Fearless forecasts for 2002 and beyond.

• Position: Your Life - Brief Article

The editors of The World Future Society's The Futurist magazine have selected 10 forecasts for the future, chosen on the basis of their general interest, significance, and plausibility, though they make no judgment on their probability of proving accurate. The forecasts are:

1. Future farmers may make more money selling wind power to utility companies than growing corn on the same plots.

2. Automated translation systems one day could allow people who speak different languages to communicate freely.

3. Natural disasters could get worse because half of the world's wetlands disappeared in the 20th century.

4. Schools may curb student behavioral incidents by improving children's nutrition. Providing students with healthy foods instead of candy and sodas can reduce fights and other problems.

5. Get ready for 1,000,000,000 elderly people (age 60 and up) by 2020. Three-fourths of them will be in developing countries.

6. Edible vaccines are on the way. Lettuce and rice could soon be genetically modified with viral...