September 2002 Predictions

"How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?"
-Duc de La Rochefoucauld



[YOUR FUTURE - INVENTIONS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE]
The refrigerator of the future - a feature-packed appliance that includes an internet connection and works as a TV, MP3 player.

A high-tech security system for parking lots sniffs out potential car-bomb threats.

A breath test has the potential to detect lung cancer.

Mining with alfalfa - researcher finds a field full of alfalfa can yield gold. The process, called phytoremediation, relies on the natural ability of some plants to take up materials, even heavy metals, through their roots. Scientists across the country are experimenting with using the process to clean up toxic spills ranging from explosive materials to hydrocarbons.

In the future, soldiers may soar into battle on computerized gliders, and fire weapons that can destroy targets around corners.

[HOT TRENDS]
What will be in style this fall for women? The executive fashion director of Glamour magazine says we'll all need two pencil skirts, and we should think luxury when it comes to fabrics.

A new study finds that over 40 potentially dangerous drug errors are made daily at hospitals.

Mankind's race for growth is so skewed and reckless that, without changing course swiftly, it could soon slam into a "dead end", UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned world leaders. Annan warned the assembly of heads of state and government that a chilling warning sign could be seen nearby in southern Africa, where Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe are threatened with famine.

Five years after her death, conspiracy theories about Princess Diana abound. One of the latest: Osama bin Laden put out a hit on the princess.

More Americans abused illegal drugs and alcohol in 2001 than in the previous year, the U.S. government said, citing a rising acceptance of marijuana use as a major cause.


[ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS]
Worldwide focus is on going to the Moon - Robotic spacecraft from several nations, as well as NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, will be first to return to the lunar surface.

A private company has been given the green light by the U.S. government to explore the moon.

The SETI@home project has announced plans to expand its hunt for radio signals coming from intelligent civilizations among the stars. The biggest advance is that SETI@home II should gather about 10 or 15 times more radio data per day, on average, than now gets recorded at Arecibo (the new system will span a wider frequency range and listen to several spots on the sky at once).

[HEALTH PREDICTIONS]
A new study has determined that all cloned animals have genetic defects.

A new study suggests there could be a link between older cellphones and brain tumours.

Guinea pigs have served as test cases for a biological pacemaker that could offer a safer and cheaper alternative to electronic implants.

A team of Columbia University researchers has found one predictor of motor neuron disease is having been a slim, varsity-level athlete.

A new study finds that the neurological activity from our own brains can be made into perfect lullabies.

Whatever your preferences, researchers say that music — whether you sing it, play it or just sit and listen — can be a powerful way to heal.

It takes only three weeks for a teenage girl to get hooked on tobacco, according to a new study.

Traumatic events, like the Sept. 11 terror attacks, can trigger recurring nightmares that actually retraumatize people experiencing them. A growing number of sleep therapists are using a new technique called "Imagery Rehearsal Therapy" that may bring relief to those who suffer from chronic nightmares. People undergoing this new therapy will take a nightmare and actually rewrite it, by replacing the haunting images with comforting ones. This ability to control our nighttime dreams has been studied by scientists for decades.

Mosquitoes have been spreading more than West Nile virus in some
parts of the country lately - they've also been spreading a little hysteria. Outbreaks of the potentially fatal virus have been on the rise this year. So far, with several months to go during which the disease can be transmitted, there have been 371 human cases and 16 deaths.

[LONG-TERM CLIMATE PREDICTIONS]
The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica may close within 50 years as the level of destructive ozone-depleting CFCs in the atmosphere is now declining, one of the world's leading atmospheric scientists said.

If the issue of global warming is ignored, what will happen to Tuvalu? Tuvalu comprises nine low-lying coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and Hawaii and its HIGHEST point is just 15 feet above sea level. Besides the possiblility that the islands may be covered by the rising sea levels, Tuvalu worries that global warming is causing more deadly cyclones at odd times of the year. Its seasons are changing, throwing off the island's agricultural schedule and damaging the marine ecosystem that many depend on for their livelihoods.

Warming Antarctic waters could suffocate animals according to
biologists. Some of the world's most exotic marine species could
be among those most at risk from warming waters, British scientists say.

[POLITICAL PREDICTIONS]
A United Nations report says recurrent border closures and curfews in the West Bank and Gaza have helped plunge the Palestinian territories into an economic crisis, leaving the Palestinian economy near collapse.

India and Pakistan are in the middle of what could be the biggest deployment of mines in decades, a watchdog group says.

Russia has repeated a threat to launch attacks into neighbouring Georgia to rid the region of Chechen rebels if Georgia doesn't take action.

After a painful anniversary, the nation looks ahead to the future. The president says we are at war, but some wonder who we're fighting, and whether we should be. Others say the economy should get more attention. What's next for America?

Why lessons learned by American special forces in Afghanistan may change U.S. war efforts forever.

U.S. authorities have been warned to be alert for the possible use of kayaks in a terror attack after a distributor in California notified the Coast Guard that three or four suspicious men attempted to purchase kayaks that could carry weights up to 850 pounds. An attacker in an inflatable boat packed with 600 pounds of C4 explosives blew up the USS Cole in October two years ago, killing 17 seamen. Agents have been warned that kayaks aren't likely to be picked up on radar, because they are made of rubber and plastic, and have extremely low profiles. They have also been warned to watch for thermos bottles containing highly explosive material.

Many Israelis increasingly believe it is inevitable — that if the U.S. attacks Iraq, Iraq will strike back at Israel, possibly with Scud missiles armed with chemical, biological, even radiological weapons. During the Gulf War, 39 Scud missiles struck Israeli territory - none carried chemical or biological weapons.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, bidding to calm growing public alarm at the prospect, has begun preparing the nation for war with Iraq in his most uncompromising speech to date on the subject.

Intelligence experts worry that the next terrorist strike on the United States will be what they call a "swarming attack" — a bombing or suicide hijacking combined with a hit on computers — that will make it make tougher for law enforcement and emergency teams to respond.

Authorities have found pictures and descriptions of United States landmarks and at least one military base as potential targets on a laptop confiscated from a key al Qaeda suspect. This information was used in a White House meeting, during which officials decided to keep the elevated terror alert status at orange.

The CIA and U.S. military are standing by off Yemen, ready to mount a military strike to grab al Qaeda fighters there, intelligence sources told ABCnews.

U.S. military planners see February as the best time to start a war against Iraq They would depend heavily on defecting Iraqi troops to help topple Saddam Hussein. The hostilities would probably be over no later than April, before the oppressive heat of the Persian Gulf spring and summer sets in.

[SEASONAL WEATHER PREDICTIONS]
Can people weaken hurricanes or prevent droughts? Recent research says it may be possible. Sometime in early October 2002, nine massive jets will take to the skies over southern Florida. Each will carry 16,000-330,000 pounds of an unusual arsenal: cloud-busting powder. The special powder should combine with the moisture and transform into a heavy gel. The gel will then fall harmlessly to the surface and effectively shake out moisture from the cloud. The hope is that tons of the powder might someday be used to steal strength from an ongoing hurricane.

[SPIRITUAL PREDICTIONS]
Researchers recently made a curious discovery: Fruit flies act dead days before they actually expire. Understanding why might shed light on human morbidity and its causes. Scientists are studying the moment before dying.

Reports of out-of-body sensations have been common throughout history. The Greek philosopher Plato was among the first to suggest that when the body dies and disintegrates, the soul migrates outside the body and continues to live. Characters in countless paranormal dramas have been resuscitated back to life and then speak about how they rose above their own bodies and watched others working feverishly to save them. Now a neurologist has found a way to trigger out-of-body experiences.

The New York lottery rounded out a day of remembrance on 9/11 in a truly astonishing way Wednesday night - the winning numbers were 9-1-1.

To some people, it's just condensation. But to the true believers, the Virgin Mary is appearing on a greenhouse wall in Saskatchewan.

Real-life ghostbusters - Can technology track down the paranormal?

[STOCK MARKET PREDICTIONS]
The fear of more terror attacks and a looming war on Iraq could deliver severe economic consequences, say some Wall Street analysts.

Some experts are warning that a bubble, like the dot-com bubble that burst two years ago, could threaten real estate. Real estate bubbles lose some of their air about three years after stock markets peak. That means a "correction" in home prices could occur in another year. Could the value of your home shatter in an overpriced market? Experts warn some areas of the country may be in trouble.