very moment to fulfill their destiny, not his. It is set in a post-apocalyptic Antarctica, which though habitable has fallen into perpetual drought; the lack of water and food has set this new "Little Earth" on a course for crisis, and Vilb holds-- though he hardly knows it--both its cause and its resolution. Vilb is on a journey for information and for self-discovery. Understanding his own past is critical if his crisis is to be understood. And so he learns about the history of Little Earth at the critical year from which it emerged: 2050 a.d."--Amazon.com.

What if, instead of trying to predict the future, we could just pick the one we want - and then invent it? Well, we can. Think of the wealth of technological resources already available to us. The computing power in that smartphone in your pocket could have guided 120 million Apollo-era spacecrafts to the moon and back. A gigabyte of memory cost $300,000 in the 1980s - today, it costs a fraction of a penny. Now, try to imagine 2050, when your computing devices will be a million times more powerful or available at one-millionth of today's prices.In this deeply researched and compelling book, the authors do the imagining for you, describing seven so-incredible-as-to-be-almost-magical capabilities that will be available by 2050 in computing, communication, information, genomics, energy, water, and transportation. You may finally get that flying car, have ample water even in a desert, and be treated for disease through microscopic robots in your bloodstream.Drawing on their decades of experience helping major organizations formulate strategies for innovation, the authors demonstrate how to use combinations of those seven capabilities to imagine "perfect" futures, whether that means reversing climate change, resolving today's disinformation crisis, or living 20 years longer. This book paints visions of how the world could - and should - look as we pass the planet on to future generations.We can use those visions to start inventing a perfect future - today.

"'Megatrends' are great forces in societal development that have profound impacts on states, markets, and civil society in the now and for the years to come. They can effectively be employed as a starting point for analyzing our world. Megachange: The World in 2050 looks at these sweeping, fundamental trends that are changing the world faster than at any time in human history. Including chapters on approximately twenty of these "megatrends," each elegantly outlined by contributors from The Economist, and rich in supporting facts and graphics, the book is a compelling read as well as a valuable research and reference tool. Groups the "megatrends" that are shaping our world into several categories: People, Life and Death, Economy and Business, and Knowledge; Each trend is covered in a concise but detailed chapter written by an expert from The Economist; Edited by Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of The Economist. Packed with important information about the forces that shape our world, Megachange is a fascinating new look to the future from the experts at The Economist."--Publisher's website.

'A dazzling history of the future – Hamish McRae has given us a tour de force' - Tim Harford _______________ A bold and illuminating vision of the future, from one of Europe's foremost speakers on global trends in economics, business and society What will the world look like in 2050? How will complex forces of change – demography, the environment, finance, technology and ideas about governance – affect our global society? And how, with so many unknowns, should we think about the future? One of Europe's foremost voices on global trends in economics, business and society, Hamish McRae takes us on an exhilarating journey through the next thirty years. Drawing on decades of research, and combining economic judgement with historical perspective, Hamish weighs up the opportunities and dangers we face, analysing the economic tectonic plates of the past and present in order to help us chart a map of the future. A bold and vital vision of our planet, The World in 2050 is an essential projection for anyone worried about what the future holds. For if we understand how our world is changing, we will be in a better position to secure our future in the decades to come.

2050: Gods of Little Earth opens two thousand years after the fall of civilization, when a wanderer named Vilb sets out on a pilgrimage and discovers that he may be little more than a pawn of mysterious gods-remnants of ancient beings who have been waiting for this very moment to fulfill their destiny. Vilb's story explores in a post-apocalyptic Antarctica, which, though habitable, has fallen into perpetual drought. The lack of water and food has set this new "Little Earth" on a course for crisis, and Vilb holds- though he hardly knows it-both its cause and its resolution. Vilb is on a journey for information and for self-discovery. Understanding his own past is critical if his crisis is to be understood. Now he learns about the history of Little Earth at the critical year from which it emerged: 2050 a.d. Epic in scope, speculative in theme, and character-driven, 2050: Gods of Little Earth, A Future History, Volume 1 is an engaging and thoughtful read.Volumes 2 and 3 to appear in 2015!