1. How (not) to look ahead
2. Fatal discontinuities. Natural catastrophes
Encounters with extraterrestrial objects
Volcanic mega-eruptions and collapses
Influenza pandemics
Violent conflicts
Transformational wars
Terrorist attacks
Imaginable surprises
3. Unfolding trends. Energy transitions
Dominant fuels, enduring prime movers
Solar (nuclear?) civilization
New world order
Europe's place
Japan's decline
Islam's choice
Russia's way
China's rise
The United States' retreat
Place on top
Dominance and decline
Globalization and inequality
4. Environmental change. Global warming and its consequences
Rising temperatures
Ocean's rise, dynamics and composition
Ecosystems and economies
Other global changes
Changing water and nitrogen cycles
Loss of biodiversity and invasive species
Antibiotic resistance
Biosphere's integrity
5. Dealing with risk and uncertainty. Relative fears
Quantifying the odds
Rational attitudes
Acting as risk minimizes
The next 50 years.