A free letter, once a month
Where's the Future?
The future, in context. No hype.
Which of the future's big promises actually moved this month? We check the stories, label every claim and show how close each technology is to your life.
- 121 stories checked
- 527 claims sorted
- 761 pieces of evidence
- 48 technologies on the ladder
Sample reads · AI illustration
01 · The Proof Ladder
Which of this year's big promises actually moved?
Every technology we cover sits on one of seven rungs, from an idea on paper to something so ordinary you stop noticing it. Headlines jump rungs. We don't.
Always written the same way: Rung 4 of 7 · Trial
- 7EverydayOrdinary. You stop noticing it.
- 6AdoptedMany places use it. Prices are falling.
- 5LaunchedYou can buy it or use it somewhere.
- 4TrialTested with real people or real places, at small scale.
- 3PrototypeA working version exists outside the lab.
- 2LabIt works on a bench, under lab conditions.
- 1IdeaOn paper, in a pitch or a patent.
02 · Every claim, labeled
Eight plain labels. The same eight, every time.
- Checks outPrimary sources back it up.
- Checks out, with limitsTrue, with limits you should know, like a small study.
- Their word so farThe company or team says so. No one independent has confirmed it yet.
- Opinion or forecastA view or prediction, reported as the words of the person who said it.
- Reported, not confirmedFrom unnamed or secondhand sources. No primary source yet.
- DisputedCredible sources disagree about it.
- No source foundWe looked for evidence and could not find any.
- Does not match the recordThe primary source says something different.
03 · The Deep Currents
Ten deep currents. Checked every month.
The slow shifts under the news. Every story ties back to at least one. They are ideas we test, not prophecies, so some months a current stalls, and we say so.
C1CyberpunkIntelligence becomes abundantReasoning, writing and expert help keep getting cheaper, putting them within reach of more people.
C2SolarpunkEnergy gets cleaner and cheaperSolar, storage and electric machines keep improving, making power easier to make and share.
C3DieselpunkThe physical world is the new frontierAs thinking gets cheaper, building, making, care and the skilled trades gain value and gain new tools.
C4DatapunkContext is the new advantageThe edge moves from having an AI model to having the knowledge, data and relationships around it.
C5CypherpunkOpen tools spreadCapable open AI models let schools, small businesses and communities build for themselves.
C6CyberpunkAI that actsAI moves from answering questions to getting things done, and trust becomes the skill that matters.
C7BiopunkBiology becomes programmableAI and new lab tools speed up how we understand, design and heal living things.
C8MakerEveryone can buildThe cost of turning an idea into something real keeps falling. Taste and purpose become the edge.
C9HopepunkLearning and work remake each otherSkills, apprenticeships and AI tutors open new paths into good work at any age.
C10AfrofuturistForesight for everyoneTools for looking ahead, like forecasting and simulation, spread from boardrooms to communities.
Fig. 2 · Ten possible worlds, one per current · AI illustrations
04 · Inside every issue
One question. Seven parts. Our work shown.
Same order every month, so you always know where to look. A short read, in plain words.
Sample No. 01 · Tuesday, October 27
- 01The QuestionOne question, with our answer, how sure we are and what would change our mind.
- 02The MapFour to six technologies placed by attention and delivery, each with its evidence.
- 03The Deep DiveThe feature: the story, the idea underneath it and what it means for your next decision.
- 04Convergence WatchTechnologies maturing at the same time, and what they make possible together.
- 05Below the HeadlineOne big story read at four depths, then four ways it could play out.
- 06The LedgerOur forecasts, each with a probability and a date, scored in public, misses included.
- 07The MethodOne futures tool in plain words, with an exercise to try at work on Monday.
05 · Our promise
Every claim has a source. Every forecast gets a date. We score ourselves in public, misses included.
No. 01 lands Tuesday, October 27.
One email a month. Free. The future, in context.