2009 at the Foundation For the Future
For more than a decade the Foundation For the Future has pursued its mission to
increase and diffuse knowledge concerning the long-term future of humanity.
We have done this largely by bringing together leading thinkers from
multiple disciplines to discuss the important
issues, then publishing transcripts of
those conversations. Through the years our programs have grown and
expanded. In 2008 we conducted a seminar in Paris co-hosted with UNESCO, a workshop on climate change in the fall, seminars for young scholars, and our first local-citizens event, in addition to awarding two prizes.
NEWS AND PLANNED EVENTS
October 2009
The Kistler Prize is awarded annually to a scientist or research institution that has, with courage and wisdom, pursued the truth and made original, substantive, and innovative contributions in the study of the connections between the human genome and human society. More…
RECENT EVENTS
Bellevue, Washington | June 9, 2009
Twenty-nine fifth-grade students gathered at the Foundation For the Future building for a full day of presentations, small group sessions, and plenary discussions, following the basic format of the Humanity 3000 Program. In groups of two or three, they presented their research findings, creating a body of information for the day’s deliberations. The presentations were the culmination of six months of research and writing. Through discussion and debate with each other, the students concluded that the two most critical issues for the long-term future of humanity are education and governance. Each of these was further discussed in a fishbowl conversation.
The students are in the PRISM program for “highly capable” students at Stevenson Elementary School, Bellevue, WA. Their teacher, Paula Fraser, helped create the Young Scholars seminars.
 Seattle, Washington | April 16, 2009
Dr. Archer is the 2009 recipient of the Walter P. Kistler Book Award, which recognizes authors of science-based books that make important contributions to the public’s understanding of the factors that may impact the long-term future of humanity.
In The Long Thaw, Dr. Archer discusses the scientific realities of humankind’s continuing increases in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Civilized humanity, he writes, has never seen a climate change as severe as global warming: “The benefits of using fossil fuels accrue now and into the current century until the fuel runs out, while the costs will last for millennia.” More…
 Presentation by Leroy Hood, Institute for Systems Biology
Seattle, Washington | February 12, 2009
In honor of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday, Darwin Day Celebrations were held all over the world in recognition of Darwin’s contribution in scientifically describing biological evolution via natural selection, and of the benefits of scientific knowledge generally in the advancement of humanity.
Dr. Leroy Hood spoke at Pacific Science Center on Darwin’s role and modern-day expansions and ramifications of scientific thought. More…
 Bellevue, Washington | September 12–14, 2008
Foundation For the Future's workshop “Anthropogenic Climate Destabilization: A Worst-case Scenario” took into consideration the IPCC reports and other research conclusions leading to assessments of worst-case scenarios. Those assessments project the worst case to 2030; a few of the studies project the worst case to 2050. The purpose in this workshop was to look at the worst case beyond
those “short-term” assessments – to the end of this century and to the next several
centuries. Climate experts from all over the world were invited to participate in this important workshop. More…
 Seattle, Washington | September 11, 2008
World-renowned genome research pioneer J. Craig Venter was selected by the Foundation For the Future as the 2008 winner of the Kistler Prize, which is awarded annually for original work that significantly increases knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the human genome and society. The Kistler Prize includes a cash award of US$100,000 and a 180-gram gold medallion. Dr. Venter is being honored for a body of pioneering work in genome science. More…
 In June 2008, the UNESCO-FFF seminar “Future of Planet Earth” convened to provide a forum for dialogue amongst academics, scientists, conservationists, resource managers, and practitioners in international environment relations to explore a critical component of the human-environment relationship with significant implications for the future of Planet Earth. More…
UNESCO/EES MAB
 In April 2008, Foundation For the Future hosted its first “local” seminar, bringing together leading citizens from Washington State for focused discussions on how to “think globally, act locally.” Fourteen community leaders gathered to engage in a one-day discussion on the long-term future of humanity from a “community inquiry” perspective. Keynote addresses were given by Dr. William H. Calvin, author of Global Fever: How to Treat Climate Change, and Dr. P.S. Reilly, President of Athena Institute. More…
REVIEW OF FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES 1996–2006
 In 2006 the Foundation For the Future celebrated the completion of its
first 10 years. This report summarizes the accomplishments of the Foundation
during this 10-year period, describes its current programs and activities,
and outlines its plans for the future.
(Download 1.4
MB PDF)
Copyright © 1996–2009 Foundation For the Future
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Tenth Annual Kistler Prize