bestos, now understood as a serious health risk, was
thought to be safe in the early 1900s, given the scientific
knowledge then available. Evidence of its risks gradually
mounted for more than 50 years before any company was
held liable for the harms it can cause. Many firms that
failed to anticipate the consequences of this evolving
body of research have been bankrupted by the results.
No longer can companies be content to monitor only
the obvious social impacts of today. Without a careful
process for identifying evolving social effects of tomor-
row, firms may risk their very survival.