WHAT THE STARS FORETELL
READING THE SIGNS
WE HATE TO BE PREDICTABLE, but here it is again: Before the new year begins in earnest, we have invited a panel of leading experts, analysts and columnists to address some of the enduring concerns that preoccupy us, from the inescapable, perennial rubrics of the economy and politics, to hot button issues of privacy and the fate of political debate as indignation and fake news spiral in the echo chambers of social media. Will our northern neighbours be good? Will we ever live in smart cities, or is urban entropy our fate? Does solar energy really have a bright future? Will controversies about ancient monuments continue to hijack the headlines? Is 2018 going to be all about the 2019 elections, or will the Congress face extinction in the assembly elections even before the year is out?
It took some prodding of course, but once provoked, our pundits unleashed their inner Cassandras to suggest a range of perils (and a few opportunities) on the road ahead. One contributor is unkind enough to suggest, effectively, that you won’t be reading this magazine next year—it’s all going to be about video, don’t y’know? We’ll be working on that of course but as another essay in this issue reminds us, prophesy is overrated. We still believe in reading (quite literally) the signs of our times and we’re happy to tempt fate. Fortune, as cricketing pundits like to say, favours the brave (Virat Kohli’s latest form notwithstanding). So here are 12 essays to prepare you for another interesting year. Happy reading—and good luck!