Millennium Stimulates New Ideas and Projects - new century is likely to bring more of a global outlook, new scientific breakthroughs, improved ecological conditions, and greater communication opportunities - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 1999

As the new millennium approaches, the world is abuzz with forecasts and plans for new projects. "Large-scale expos and the visions of futurists around the world are giving us hints of the third millennium," notes Dan Johnson, assistant editor of The Futurist, the magazine of the World Future Society, Bethesda, Md. Notable expositions include the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, England, and the German Expo 2000 in Hanover. Many exhibits will use wide-screen film projections and virtual habitats to create images of the future.

NASA scientists are sending miniature robots to Mars to probe for signs of water. They also are developing intelligent spacecraft that could land on an orbiting comet or fly in formation to function as a giant space-based telescope.

Four key trends offer hope for the future, The Millennium Project, a futurist network, suggests:

1. More corporate leaders politicians, and educators are accepting and using global long-term perspectives in policymaking.

2. Improved technology and communications are boosting the potential for new scientific breakthroughs.

3. Some countries have improved their ecological conditions through vigorous environmental protection programs, drawing closer to truly sustainable development.

4. Information and communications technologies are converging around the world, becoming a new medium for civilization.