In bringing you tomorrow's news today, we have mapped a path from the already familiar landscape of life in 2000 through to the uncharted territories of 2050.

Your guides are scientists and experts whose ground-breaking work is already creating the new millennium. We do not have a crystal ball, but the research, intuition and imagination of today's leading minds can help us look into the future. At times we may appear irreverent - but never malicious.

Our vision is bold. History teaches us that it must be. Few could have predicted the impact of the first moon landing; the fall of communism; the advent of the pill or the Internet. The next five weeks will sometimes amuse, occasionally disturb, but always keep you thinking.

The biotech century dawns, bringing with it the hope that we can remodel ourselves genetically into a fitter, more intelligent species. But at what price?

Meanwhile problems of the 20th century continue to dog us. We witness nuclear devastation in Russia and the destruction of Hollywood in a huge earthquake. World conflict is monitored live on the War Channel - one of hundreds of new channels competing for a diminishing audience.

It's hello and goodbye to William Hague as prime minister, welcome back to Labour and farewell to the United Kingdom as Scotland gains independence. Disney goes to the moon to harness the power of the sun; the lame walk and neuroscience promises an end to human evil.

We learn to talk to computers and to wear clothes that clean themselves. Finally we raise a glass to the end of an incredible decade with a toast to the hangover cure.