Anticipating the future is a classic (and possibly uniquely)
human pastime. For as long as humans have kept records of the
past, we have also tried to predict our future...and in so
doing, control our destiny. Why do we cling to these
predictions? The end of the world, the end of humanity, even our
future fortunes…why do we anticipate so much? Sherry Turkle is
an M.I.T. professor and the author of the forthcoming book,
"Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less
from Each Other." She says that by predicting future
technological advances, we express a sense of hope. Simon
Winchester, freelance writer and author of the book "Atlantic:
Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titan Storms and a Vast
Ocean of a Million Stories," says that as science advances, we
have gotten noticeably better at foretelling the future.