Michael Rogers: The Virtualization of America (and the World)

The Webinars are free but require advance registration.
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Volume I, No. 2 News on the 2010 International Conference Wednesday, June 2 At the World Future Society conference, July 8-10 at The Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, a thousand of the world's top minds and thought-leaders will collaborate and debate the major issues of the twenty-first century. To provide a preview of the "world's fair of ideas" that will transpire at the conference our partner, Bentley Systems, is hosting three Webinars featuring WorldFuture 2010 speakers. The Webinars are free but require advance registration. Go here to register now! The Virtualization of America (and the World) A Conversation with Michael Rogers Time: Tuesday, June 8, 2:00 PM EDT US (6:00 UTC) Register Now Here The Internet will change tremendously in the next 10 years. A more important question is, how will it change us? Children born this decade will have to learn what "offline" means, because being online will be the normal condition of life. It is an era of social reorganization equaled only by the rise of cities 6,000 years ago. But unlike urbanization, this enormous transition will take place in a matter of decades rather than centuries. At WorldFuture 2010, "practical futurist" Michael Rogers will describe what will be gained in this historic transition, what will be lost, and what challenges are ahead. Internet Evolution: Where Hyperconnectivity and Ambient Intimacy Take Us A Conversation with Lee Rainie Time: Thursday, June 17, 2:00 PM EDT (6:00 UTC) Register Now Here Imagine the implications of the future that most technology experts foresee: Wireless devices are embedded in everything including us; cameras record activity in all public spaces; databases catalogue our online moves; invisible, ambient networked computing makes us available to more people in more ways; software exhibits humanlike thinking; and a direct brain-to-computer interface is possible. These are just some of the future scenarios predicted by experts, as documented by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, directed by Lee Rainie. At WorldFuture 2010, Rainie will discuss the most recent, widely covered Future of the Internet Survey, which asked Internet experts from across the globe for their take on how the Web will evolve in the decade(s) ahead. The City Sustainable A Conversation with Jennifer Jarratt and John Mahaffie Time: Tuesday June 29, 2:00 PM EDT (6:00 UTC) Register Now Here What's the future for the metropolis? Except for some experiments in planned communities, cities develop haphazardly over the ages. At WorldFuture 2010, leading futurists Jennifer Jarratt and John Mahaffie will introduce alternatives to the city of today, which are masses of people, buildings, and structures linked together chaotically. The tools for reinventing the city in the twenty-first century include new building technologies that bring sustainability and greater efficiency into construction and changes in the very concept of "city" from urban concrete to green communities. The WorldFuture 2010 Preview Webinars are sponsored by Bentley Systems, the global leader dedicated to providing architects, engineers, constructors, and owner-operators with comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure. Founded in 1984, Bentley has nearly 3,000 colleagues in more than 45 countries, $500 million in annual revenues, and since 1999, has invested more than $1 billion in research, development, and acquisitions. Go here to view Bentley's May 2010 Annual Report. Subscribe to an RSS feed of Bentley press releases and news alerts. View a searchable collection of innovative infrastructure projects from the annual Be Inspired Awards. Learn about Be Communities, a professional networking site that enables members of the infrastructure community to connect, communicate, and learn from each other. Each webinar is moderated by Bentley Systems Corporate Foundation Officer Carol Rieg. This year's conference hotel is a AAA Four Diamond Waterfront property less than three miles from Logan International Airport, and a short cab, water taxi, or 'T' subway ride away from the heart of the best Boston has to offer. Make your WFS Conference hotel reservations now here. Did you know there is a dedicated blog full of exclusive content on the conference? Go here to read interviews with Ray Kurzweil and Janna Anderson. The conference blog also features an op-ed by NASA scientist Dennis Bushnell. Advance registration discounts will not last forever. The hotel cut-off date is 2 weeks away: June 14. Register today for WorldFuture 2010 and save $50 off the full, on-site price. Go here to register for the full conference now. A full schedule of special events, luncheons, meet-the-authors opportunities and tours will complement a rich conference program this July in Boston. Download the full program here. Unsubscribe As a subscriber to Futurist Update, we thought you would be interested in this bulletin. If you prefer not to receive such notices or have other comments, please reply to this email with "unsubscribe" in the subject line or contact Jeff Cornish (jcornish@wfs.org or 301.656.8274). To change your email address, please reply with "change" in the subject line and your new email in the body. 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814 Voice: 301.656.8274 Fax: 301.951.0394 info@wfs.org www.wfs.org