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Five Interesting Things: Today’s Scan Hits

Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. An article in the New Republic says that older parenthood–including aging fathers, not just mothers–may be a key factor in the rising rates of autism, Asperger’s, and other neurological disorders in the US. A new Brookings Institution study examines Chinese science and technology policy,…

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Five Interesting Things: Today’s Scan Hits

Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. Joel Kotkin argues that the elites of Silicon Valley are evolving into an autocratic ruling class. The combination of vast wealth, increased lobbying in Washington DC, and the control of digital media outlets increasingly enables this emerging elite to disproportionately shape public…

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When Friends = Family

As analysts of social change, one trend we monitor is the dramatic, ongoing evolution of the American family. The Leave It to Beaver model of married-couple-with-kids, plus the odd dog or gerbil, now fits less than one-fifth of US households. Instead, many more people are living in “voluntary” families composed of (or at least including)…

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