Evolution and surprise

At the same time that a consciousness of the future grows, people are becoming much more conscious of the past, and much better informed about it, than people used to be. Paleontologists and biologists are bringing forth new knowledge about the evolution of non-human life on the planet. Astronomers and cosmologists are providing new insight into the birth and growth of the universe itself. This knowledge becomes a part of the common culture in many ways. Everyone's field of vision is stretching to take in a wider landscape of time and space. In a sense, the future is foreseeable. At the same time, one is increasingly struck by the surprises in life. If people could see into the world of 50 years hence, it would remain in a way invisible to them because they would not understand what they saw.