Back from the Future: An ABSEL "Merlin" Exercise For the Year 2005

Abstract

In preparation for ABSEL's 25th anniversary meeting, we have involved a number of our senior members in a futuristic "Merlin" exercise. The exercise is derived from T. S. White's notion that Merlin was living his life from the future backward. The exercise asks participants to imagine that they are living backward like Merlin, describing what they would say back in the year 2005. This paper describes the results of this exercise.