The Future

History is not only the study of the past, but also the present and the future. We’ve collected some of the most forward-thinking scholarship on what our history as humans suggests about what is to come. The future is always uncertain—but by helping students understand recurring themes within history, they can be ready for what’s next.

Cookie Policy

Our website uses cookies to understand content and feature usage to drive site improvements over time. To learn more, review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Explore the lesson plans

Looking Back
Lesson 10.0
Big History Project
The Future
Looking Back
Our ideas about the future are shaped by our knowledge of the past. The thresholds of increasing complexity provide important clues to what the future might look like—for us, our planet, and the Universe.
View Lesson
The Biosphere
Lesson 10.1
Big History Project
The Future
The Biosphere
The global ecosystem—our biosphere—has never been static, but change has accelerated over the last century. The effect of our species on the Earth is unparalleled, and the future will be shaped by the choices we make today.
View Lesson
Looking Forward
Lesson 10.2
Big History Project
The Future
Looking Forward
Viewing the past from the points of view of different disciplines gives us a rich, detailed picture of the history of the Universe. We can apply the same technique when we envision the future, both near and far.
View Lesson
Are We Alone
Lesson 10.3
Big History Project
The Future
Are We Alone?
Modern science is the key to answering the long-asked questions about whether life exists elsewhere in the Universe. Until science finds the evidence it needs one way or the other, we continue to wonder.
View Lesson
Yeah But
Lesson 7.6
Origins to Present
The Great Convergence and Divergence
Yeah, But?
As humanity continues to grapple with the social and political fallout of the twentieth century’s rapid globalization, dire warnings about our physical world are being issued from many corners. How will we move forward?
View Lesson

Featured Materials

Data Exploration: Future Population Growth
Burj Khalifa in the fog
Article

Data Exploration: Future Population Growth

There are a lot of us living on this planet. But the rate of population growth has slowed in recent decades. Can data help us predict our population future?
Unit 10 Overview: The Future
BHP Teacher Rachel Hansen with a future hologram of herself wearing sunglasses and a silver jacket.
Video

Unit 10 Overview: The Future

What will the future hold and what might be our next threshold of increasing complexity? Do some time traveling with present-day and future Rachel to find out!
Jacqueline Howard: A Day on Mars
A Day on Mars
Video

Jacqueline Howard: A Day on Mars

Could humans relocate to Mars? Is it a potential future home for our species?
Complexity and the Future
Complexity and the Future
Article

Complexity and the Future

What will be the next major threshold? A historian contemplates complexity, fragility, and sustainability.
“Are We Alone? Now Is the Time to Find Out”
Are We Alone
Article

“Are We Alone? Now Is the Time to Find Out”

We will never know for sure that extraterrestrial life doesn’t exist, but what will it mean for us as humans if and when we find out that it does?
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: Visions of the Future
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Video

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: Visions of the Future

How will resources and opportunity be distributed in the future? American Scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. hopes that the advances of technology will benefit everyone.
How can an understanding of history help us predict the future?
How can an understanding of history help us predict the future
Article

How can an understanding of history help us predict the future?

Our future isn’t a certain conclusion of doom and gloom. It’s a range of possibilities we must assess with the reasoning we develop from studying history.
Eradicating Smallpox
Without public will you can't do anything
Video

Eradicating Smallpox

In 1980, humanity officially eradicated the dreaded smallpox virus. Dr. Larry Brilliant tells the long history of this unique accomplishment and what it means for the future.
Satyendra Nath Bose – Graphic Biography
Cartoon image of Satyendra Nath Bose
Article

Satyendra Nath Bose – Graphic Biography

Satyendra Nath Bose contributed to breakthroughs in quantum physics. His big ideas helped us understand the tiniest scale of our Universe.

More topics