Beyond Tomorrow: A Guide to the Many Flavors of Futurism

When we hear the word “futurism,” many of us picture a sleek, silver-toned city filled with flying cars, autonomous androids, and chrome-suited citizens zipping through pneumatic tubes. But true futurism—the systematic study of potential, probable, and preferable futures—is far more diverse and nuanced than a single sci-fi aesthetic.

Futurists don’t try to predict the future with a crystal ball; instead, they explore the broad spectrum of possibilities to help society make better choices today. Because the future touches every facet of human existence, futurism has splintered into distinct schools of thought, each asking unique questions about where humanity is headed.