ADV. 16.1. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. PREDICTING THE FUTURE 1. VISIONARIES Seer or charlatan? Some look to the stars to spot signs of life on other planets. Others look for signs of a different kind, to the omens and portents they hope will foretell of riches a-waiting, relationships a-coming and fame a-calling. Some look upward to the heavens for such signs; others, inward to visions and inspiration. And the rest of us may look downward at more humble and homely teacups, tarot cards and talismans to find what the future might hold in store . By no means a 21st-century phenomenon, means of divining the future have long been part of traditional cultures around the world. People have scoured their dreams for symbols that might unlock what’s around the corner . Some societies have looked to Mother Nature for guidance, reading the entrails of animals or the shapes formed by clouds, shadows cast by stones or yarrow stalks , or scanned upturned palms and faces. These forms of divination have often been as...