After a turbulent start to the year in financial markets, packed with fear- inducing headlines, it is little surprise that people might feel nervous about what lies ahead. 

Man’s ingenuity will prove soothsayer pessimists wrong about our future resources, writes Matt Ridley

AFTER a string of world-shaking events America’s spies failed to predict, most recently the turmoil sweeping the Arab world, a vast project is taking shape to improve forecasting. It involves thousands of volunteers and the wisdom of crowds.