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I've read the term being described to many inventors. e.g. Ray Kurzweil .

Is anyone who discusses futuristic technology or hypothesises the future, a futurist?

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I don't think anyone who talks about the future (which is practically everyone) would be considered a futurist, any more than talking about animals or the weather makes one a zoologist or meteorologist. The term is usually used for people who dedicate a significant amount of their life to making predictions, particularly if it's part of their professional activity. It's probably most often used to refer to authors who write about future trends. Kurzweil isn't considered a futurist because he's an inventor, but more likely because he has written about how he expects technological trends to continue (e.g. the The Singularity is Near),

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  • It's a pity I'm not allowed to vote up answers on my own question.
    – pratik_m
    Feb 14, 2015 at 18:58
  • While we're at it, should the 'themself' in the question be 'themselves' instead?
    – pratik_m
    Feb 15, 2015 at 7:02
  • Either is OK. If you make it plural, you have to make the rest of the sentence agree: Who are entitled to call themselves "futurists"?.
    – Barmar
    Feb 15, 2015 at 7:16

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