The gender gap is actually smallest in retirement preparedness, which requires such skills as strategic planning, short-term and long-range forecasting, and analysis of multiple variables.

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The difference, according to this leading futurist, is that prediction augurs specific events, while forecasting outlines a range of possibilities and their likelihood of occurring.

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The competitions range from predicting the progression of HIV to forecasting travel times on Autralian freeways.

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No guarantees, forecasting is difficult, but we believe that we will report within that range.

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Rovi also said on its conference call that it sees revenue in 2012 increasing in the mid-to-high single digit range, well below the 15.5% growth that the Street has been forecasting.

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Growth in gross domestic product (GDP) across the 12-member eurozone over the October to December period is likely to have fallen within the range of minus 0.3% to plus 0.1%, the commission's new economic forecasting model has estimated.

BBC: EU predicts eurozone rebound