Colleagues, Last fall, CFM lecturer Dr. Jane McGonigal pointed out that the work of futurists isn¹t to predict the future, but to identify the ³materials of the future²‹products, ideas or services that have the potential to have a profound effect on the way we live decades from now. At the annual meeting, we invited FutureQuest players to vote for ³most promising material of the future,² based on their potential effect on museums, from among the products, ideas and services showcased by vendors in MuseumExpo. Well, this contest ended in a three-way tie, and we are turning to you to determine the winner. The contestants are Fentress Architects, GestureTek, and GreenGuestbook. How can you assess the potential of a ³material of the future²? Prime your imagination by asking yourself, ³what, in the past, made such a big difference in the way that museums operate that the field would look very different, today, if it never existed?² Three examples: air-conditioning, blockbuster buster exhibits, and the principles of accessibility/universal design. Then examine our three finalists, and look forward in time to envision how museums might look or behave differently through using these products or services. Which ones might change the landscape of how we operate? Open up new horizons? Decide which finalist you think will make the biggest difference, if broadly adopted, in ten or twenty year¹s time. Please vote at http://futureofmuseums.org/events/materialofthefuture.cfm Voting closes on July 9th. Winners will be announced July 13. Many thanks and happy voting! ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ Guzel duChateau € Program Coordinator, Center for the Future of Museums € American Association of Museums 1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20005 (: +1.202.218.7681 | 7: +1.202.289.6578 | *: [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).