Susan Zieger, the author of “Logistics and Power”, joins the Futurists to share her insight about global trade and control. Global trade and logistics requires a hierarchy of control to ensure timely, reliable delivery. That’s why power is an emergent principle of the global supply chain. For Zieger, the supply chain covers more than containers and manufactured goods, spanning the movement of humans and information. The early phases of global trade continue to shape the present and the future of logistics, transportation, and cultural globalization. Zieger provides a wide-ranging survey of world systems, beginning with the Dutch colonies of the 17th century; how modern managerial power emerged from railroad industry in the 19th century; and today’s new frontier of suborbital supply chains in space. Zieger’s critical focus is a humanist-focused interpretation of logistics, including the impact on the people who are engaged in global trade as employees or consumers, subject to the rules imposed by the logistics of trade.

The future in Dubai is so brilliant, you need sunglasses. This week Brett and Rob talk to their colleague and business partner Mohamed Alkhatib about the key findings and hot topics they covered at the first Futurists X Summit. Why Dubai? Learn about the bold steps that the United Arab Emirates is taking to foster future prosperity with applied imagination? Giant data centers, advances in AI models, asteroid mining, next generation energy, future transportation and city planning, biotech and programmable biology, smart infrastructure and city scale digital twins.

The global supply chain is the most complicated thing that humanity has invented with more than 1 million companies in 209 nations trading 90% of manufactured goods via maritime transport. Now, thanks to climate change, extreme weather events and geo-political strife, it’s growing geometrically more complex. Brett King and Rob Tercek discuss the implications for domestic politics, employment and innovation.