Futures Studies / Futurology

The broader interdisciplinary field design "draws inspiration and methodologies from" for thinking about and shaping the future. "While sometimes historically associated with predictive forecasting ... or overly simplistic utopian/dystopian speculation ..., contemporary Futures Studies employs a diverse range of rigorous methodologies aimed at systematically exploring plausible, possible, probable, and, perhaps most importantly, preferable futures." Its aim is "not to predict a single, deterministic future ... but rather to broaden our understanding of potential trajectories, surface underlying assumptions about change, identify emerging risks and opportunities ('weak signals'), challenge conventional thinking and dominant narratives about progress, stimulate imagination about alternatives, and ultimately, inform more strategic, resilient, ethical, and responsible action in the present." Also named under "Foresight & Future Literacy" as a resource for "engaging responsibly and critically with methodologies from Futures Studies not to predict the future, but to explore diverse possibilities, anticipate potential consequences ..., challenge limiting assumptions about what's possible, and inform more strategic, ethical, and adaptive action in the present."