“Never make predictions, especially about the future.”   -Casey Stengel
Long held beliefs and deeply engrained truths permeate in futures studies as a practice.  We’re not fortune tellers.
We say we do not predict the future because the future is unpredictable.  Trends make waves, but there is no permanance in strictly trends.  Images can be lofty, but must have substance and people behind them.  Actions can spark an event, but events are always unpredictable.
So futurists paint a picture of possibility, giving insight on the probable, preferred, and postulating.  NPR  gives us some insight on these facts of futures possibilities in their latest Freakonomics Radio Podcast.
The Folly Of Prediction:  Freakonomics’ Steven Duber On Why Predicting Is So Hard