Odd Futures with the Canadian Foresight Network

What if a 15-Year-Old Led the World? Or an Asteroid Changed Everything?

What if the world was suddenly led by a 15-year-old visionary—or an asteroid reshaped everything we know? These provocations capture the spirit of the #DreamsandDisruptions foresight game hosted by the Canadian Foresight Network, where we explored how futures emerge in the most unexpected ways.

One key lesson I took away: in weird and absurd tomorrows, there are no absolutes. Causal rules bend, what we thought was fixed can be reimagined, and the unfamiliar isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable. Foresight thrives here, especially when old linear maps no longer apply.

In just 45 minutes, Canadian futurists generated scenarios that were surreal, bold, and inspiring, reminding us that the future is never fixed—it’s co-created through curiosity, imagination, and collective insight.

A huge thank you to our amazing organizers and facilitators—Anna Barkhudarova, Emel Tabaku, Danielle Pierre, and Suzanne Stein—for shaping such a wild, fun, and insightful dreaming journey.

We stretched across alternate timelines, strengthened a growing network of changemakers, and proved once again that foresight is both an art form and a discipline.

Why the Strange Matters to Me

When I think about the kinds of scenarios we explored during the game, I often call them Odd Futures. These are the strange, surreal, even absurd possibilities that don’t fit neatly into our expectations—a teenager suddenly running the world, rivers gaining legal personhood, or an asteroid resetting civilization.

Odd Futures remind me that the future has no absolutes. The causal rules we assume to be fixed can bend, shift, and be rewritten. What feels unfamiliar today might become inevitable tomorrow. And for me, this is where foresight thrives—where the old maps no longer work, and we’re forced to stretch our imagination.

Exploring Odd Futures has taught me to see foresight as collective imagination in action. They break down the walls of dominant narratives, create room for creativity and diversity, and prepare us to adapt. Some of my deepest insights—and my greatest sense of hope—have come from engaging with the most unexpected, odd scenarios.