About the book
'David Christian's approach to understanding history can help all of us learn to prepare for the future' - Bill Gates
A user's guide to the future: from the algorithms in DNA to why time is like a cocktail glass, interstellar migrations, transhumanism, the fate of the galaxy, and the last black hole...
Every second of our lives - whether we're looking both ways before crossing the street, celebrating the birth of a baby, or moving to a new city - we must cope with an unknowable future by telling stories about what will happen next. Where is the future, the place where we set those stories? Can we trust our future stories? And what sort of futures do they show us?
David Christian, historian and bestselling author of Origin Story, is renowned for pioneering the emerging discipline of Big History, which surveys the whole of the past. But with Future Stories, he casts his sharp analytical eye forward, offering an introduction to the strange world of the future, and a guide to what we think we know about it at all scales, from the predictive mechanisms of single-celled organisms and tomato plants to the merging of colossal galaxies billions of years from now.
Drawing together science, history and philosophy from a huge range of places and times, Christian explores how we prepare for uncertain futures, including the future of human evolution, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and more. By linking the study of the past much more closely to the study of the future, we can begin to imagine what the world will look like in the next hundred years and consider solutions to the biggest challenges facing us all.
Editions of Future Stories
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781787636460
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781787636477
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781804990759
- EBook
- ISBN 9781529197518
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781529901252
Read an Excerpt
'David Christian's approach to understanding history can help all of us learn to prepare for the future' - Bill Gates
A user's guide to the future: from the algorithms in DNA to why time is like a cocktail glass, interstellar migrations, transhumanism, the fate of the galaxy, and the last black hole...
Every second of our lives - whether we're looking both ways before crossing the street, celebrating the birth of a baby, or moving to a new city - we must cope with an unknowable future by telling stories about what will happen next. Where is the future, the place where we set those stories? Can we trust our future stories? And what sort of futures do they show us?
David Christian, historian and bestselling author of Origin Story, is renowned for pioneering the emerging discipline of Big History, which surveys the whole of the past. But with Future Stories, he casts his sharp analytical eye forward, offering an introduction to the strange world of the future, and a guide to what we think we know about it at all scales, from the predictive mechanisms of single-celled organisms and tomato plants to the merging of colossal galaxies billions of years from now.
Drawing together science, history and philosophy from a huge range of places and times, Christian explores how we prepare for uncertain futures, including the future of human evolution, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and more. By linking the study of the past much more closely to the study of the future, we can begin to imagine what the world will look like in the next hundred years and consider solutions to the biggest challenges facing us all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Future Stories about?
'David Christian's approach to understanding history can help all of us learn to prepare for the future' - Bill Gates
A user's guide to the future: from the algorithms in DNA to why time is like a cocktail glass, interstellar migrations, transhumanism, the fate of the galaxy, and the last black hole...
Every second of our lives - whether we're looking both ways before crossing the street, celebrating the birth of a baby, or moving to a new city - we must cope with an unknowable future by telling stories about what will happen next. Where is the future, the place where we set those stories? Can we trust our future stories? And what sort of futures do they show us?
David Christian, historian and bestselling author of Origin Story, is renowned for pioneering the emerging discipline of Big History, which surveys the whole of the past. But with Future Stories, he casts his sharp analytical eye forward, offering an introduction to the strange world of the future, and a guide to what we think we know about it at all scales, from the predictive mechanisms of single-celled organisms and tomato plants to the merging of colossal galaxies billions of years from now.
Drawing together science, history and philosophy from a huge range of places and times, Christian explores how we prepare for uncertain futures, including the future of human evolution, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and more. By linking the study of the past much more closely to the study of the future, we can begin to imagine what the world will look like in the next hundred years and consider solutions to the biggest challenges facing us all.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Future Stories?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social and ethical issues > Social forecasting, future studies
Where can I read a sample of Future Stories?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781787636460
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Future Stories?
David Christian
Who is the Publisher of the book Future Stories?
Transworld
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Future Stories is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781787636460) and paperback(ISBN 9781787636477) and paperback(ISBN 9781804990759) and ebook(ISBN 9781529197518) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781529901252)
Where can I buy Future Stories online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Future Stories from below
Where can I buy Future Stories?