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Dear ASF Friends,
This is the archival site for the ASF nonprofit (2003-2023). Over twenty years, we accomplished a lot. We ran three well-received conferences at Stanford on accelerating change (2003-2005). Then we ran and published a major cross-industry study on the future of our evolving physical-virtual interface, the Metaverse Roadmap (2006-2007). Then we started EvoDevoUniverse.com (2008-Present), an international community of scholars researching evolutionary and developmental processes of change in all replicating complex systems under selection, including the universe as a system. ASF President John Smart published three papers, Evo-Devo Universe? (2008), The Transcension Hypothesis (2012) and Evolutionary Development: A Universal Perspective (2019) that explore this systems view. In 2015, ASF began production of The Foresight Guide, a two volume work on the field of professional foresight (Volume 1), and 21st Century Futures (Volume 2). Volume 1, Introduction to Foresight, was published on Amazon in 2021.
In 2023, ASF is in the process of becoming the Evo-Devo Institute. We remain a nonprofit. Our focus has broadened from acceleration studies (the dynamics of exponential change) to a broader mission: The Evolutionary and Developmental Dynamics of Adaptiveness ("Thriving") in an Exponential World.
Our research now spans four domains:
- Evo-Devo Adaptiveness. We seek to understand complex adaptiveness, in life, in organizations, in societies, in our learning technologies (AI) and in all other autopoetic systems, from the lenses of evolution, development, and their intersection. We believe evo-devo biology and philosophy offer us the most useful way to understand the nature and future of complex systems.
- Foresight. Human foresight is a conflict between Probable, Possible, Preferred, and Preventable futures--"The Four Ps". To adapt to accelerating change, we must master all four of these assessments.
- Values. There is a social psychology of universal (cross-cultural) values. In our modern world, being values-aware, values inclusive, and values-balanced is now critical to being personally and organizationally adaptive.
- Networks. The most adaptive systems in nature are not individuals, or even groups, but networks (ecosystems) of individuals and groups. Hormesis (capacity-building under stress) in any system comes directly from the strength, diversity, and quality of its supporting networks. In addition to adaptive Values and Foresight, maintaining healthy Networks (personal, org, societal, tech) is one of our top strategies for personal success and societal progress.
Thanks for visiting. We hope to see you, thriving, in the future.
ASF President John Smart | @JohnMSmart
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The Foresight Guide seeks to be the world’s best overview of the vital and evolving field of professional foresight, and a set of key stories and speculations on the 21st Century, as general futures thinking. It covers models, methods, case studies, stories, ideas, and resources for improving personal, team, organizational, societal, global, and universal futures. It is written from an acceleration-aware, evo-devo, and evidence-based perspective.
A permanent and free online edition of the Guide was posted, in a page-commentable form, at ForesightGuide.com in 2016. The print version of the Guide spans two volumes (Foresight and Futures). Book 1, Introduction to Foresight, Nov 2021, is now available on Amazon. Book 2, 21st Century Futures, will be published in Nov 2023. |
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Archival Resources:
ASF Slides, Audio, and Video | Articles and Books

Biweekly ASF newsletter. Brief items to help you grow personal, personal, organizational, and global foresight in our amazing, ever-accelerating world.
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OTHER PROJECTS |
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EDU is an
international community
of scholars exploring evolutionary and developmental processes
in the universe and its subsystems. Interested in learning and
advancing the science and systems theory relevant to acceleration
studies? What is predictable in complex systems? What is accelerating
change? How do we differentiate between predictable and unpredictable
processes in the universe and its subsystems? Join us to discuss
these future-important questions.
The Science of Performance Curves, an EDU Workshop presently in the planning stage. Would you like to sponsor or volunteer to help us produce this?
- What explains the differential rates of acceleration in our technology performance curves (computing, storage, bandwidth, energy production, etc.) as documented in Performance Curve Databases?
- The greatest gains occur in technologies where the rates of miniaturization and virtualization are the fastest. Why is this curious fact so little-known? What are its business, policy, and social implications?
- Can we develop better predictive theories for the growth and future of technology performance curves?
Action Items
1. Can ASF help your organization
with talks, reports, seminars, or workshops? See our
Services page.
2. Looking for a good wiki directory
of global foresight? Visit Global
Foresight, ASF's wiki directory of Networks,
Events, Programs, People, Orgs, and Resources for emerging global
foresight culture.
3. Desire a credential in foresight
work? See Foresight Graduate
Programs - Global List, ASF's list of top Primary
and Secondary graduate programs in professional foresight. Consider
these if you want interdisciplinary training in thinking about
issues of global progress and accelerating change.
4. Are you a foresight student,
educator, researcher, employer, alum, or advocate? Join the Foresight
Education and Research Network, a global
LinkedIn community of foresight students, researchers, educators (K-12,
university, professional) and employers working on projects to
advance foresight education and research.
5. Like to meet other foresighted
folks in your local community? Start a Future
Salon, on your own or with a co-moderator. Invite
interesting local thinkers to give free talks on future-oriented
topics once a month (or less), and go to dinner afterward for
more conversation. Grow your network of change- and innovation-oriented
friends!
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Outreach | Education | Research | Advocacy
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