Articles: BenchMark 2001 No. 1

A Chemical Reaction
Bet you never thought the health of the world’s economies would depend on the output of the world’s farmland and new discoveries under the Earth’s crust.

Aviation: Rocketing Forward
The future of aviation will demand that we take an expanding view of the airspace above us.

Earth's Odyssey
In this issue of Bench Mark, we have predicted a world that in 25 years will look different from the world today.

Environment: A Question of Balance
A 1999 Roper poll found that 56% of Americans worry that "the next decade will be the last when humans can avert an environmental catastrophe."

Future Infrastructure: Waterways, Highways, Skyways . . . New Ways
Ever since the Romans built a complex system of roads and aqueducts, infrastructure has been the measure of a great city.

Hits Misses: Moments in Time . . .Through the Past 25 Years
"Photo-telegraphy allowed any writing, signature or illustration to be sent far away and any contract to be signed at a distance of (12,400 miles). …Every house was wired." Jules Verne, 1863

Journey With Us: Burns & McDonnell January 2001
Thirty-some years ago, a movie called 2001: A Space Odyssey made the year 2001 synonymous with a future in which life would be radically changed.

Power Visions: Energy Future
Predictions of the energy future 25 years ago didn’t include improved electronic switching or the advances made in gas turbines, fuel cells or computer controls. Another quarter-century will bring changes no one foresees.