Welcome to the Delta Scan. This is a forum for scanning the science and technology horizon over the next 50 years. The forum contains a hundred outlook pages covering a wide range of scientific disciplines and technologies. These include topics associated with the future geography and structure of science.

WHAT IS AN OUTLOOK?
An outlook is an internally consistent, plausible view of the future based on the best expertise available. It is not a prediction. Rather it provides a perspective that takes into account current trends and their long-term potential--providing a context for planning and policy. It is not a statement of policy nor an indication of preference.

HOW TO GET STARTED

• Click an item in the Outlook list to see what we have written about that item.
• Use the Find box to search the database by keywords.
• Click the Editorial Guidelines links to see how you can comment on the contents of this database.
• Click The Project links to find out more about the project.

The IFTF Delta Scan was produced by the Institute for the Future, a Silicon Valley think-tank, as part of a project for the Horizon Scanning Centre of the United Kingdom's Office of Science and Innovation. (For more information about the entire project, see The Project.)

The database is hosted by the Stanford University Foresight Research group, housed in the university's Wallenberg Center.