ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the transdisciplinary science of futures research as a solution to the challenging aspects of environmental sustainability and the cross-generational realities embedded in this concept. Following World War II, interest surrounding the interrelated social, economic, and political transformations taking place during this period identified a need to explore the future consequences of the present and anticipate the trajectory of events and decision through the analysis of trends and indicators. Foresight has become an important component of researching the future and has been used to explore the long-term direction of human action by incorporating elements of futuring, which involves activities such as forecasting and forward thinking, and planning to the extent that scenarios and strategic analysis combine to engage the long term. Prediction implies certainty and that a coherent model of process exists behind the data. A prediction is assumed to be absolute and error free.
