Category Archives: Futurist

Image credit: Disney

Walt Disney Animation Studios has teamed up with a newcomer for the first time ever on a groundbreaking new series, Iwaju. Disney and Kugali have decided to collaborate to give animation fans a taste of whats in store when the series hits Disney+ in 2023 at Annecy Festival. Disney and African entertainment company Kugali revealed new details about the original animated series which will be set in the futuristic world of Lagos.

Iwaju will include themes like class divide and inequality. Thats the everyday reality of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world, and [themes include] the consequences they have on a society and challenging the status quo, said Kugali co-founder and writer/director Ziki Nelson.

Disney Animation chief creative officer Jennifer Lee shared why partnering with Kugali aligned with her vision. One of my initiatives really is that we, as Disney, can tell stories of the world, but by the people of the world. I was blown away by the storytelling. In many ways its epic There were themes that I had never seen put together in that way, there were folklore that I had never had access to. Initially the idea was a series of shorts, but each idea was an epic feature, so we picked the one that we felt could translate into a series the best.

Kugali co-founder and cultural consultant Tolu Olowofoyeku added, Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria and whats unique about Lagos is that its physically separated into two areas, theres the island and the mainland. That means it has very unique problems that require very unique solutions. She continued to say that the strange but wonderful city would provide an interesting base for the story and an opportunity to give people a more wholistic view of Nigeria.

Head of story Natalie Nourigat added that having a virtual story room with both Disney and Kugali talent was a great way to introduce new people. Her previous work, Disney animated short, Far From the Tree, debuted at Annecy this week and will play before Disneys Encanto in theaters this fall. This idea that we build a team that collaborates instead of drives in a way that diminishes Kugali was important, Lee added.

Calling Iwajus city a Kugali-Disney mash up, Kugali production designer and co-founder Hamid Ibrahim said, The series design includes a mainland made up of huge towers, reflecting overcrowding, while the more affluent island has a lot of space and room for creative expression.

The making and production of Iwaju involves talent working remotely from Nigeria, Uganda, London, Montreal and Burbank. Disney VFX supervisor Marlon West (Frozen, Frozen II) noted that its not just a team from around the world but from all parts of their careers. Lee commented that this teaming up is moving the studio toward the future. Theres so much more we can do in storytelling if we could diversify our storytellers. They have made us better storytellers.

Technology is a crucial aspect of the setting, where the usage of smartphones and gadgets is extensively being replaced by the adoption of augmented reality glasses. Flying cars will solve many problems, helping people avoid flooded roads and even offering door-to-door delivery in high-rise skyscrapers. Not revealing too much about the story, Nelson said, Its really about that inspiration for aspiration and desire to try to engineer society forward in a more positive way.

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Disney and Africas Kugali to unleash a futuristic Lagos in the upcoming series Iwaju - Animation Xpress

The Southern Ocean gets its due.Big Promotion

Finally, experts in the National Geographic Society have determined that Earth actually has five oceans, not the four that it already officially recognized.

Joining the crew is the Southern Ocean, the National Geographic publication reports, a circular body of water that envelops Antarctica. While the Southern Ocean was first named in the 1500s and scientists commonly refer to it in their work, Live Science reports, the body of water has been promoted and demoted from ocean status several times over the course of history. This official recognition finally sets things straight.

In 1921, when the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) was founded, it readily referred to the Southern Ocean as a distinct body of water, Live Science reports. It later changed its mind and demoted the ocean in new guidelines published in 1953. But scientists and trade organizations continued to refer to the ocean as such anyway.

However, as National Geographic Society geographer Alex Tait explained, officially recognizing the Southern Ocean could have a tangible impact by improving the state of kids science educations.

Students learn information about the ocean world through what oceans youre studying, Tait said in the NatGeo article. If you dont include the Southern Ocean, then you dont learn the specifics of it and how important it is.

Since most of Earths surface area is covered in water, designating the number and boundaries of oceans is actually a fairly arbitrary endeavor. After all, the various oceans are all technically connected to one another and the closest thing to a tangible boundary separating the Southern Ocean from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans is a circular current in the area that gives the Southern Ocean a different temperature and salinity from the others.

The Southern Ocean has long been recognized by scientists, but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it, Tait said in the NatGeo article. Its sort of geographic nerdiness in some ways.

READ MORE: Earths fifth ocean just confirmed [Live Science]

More on oceans: The Early Universe Was a Vast Liquid Ocean, Scientists Say

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Experts Decide That Earth Has Five Oceans, Actually - Futurism

"There are a few technical issues to be cleared up, but I expect we will come to a resolution."Sharing Superchargers

Germanys Minister of Transportation Andreas Scheuer is reportedly in talks with Tesla about opening up its Supercharger network to other carmakers, according to Reuters.

Scheuer believes that existing infrastructure, for example Teslas Superchargers, will open to other manufacturers, Scheuer told local newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung.

There are a few technical issues to be cleared up, but I expect we will come to a resolution, he added. The aim is the barrier-free use of the charging stations of all providers for all e-cars, and that with a uniform payment system, ideally via smartphone.

Its a sign that regulators are starting to think seriously about the hurdles facing widespread electric vehicle adoption. Lacking charging infrastructure remains to be one of the biggest factors slowing it down.

Teslas Supercharger network is one of the most extensive electric car charger networks around today, operating more than 1,000 charging spots in Germany alone. There are over 25,000 individual charging stalls at over 2,700 Supercharger stations worldwide, with North America accounting for roughly half.

And the network is growing quickly. According to a Wednesday tweet by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a massive increase in Supercharger network is underway.

Other carmakers and regulators are starting to pay attention. In fact, other carmakers are already being made accessible to other electric cars, according to a December 2020 tweet by Musk, adding that its kind [of] low-key.

Details about Teslas plans to allow other carmakers to use its Superchargers are still sparse, however.

Its unclear what Teslas approach will be but its unlikely the company will open up its considerable infrastructure investment free of charge.

READ MORE: German minister in talks with Tesla over sharing supercharger network [Reuters]

More on Superchargers: Tesla Files Patent for Burger Chain at Supercharger Locations

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Germany Wants Tesla to Share Its Supercharger Network With Other Carmakers - Futurism

Battlefield 2042 has been announced and shown off through game engine and gameplay footage during the past week. More recently, EA performed its first Battlefield Briefing, which gave a closer look at the upcoming game. In that briefing, which was recently updated, we found out that Battlefield 2042 will be introducing artificial intelligence soldiers to the series.One of the most frustrating things about playing games is when you want to play, but the player base is not what it once was. Sometimes all you can find are empty servers, which can also prove to be very disappointing. However, Battlefield 2042 is bringing AI soldiers to the battlefield to fill up those empty slots to combat this problem.AI will also be used in co-op matches which Allows you to play together with friends, against AI soldiers. Furthermore, you can also face off against AI in solo mode to perfect your skills for multiplayer. All of this will make it so no matter how you play the multiplayer-only game, there will always be people to fight against.

Hopefully, EA will give us a deeper dive into the AI soon as the implementation could be interesting. Perhaps the AI will be able to learn from its mistakes as well as other players to allow for different difficulty tiers. Whatever the case, it will be exciting to see how this all shapes up, so stay tuned to HotHardware for Battlefield 2042 updates.

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Battlefield 2042 Enlists AI Soldiers To The Fight On The Futuristic Multiplayer Front - Hot Hardware

Heres what it looks like. Artemis-1 Space Launch System

NASA has finished assembling the first of its massive Space Launch System (SLS) rockets that will carry astronauts back to the Moon.

The agencys engineers lowered the 212-feet-tall core stage of SLS between smaller twin booster rockets at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, according to the BBC. SLS is the first rocket of NASAs Artemis-1 mission which will lay the foundation for eventually sending astronauts to the Moon and establishing a colony on the lunar surface.

Its inaugural launch is slated for later this year and will carry Orion, NASAs crew vehicle, into space for testing. No astronauts will be on board for its maiden flight, though which makes sense. NASA probably wants to make sure everything is in working order before we put human beings on top of an ungodly massive and powerful rocket and send them to the Moon. The first crewed missions are slated for 2023.

Heres what it looks like in all its assembled glory:

Now that its assembled, SLS stands taller than the Statue of Liberty without its pedestal and weighs a whopping 5.75 million pounds, according to NASA.

Itll need to be big and sturdy too since itll produce 8.8 million pounds of maximum thrust as it leaves Earths orbit.

The two boosters will give the rocket most of its thrust as it initially takes off. The massive core stage contains propellant tanks along with four engines to take it the rest of the way out of orbit.

It is an extremely exciting time to be a space exploration fan. Not only will the Artemis missions take astronauts back to the Moon, but theyll be building lunar colonies so scientists will have a sustainable research environment on the lunar surface.

The mission will also provide NASA will valuable data and insights to inform future missions to Mars and how we eventually build martian colonies.

READ MORE: SLS: First view of Nasas assembled megarocket [BBC]

More on Artemis: NASA Is Planning to Land on Far Side of the Moon for the First Time

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NASA Has Assembled a Megarocket to Take Humans to the Moon - Futurism

Fresh out the gates today isFull Time Daydreamer, the debut project from rap newcomer BXKS. Dipped in squelchy, futuristic beats and an R&B-leaning sheen (which she describes as alternative grime), the Luton-born rhymer emerges fully formed and to celebrate shes dropping off visuals for one of the tapes brightest highlights, Must Feel.

Soaked in rich purple hues and moody lighting, the visuals from director Brobbey take more than a couple of cues from one of the rappersfavourite anime series,Neon Genesis,as well as more abstract references to the whole dystopian sci-fi field. Its far from miserable though and, surprisingly, just a little bit invitingeven if the disjointed social interactions look a little cold.

Production here comes from TK, peppering its sci-fi funk sound with Gameboy bleeps and just a hint of melancholy. Its a well-chosen entry point for the rest of the project and fairly representative of the expansive, surprising and mercurial beats the producer crafted with multi-talented DJ andproducer p-rallel.

Speaking on her collaboration with BXKS for the Must Feel video, Sheenah says: I really wanted to get BXKS vision across in the best way possible, through lighting, styling, camera movement and the grade. BXKS is truly a visionary artist in my opinion, with a fresh perspective to add to the industryI really wanted people to see this in her first official music video. Theres so much more to come and Im really excited to see what she comes up with next.

Hit play on the visuals for Must Feel at the top and then dip intoFull Time Daydreamer.

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Premiere: Rap Newcomer BXKS Shows Off Her Cosmic Brand Of Futurism On Must Feel - Complex

Dutch-made robots of the Delft-based tech company Prime Vision ran a successful proof-of-concept for a major logistics player in the North American market.

Prime Vision, specialized in Computer Vision Integration, worked on this proof-of-concept solution together with Solution Net Systems (SNS), a similar warehouse automation technology company, located in the United States.

They supplied the robotics system officially an Autonomous Sorting System and installed it together with Solution Net Systems at various locations in the U.S. SNS is an essential partner for us in this project, says Eddy Thans, Prime Visions CEO.

The proof-of-concept, revolved around autonomous sorting, using innovative sorting robots Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) speed up the sorting process and make it more efficient.

Prime Vision and SNS-employees programmed the machines in such a way that they know which items to bring where. Both companies have extensive experience in warehouse automation manufacturing technology and other solutions for sorting processes in the field of mail and parcel sorting and work with the latest technologies. After this successful proof-of-concept and great cooperation, the two companies planned to join forces for more projects in the US.

Solution Net Systems is a global warehouse automation integrator with 50+ years of experience. We are excited about formalizing our partnership with Prime Vision. Adding their robotic sorting solution to our integration portfolio will strengthen both organizations position within the e-commerce market. said Stan Sroka, CEO of Solution Net Systems.

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Prime Vision to offer a futuristic robotic sorting solution for the US - Post and Parcel

The once eyewatering $4,000 MSRP of the Samsung Q900TS has been cut down to $2,699 at Best Buy - saving $1,300. We don't see next week's Prime Day TV deals beating this in all honesty. What's more; there's a digital $500 gift card to spend online too.

It should not be understated, this is still a monstrous amount of money for a TV, but it's a far cry from the astronomical sums that some retailers were charging for 8K only a year or two ago - with even other Samsung 8K models, like the QE65Q900R, costing $5,000 upon release.

All those pretty pixels would mean nothing if the TV itself didn't have anything to substantiate it; this is one instance where the price is justified by - expectedly - including all the features you would demand out of a TV in this price range.

The Q900TS's gaming capabilities are likely to be what tips the scale in its favor. With HDMI 2.1 support - up to 10K at 120FPS - Nvidia Adaptive G-Sync and 120Hz refresh rate, the Xbox Series X and PS5 are going to look the best that they can at this point in time.

Keep in mind that native 8K content is very limited at the moment, but that upscaling from 4K media can still look extraordinary. Any way you slice it, it's an investment first and foremost, but also a way to future-proof your home entertainment system for many years to come.

Samsung 65-inch Q900TS 8K TV | $4,000 $2,699.99 at Best BuySave $1300 and get a free $500 gift card: If you're serious about cinema or getting the most out of the current generation of game consoles for your living room, then, while still far beyond the reach of the majority of us, the Q900TS can fill that void. This TV does everything you'd expect from a modern flagship, but the price reflects its pedigree.View Deal

Keep in mind, the free $500 gift card offer could expire at practically any moment, and it's subject to terms and conditions set by Best Buy itself. Look out for it underneath the price listing, as you'll see it below:

After something cheaper but also something to file under 'awesome'? Then check out our buying guides to the best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, best OLED TV, and best 120Hz TV.

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$1300 off this 8K Samsung TV deal is tempting us to upgrade to the futuristic resolution - GamesRadar+

The Alpha WOLF, an all-electric pick-up truck designed by Californian start-up Alpha Motor Corporation has officially announced a new collaboration project with German outdoor specialist Heimplanet to create a bespoke Cloudbreak Geodisic Tent that perfectly integrates into the truck bed. The tent is made of rip-resistant high-density polyester and designed to guarantee stability while offering comfortable access, featuring two separated entry points to form an accessible entrance and exit design. The Camel White paint version is specially designed to draw inspiration from the sands of Camel Beach, California.

Creativity is the main component to mainstream upcycling, and that is beyond technology. We are passionate to find sustainable solutions in mobility that people can truly appreciate, said Alpha Motor Corporation. Built for utility and adventure, this truck is designed for consumers looking for a solid four-wheel drive utility truck powered by renewable energy. Alpha Wolf has a capacity of four people in the main cabin and yields impressive functional performance, able to run 250 to 275 miles on full charge, reach 0-60mph in 5.9s, and tow up to 3,050 KG.

The trucks are now available for advance reservation on the Alpha Motor Inc. official website, with a release date to be announced in the coming months.

For more automotive news, AMD Confirms Tesla Cars Have Enough Graphical Juice to Run Cyberpunk 2077.

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AMC and Heimplanet Reveal Electric Camping Truck | HYPEBEAST - HYPEBEAST

Brain David Johnson - Futurist

Each month I feature different leaders' voices offering insights into the future of work and changes theyve seen within their industry since the pandemic. Im particularly interested in leaders that approach challenges as opportunities to create positive and lucrative business opportunities. This column profiles everyone from celebrities and business people, to community leaders and changemakers, and gives readers a peek behind the veil of different businesses and industries.

This month I interviewed Brian David Johnson (BDJ), who is a futurist, author and professor. BDJ lives, eats and breathes the future. The slightest scratch on the surface of what BDJ does will uncover a plethora of fascinating ideas, each will blow your mind open. Fasten your futuristic seatbelt, as we break down exactly what his titles mean.

As a futurist, Brian is sought after by companies and organizations to generate predictions forecasting 10 years ahead based on current culture and industry trends. Brians predictions from a decade ago have turned out to be pretty spot on, proving that futurecasting can work. BDJ doesnt always stop at the 10 year mark - with some clients he looks as far into the future as imaginable, predicting dystopia and utopian scenarios.This helps companies to plot their specific course towards the future they want, and to prepare, disrupt, mitigate and recover from the futures that they don't want. For Brian, futurecasting is not about predicting the future, but rather about taking a pragmatic approach to determine a vision of the future that companies can then work to build.

As an author, BDJ gets to creatively prototype his ideas. He has written over 10 science fiction and science fact books and has created over 20 graphic novels. His most recent science fiction book is WAR: Wizards and Robots co-authored with will.i.am. Its a story of empowerment about a young female engineer who holds the power to save the world. However, most of Brians sci-fi graphic novels arent found on the shelves of bookstores, because they are privately owned by companies that hired BDJ to visually represent his futurecasting for employees. Lastly, he writes about robots and then uses those stories to enable kids to imagine, design and build their own robots.

BDJ and Wiil.I.am publish futuristic YA novel: Wizards and Robots

As a professor at Arizona State University Brian teaches and mentors students to become applied futurists. He is also the futurist in Residence at the Center for Science and the imagination. His last appointment is as the Director of the ASU Threatcasting Lab, where they work with organizations such as the United States Military and Secret Service to imagine a range of possible and potential threats to national and economic security. From there they can plan should undesired situations occur. When participating in threat casting the dress code is mandatory casual, flip flops encouraged, because BDJ and his team have learned that if you can see someone's toes its hard to get mad at that person while discussing touchy subjects.

As you can see with a small scratch of the surface, a whole new, futuristic, world is exposed. So how did Brian develop his career and what are his views on the future of work? Read on for his insights.

What did the pandemic exemplify in your work?

The pandemic is a destabilizing event. Destabilizing events are nothing new. We see them all the time. This could be a natural disaster, power outage or a regional conflict. The key to understanding destabilizing events is to understand two things:

1. What is the nature of the destabilizing event?

2. What is the magnitude of the destabilizing event?

With COVID - the nature of the event was a virus. And the magnitude was global.

These two factors made the pandemic a great accelerator. It's sped up changes that were already in progress and pointed out flaws that already existed. We saw this play out through global supply chains, the healthcare system, financial systems and how we use technology on a day-to-day basis.

I'm the futurist for the association of supply chain managers. As you can imagine, the supply chain had a really big pandemic. Supply chain went from something that was in the back office to something that was a conversation at the dinner table. We saw a lot of things that went wrong but we also saw a lot of things that went right.

During the pandemic the association did a survey of organizations looking at those who did futures planning and those who did not. One thing that they discovered was that the organizations that actively planned for their future generally had a 2 to 6 month business advantage because they took action before their competitors. This wasn't just for pandemic planning, many organizations hadn't done pandemic planning. But it was simply the ACT and the operationalization for thinking about and planning for the future that gave them head start.

The pandemic has shown all the necessity for planning for the future. Innovation comes not from predicting the future but for exploring a range of possible and potential futures to guard against strategic surprise.

Are there any interesting projects you are currently working on?

We just wrapped up a couple of multi-year projects that examine the future of information warfare and information disorder machines.A good place to start is to define the different elements of information disorder, mis-information, dis-information, and mal-information:

Mis-information - Spreading false information, but you dont know its false - most of the time this information stems from a small sliver of truth, say 10%, and becomes 10% truth and 90% misinformation. This information is usually not shared from a place of maliciousness, but simply not knowing its false.

Dis-information - When false information is knowingly shared to cause harm.

Mal-information - Leaking information that is designed to stay private and making it public with the intention to cause harm.

We examined information disorder paired with machine learning, algorithms, and artificial intelligence; and what that might mean for free speech and the future of the United States. Looking ten years out data will be gathered not only from places such as social media, but also from things such as smart cities, autonomous cars, and Internet of Things technologies. Not only will these places be gathering data, but they can also have the ability to message you - running the risk of sending dis-information or mis-information. Information disorder would then be able to be tailored on the fly to topics you are most passionate about that would incite or enrage you to take action. Oftentimes the goal of this type of attack isnt to get you to do one specific thing, but to create chaos and disorder - typically to get you to begin to question the validity of things such as government or businesses.

The best way to combat information disorder is to interrogate the information. Ask, who is saying this? And why are they saying this?

As a society we have to have a broader conversation around how to fact check and how to understand biases and inherent biases. In 2020 we began speaking more actively about this topic. It is a conversation that needs to happen more often to help people learn to pause before reacting and apply critical thinking to the messages that we are receiving. What is great is that we are beginning to design classes for schools to teach this next generation to think more constructively.

Graphic Novel, Invisible Force created by BDJ and the Threatcasting Lab at ASU

What do you believe the future of work will look like?

The question is not, what will the future of work look like? but it is what DO YOU want the future of work to look like? We are at an interesting moment in time, especially coming out of the pandemic where we have had a global destabilization when it comes to work. We are finding new modes of being and working and the future of work is localized and up to us. We dont have to do anything in a specific way as we come out of this destabilized event. Right now we have the ability to choose.

Everybody has the ability to shape their future. The first step is to realistically ask yourself, what is the future that I want? Once you have identified what your ideal future is, then you can start breaking it down to understand the agency that you have and most importantly identifying people you should be talking to and bringing together. To shape the future and create change it takes connecting with people - this can be in work and also in your community. Having a clear articulated picture of the future you want to create has incredible power and can draw people in to help you advance your vision. You have more control than you think.

Some things we can expect with the future of work does involve things such as automation and robotics. As we have learned from the pandemic, there are places where it is safer to not have humans doing specific tasks. If a robot or machine took your job, your job probably wasnt that great because it was turning YOU into a robot or machine. The industrial age turned human beings into machines. As we move into the future, the constellation of all the emerging technologies allows for us to be more human. We of course will have to remap the labor force and create wages for people to live comfortably.

People have asked me how they can future proof their career when it comes to the future work in the face of coming atomization. I tell them to be human! Thats the one thing the machines cant do. Everything we do is about humans. It begins with humans and ends with humans. There might be a lot of technology, businesses, processes and procedures in between but its always about people.

What does the future of technology look like?

Over the next 5 to 10 years a constellation of technologies will fundamentally remap the future of work. This includes artificial intelligence, smart cities, The Internet of Things, robotics, autonomy in land, sea and air as well as digital autonomy and increasing availability of computational intelligence and connectivity.

I have written about this and called it the coming age of Sentient Tools: technology that is aware, can think and is social with people. It will know us as individuals. Imagine working in a sentient office that is constantly using all of these technologies to make you safe, sustainable, productive but also is there to make your life better. Maybe even, your sentient elevator tells you a joke on Monday because you hate Mondays. The idea is that we keep human beings at the center of the technology tools we develop, not productivity or profit (although also important), but that ultimately everything we develop is to enhance the human experience. If we have the vision of what we want the future of technology to be then we can design ways in which technology can enhance and amplify humanity.

If you were to design the future or society what would it look like?

A society that keeps humans at the center. Everything we do is about humans. It begins with humans and ends with humans. There might be a lot of technology, businesses, processes and procedures in between but its always about people.

I always think back to Carl Sagan who used to tell people that our place in the universe is small and inconsequential. We arent even at the center of the universe, Earth is in the suburbs. We have to remember on this scale - that humans are not the central actor in this drama. We are bit players.

All we have is each other on this precious blue planet. It is important to also honor the world in which we live and realize that we are all interconnected.

Any final thoughts to add about the future?

The future isnt some fixed point on the horizon that we are all running towards helpless to take action. The future is built by people and organizations (run by people). The first step is to ask yourself or your organization:

From there you can start to take action.

The way that you change the future is you change the story that people tell themselves about the future that they will live in. If you can get yourself and others to see the future differently, then you can change the future. This is not just a nice thing to say, it is the truth of what I have seen over the last 25 years time and time again with people and organizations.

Remember that you need to be an active participant in your future. Never let someone else build your future for you...that never ends well.

Stay up to day on what BDJ is up to on Twitter @bdjfuturist

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Influential Voices On The Future Of Work: Brian David Johnson, Futurist - Forbes