BritishTelecommunications

British Telecommunications, AKA just "BT," have a "Foresight and Futurology Unit." It is headed by IanPearson.

Collected evidence:

• British_Telecommunications

• http://www.btplc.com/Innovation/News/tank.htm

Their current predictions (2005-08-10) are overly aggressive.

DanilaMedvedev thinks they are total shit. From his presentation at TransVision2005:

Some of the predictions from the Nov 2001 timeline by these "futurologists":

• Virtual retinal displays, glasses based

• Fully automatic ships able to navigate and dock automatically

• ANT based network management

• Private space mission to examine asteroid with a view to space mining

• Global electronic currency in use

• Crime and terrorism mainly computer based

• Fractal shape-changing robots

• Plane zorbing, jumping out of planes in inflatables

• Cheap miniature cameras cause social backlash

• Fibre optic plants in gardens

Target year: 2005; overall accuracy for 2005: about 10%, mostly the obvious stuff

Discussion

LionKimbro: Danila, who is "him" as in "From his presentation at TransVision2005"? Are you referring to IanPearson?

Thanks for pointing this out, I wouldn't have known better, otherwise.

Perhaps we should have a page on the reputations of various groups. What they have gotten right, what they have gotten wrong, how reputable we find them.

We will probably disagree on some things, and we can say that. But others, we will both agree are wrong (or right.)

Such a list would be very useful.

If you could even make the browser automatically x-reference the list as it sees names of individuals and groups listed as you browse...