I think the key political changes in the last 20yrs of the 20ths century will be the disintegration of the communist countries, the emerging economies of east asian states, and the backlash to western culture and influence (ie. Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and others). On the technology front definitely the rise of the internet will be one of the key developments in communication since Gutenberg and will probably change everything. There is also the advent of biotechnology and genetic science (for better or for worse) and finally a shift toward environmental awareness which will need to happen if we want to survive. that and other things we cant even imagine. Petr