What is Future: Definition and 784 Discussions

The future is the time after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist can be categorized as either permanent, meaning that it will exist forever, or temporary, meaning that it will end. In the Occidental view, which uses a linear conception of time, the future is the portion of the projected timeline that is anticipated to occur. In special relativity, the future is considered absolute future, or the future light cone.In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists and the future and the past are unreal. Religions consider the future when they address issues such as karma, life after death, and eschatologies that study what the end of time and the end of the world will be. Religious figures such as prophets and diviners have claimed to see into the future.
Future studies, or futurology, is the science, art, and practice of postulating possible futures. Modern practitioners stress the importance of alternative and plural futures, rather than one monolithic future, and the limitations of prediction and probability, versus the creation of possible and preferable futures. Predeterminism is the belief that the past, present, and future have been already decided.
The concept of the future has been explored extensively in cultural production, including art movements and genres devoted entirely to its elucidation, such as the 20th-century movement futurism.

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  1. V

    Is quantum physics a growing field in the future?

    I once heard Michio Kaku talking about quantum information being the bright future in 50 years But I wasn't so sure if that QI = Quantum physics also is string theory part of quantum physics? what do you need to study in masters to specialize in string theory
  2. W

    Exploring Cold Fusion: Future of Energy?

    So, I was reading something today about an Italian Physicist who supposidly was able to make a cold fusion machine. It recently passed an important test and all that crap, and it will be interesting to see where it goes, but I was wondering how exactly cold fusion works? I get the jist of it...
  3. I

    Physics Medical Physics future job outlook?

    So, I'm a quasi-junior undergraduate right now. Essentially, I was planning on transferring to NYU for physics, but over the summer I decided not to because of the crazy loans I'd be taking out, and as of right now I'm taking an Anatomy and Physiology class and Organic Chem class at a community...
  4. S

    Proof of time travel from future to past

    Today, October 6th 2011 I received my first official reminder about the electoral register form I obviously didn't complete on 15 October 2011 from the Registrar. He further wrote Well after trying unsuccessfully to apply Einsteins theory of simultainity to the concept of instantaneous...
  5. E

    Any future form of Physics behind future communication?

    Today We use Electromagnetic Waves. What would be the future of form of communication?
  6. A

    Physics What Career Paths Await an Aspiring Astrophysicist After University?

    Hello everyone right now I am studying in Middle school and next year I am going to Highschool, I've been into this whole Astro"Physics, Nomy, cosmology" thing and seriously I've been planing to study this as my career. I've search many universities around the world and I've seen as Waterloo in...
  7. F

    Physics Help with my future in Physics

    Hello all, I'm new to the PF and although I made my account sometime in the summer, I haven't yet posted on here. I have a bit of a testimony when it comes to physics and mathematics. I'm fifteen now, and only about a year ago, I thought that science and mathematics were the stupidest things...
  8. Y

    Where are the future background microwaves now

    In this thought experiment the sun does not run out of fuel and the Earth is still here. So in 14 billion years we will still be detecting the CMB radiation which I presume will be a bit cooler. My question is where are these microwaves that will reach us then, now.
  9. M

    Furthest Visible Galaxies: Estimating the Cut-Off Point

    First a true-false question. Are the furthest visible galaxies presently incapable of any connection with us. That is, the light coming from them 'now', is incapable of reaching us, ever, and vice versa. If this is true, and I assume it is then has there ever been an estimate of where the...
  10. N

    Really nervous about my future

    I'm going to apply to http://www.bnl.gov/education/program.asp?q=117" as soon as the application process opens (mid September).. but I am really nervous of my chances.. I only just had pre-calculus my last spring semester.. which is TERRIBLE ! That means I'm soo much behind of what a normal...
  11. L

    Entanglement between the Future and the Past in the Quantum Vacuum

    Hello all ! Help me please. I can not understand – which particles are entangled in this case http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v106/i11/e110404 Full text here http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1003/1003.0720v1.pdf
  12. wukunlin

    Schools Choosing a college that will help with future employment

    Previously I have posted the following thread https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=519140 basically I'm thinking about working in the semiconductor industry and am planning on getting a master's degree in the states after I finish my honour's in new zealand. now I look back at...
  13. D

    Do we live in Past as well as Future at the same time?

    Hi all, According to laws of science, a very heavy body (having a lot of mass) slows time due to its gravitation. So, near Earth time is moving slow in comparison to things that are at a distance from it. Now, only for philosophical purpose I want to contend that our feet are in a different...
  14. C

    Is online education has any value for my future licence in NYC?

    I am currently enroll in Kaplan University which is located as far as I know in Florida.I live in NYC.If I accomplished my Doctor's Degree online will I be able to pass test in NYC and become licenced concerning my occupation?What is the value of online education in general?
  15. N

    Question about chemical engineering specialties -> future

    I love chemistry and math (have taken through calc 3). I was planning on working in the energy field after I graduate, but I have an honest question: does it utilize electricity and magentism? I, frankly, hated that class. I LOVED physics I, which was much more applicable to me. Should I...
  16. D

    An Experiment Showing Entanglement Communication into the Future

    I recently have been doing some work on the entanglement phenomenon. In this regard someone brought to my attention an experiment with amazing results but unfortunately he did not have an exact reference for the experimenter or where the results were published. Very briefly, the experimenter...
  17. Char. Limit

    So I was thinking about my future

    First, I've almost decided that I want to be an electrical engineer, but I wanted to know this. First, as a former math major who is highly interested in signals processing, is that the right path for me? And then I got to thinking of how much money I'd need to make per year to support the way I...
  18. Q

    Is nuclear power still a viable energy source for the future?

    Hi everyone, i am student at nuclear engineering. So i have a questions about the future of nuclear power. After Fukushima disaster, many country have reviewed about nuclear power, and like Germany, they are going to close the nuclear power reactor. So can you tell me about the future of nuclear...
  19. N

    What Does the Future of Virtual Reality Hold?

    What does the future of virtual reality look like? There are a lot of hype out there for its future. What do you guys think? You may also share any articles, videos, etc..
  20. I

    Mentoring a Young Future Acedemic

    I will give you a little background about myself, if you don’t care skip down to the bold part. I am an actuary with a B.A. in mathematics, but I have always wished that I would have perused a career in academia. Growing up I did not have the best guidance, father was not around, mother working...
  21. Ryan_m_b

    The future of augmented reality

    Some stunning examples of a technology that (I think) will really change how we live our lives in the future. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9522194.stm If you have an iphone you can get the free app, print the markers and see for yourself!
  22. T

    Future of a particle in a box - I'm fundamentally confused

    Future of a particle in a box -- I'm fundamentally confused Homework Statement A particle is somewhere in the right half of a one-dimensional infinite potential well with sides at x=-a/2 and x=a/2. The particle's wave function is constant over x, i.e. \psi(x) = \sqrt{2/a} for 0<x<a/2...
  23. L

    Would Number Theory Collapse if Riemann's Hypothesis is Proven True?

    If Riemann's Hypothesis is proved as true, would number theory collapse?
  24. rhody

    Medical TED Video: Daniel Kraft: Medicine's future?

    Interesting http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_kraft_medicine_s_future.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-06-14&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email" by Daniel Kraft, worth your time, IMHO. Rhody... :approve:
  25. F

    Medical Is this possible in the future?

    In the near future, say 50 years from now, is it possible to have prosthetic bodies that can replace limbs and organs? Is it possible that it is a key to immortality? I am very curious that if we replace all our our organs with machines (hence beomcing a cyborg), then can we become immortal?
  26. C

    Future Civilizations and Energy Production

    Okay, because I posted a link in the thread below this one to the place of where another science discussion was taking place, instead of removing the link, the guy with a full message inbox also closed the thread. Pardon me, but I still would enjoy to have the discussion on debunking this...
  27. C

    Future Civilizations and Energy

    Future civilizations have been categorized by the physicist Nikolei Kardashev in the 1960s by the the type 1, 2, and 3 rating system which you have probably heard of. The Kardashev categorization for future civilizations makes sense to me, and it appears that other physicists agree on the...
  28. I

    I want to be physicist, but will I have the future?

    Hello. First of all, I want to sorry everyone who read this thread. I'm so sorry that I'm not so good in english. I'll try my best to make you guys understand what I try to deliver. Before my age 17 years old, I don't have any interests in physics at all. I do taking class in physics at...
  29. F

    Computers in the distant future?

    What will computers, especially personal computers be like in the year 2050-2100? With Moore's law quickly becoming obsolete, I wonder what will be done to dramatically increase the performance and computational power of microprocessors in the distant future. Famous physicist Michio Kaku often...
  30. R

    Physics bases future technologies

    I have recently read some articles that deal with future technologies such as invisibility and teleportation. There are some magazines, websites and scientists such as Micho Kaku who make future predictions based on the latest cutting-edge technologies and scientific data. My question is...
  31. F

    Please advise me on my future goals.

    After some talks with several close family friends(all Engineers) I have decided that i would like to pursue a Maters in Mechanical Engineering. I had a tough time starting out in Engineering failing cal 1 my first time i took it. But after all of that i have strung together all B's this past...
  32. E

    Predicting the Future and Light Speed

    This is probably the stupidest question I have ever asked, but it is bugging me and I am looking for an illuminating answer - not one that simply tells me I have the wrong idea, but one that explains in what way I have the wrong idea. I can, based upon some knowledge of initial conditions and...
  33. rootX

    Did Your Past Dreams Predict Your Present Life?

    Did you dreamed of future (like place you want to live, work you want to do, partner you want to live with) 10,20,30,40,50, ... years ago and how close you got your near you dreams? I would need to work on finding if I ever dreamed something that I have now. So far, my life have been quite...
  34. T

    Engineering The Future of Nuclear Engineering?

    I am just finishing up my Freshman year at UW-Madison and have to decide what I want to do in the College of Engineering. Currently my intended major is nuclear engineering, however given the recent events at Fukushima, I am unsure about its future. Would it be smart to change to Electrical...
  35. B

    Programs What's the future of a physicist without a degree?

    Hi, I wanted to know what if someone who was very good in physics but didn't get the chance to study at college, and have his/her own great physics theories that would benefit science, what will be the future of a someone like that? would the story of Will ( in the good will hunting ) be the...
  36. R

    Need help figuring out my future (keep doing physics?)

    Need help figuring out my future (keep doing physics??) Hello. I'm an undergrad finishing up my sophomore year, and I really need help figuring out what I should do with my life. I think I'd just like to tell you how my college career has gone so far and then ask for advice. I started out...
  37. P

    Is this right? - Rietdijk proof future determined, already past for distant observer

    is this right? - Rietdijk proof future determined, already "past"for distant observer http://www.jstor.org/pss/186637 see details. I totally agree!
  38. C

    News Is A Per-Mile Driving Tax In Our Future?

    http://blogs.forbes.com/tombarlow/2011/04/01/is-a-per-mile-driving-tax-in-our-future/ This sounds really intrusive to me. Yeah, I know the government can track you via your cellphone and all that and if they really want to find you, they will, but, having everyone's car literally tracked, the...
  39. P

    Is (our) future already exists, according to relativity?

    Hope this is not a redundant Q.
  40. K

    Medical Do dreams have meanings? Are dreams visions for the future, a past

    Do dreams have meanings? Are dreams visions for the future, a past life? Or are they just images that our subconscious just makes up?
  41. U

    Societal ramifications of a perfectly forseeable future?

    A couple of months back I was reading an article about an Australian physicist who theorized that not only does quantum entanglement affect particles across space, but also, particles may be entangled through time as well. If we can calibrate this effect, it seems to me like it would be pretty...
  42. O

    Stargazing Most powerful telescope system of the future?

    What do you suppose would be the limiting resolving power of this telescope system? Assume it's built on Earth or nearby with money no object. Could it, for instance, detect a butterfly flitting about on a planet 100 LY from us? If not, what are the limiting factors? Thanks!
  43. T

    Do you think the future has already happened?

    I do, think about it, what if time is like a stream, it needs a path right? What is time is the same. Some people say the they can see into the future, they could be right? Also, they can't change what's going to happen because it has already happened. It also explains deja vu.
  44. B

    Future inspite of mediocre beginnings?

    Hi, I am a sophomore math major at large state school with a decent-good reputation. Currently, as I look towards the future I see two fields/career paths that interest me: i)Getting a PhD in Math to become a professor/researcher or ii)going into finance. However, as much as I would love to go...
  45. M

    Schools What language should a future physicist study in college?

    Many colleges require that all students learn a foreign language, but I have no idea which one I would want to study. Right now I don't know which area of physics I want to go into, or where I want to live. I suppose that if I stay in the U.S. it doesn't really matter which foreign language I...
  46. Z

    Which University Offers the Best Aeronautical Engineering Program?

    Hey..I'm about to finish my school and will begin university this fall. I have the following courses to choose from (i.e. where I was accepted to). -McGill: http://www.mcgill.ca/mecheng/undergrad/curriculum/aeronautical/ -MEng from Bristol...
  47. M

    Programs Math Major at UCSD, and feeling depressed about the future.

    First of all, I used to be the kid that hated math back in high school. But did okay, besides in PreCalc. I go to UCSD now, it's my junior year, and I'm now a Math-Computer Science major. I only declared CSE recently. I got a D in my modern algebra class. I studied super hard too, but didn't...
  48. K

    Looking for advice regarding my future in Astronomy

    Hi, I'm a high school junior and have the for as long as I can remember been interested in the sciences. In the past few years my love for science has focused in on space. I've been starting to plan for college and have been mostly looking at getting into astronomy. However, physics and...
  49. R

    Entropy increases in both the future and past?

    Is it true that entropy increases no matter what direction you move in (past or future)? I find this hard to believe. Additionally, Isn't there a difference between entropy and disorder? Here is passage from "The Fabric of the Cosmos" by Brian Greene
  50. P

    Can the future affect the past

    In SCIAM, it seems it was the fall of 2010, I read an article where the past was being affected by the future. If I recall correctly, the researchers had measured the spin of an electron (many many times) and then they would randomly decide to do it again in the future. Somehow the act of...
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