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From Here to Immorta |
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Until recently, only a tiny fraction of Americans reached their 100th birthdays. Yet, with technologies available today or already in the pipeline, this number has already begun to increase dramatically. For example, in 1990, there were 37,306 Americans who were at least 100 years old. By the year 2010, there will be 131,000. And, by 2050, projections by the U.S. Census Bureau anticipate there being 834,000 centenarians. |
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To Tell the Truth |
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The device that is widely used to detect lies today, the polygraph, is simply too unreliable. It is too inaccurate for the results to be admissible in court cases. A 2002 report by the National Research Council concluded that the polygraph can’t distinguish innocent people from guilty ones. In response, the U.S. Department of Energy began relying less on the use of the polygraph to conduct security checks on its employees. |
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The Emerging Tri-Pol |
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Consider the big picture, as we…ve laid it out in previous issues of Trends:
꼑 The population of the developed world is rapidly aging.
꼑 The United States is the only advanced nation where the workforce is forecasted to grow over the next 50 years.
꼑 The populations of the EU and Japan are actually expected to shrink over that time period.
꼑 Even China is rapidly aging and the size of its workforce will peak around 2025.
꼑 At the same time, Latin America, India, the Middle East, and Africa all have young, rapidly growing populations of under-utilized workers and under-served consumers. |
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Americans Are Finall |
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One of the driving forces behind the retro trend is the craving to return to a time when American products seemed to be made with higher standards for quality. But is quality really just a thing of the past? Not according to a growing number of businesses that are embracing the quality revolution. |
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Medicare Crisis Spur |
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At the same time that corporations are transforming themselves to deal with the threats and opportunities posed by the growing elder population, politicians and social planners are fretting over the problems they fear that this demographic tidal wave will create for pensions and for the healthcare system. |
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