Ah, Maglev. It sounds like a Stalinist spelling mistake. But it's just become one of George Osborne's new policies. The Maglev train has a permanent reserved slot on the Tomorrow's World schedule. It's clean, it's flash, it's fast, it's a bit magic, it's very seventies. And it's just been defrosted by the shadow chancellor. He wants it to solve climate change while taking us to Glasgow and back in less time than it takes to finish a Campari and soda.

It's a nice example of politicians talking about the future. Policy, politics and people are thrown out of the window, whooshed aside by a 300mph Dan Dare prop.

Next week, we're launching our next science project at the BA festival of science, Working with the OSI's Horizon-Scanning Centre, we're doing a year of public engagement with future technology. Our aim is a democratic vision of the future - one with the people put back in.

As is always the way, Demos follows where the simpsons lead. Their town meeting on the monorail - the maglev's ernest predecessor - tells you everything you need to know.

Well, sir, there's nothing on Earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car maglev. Looking at this video, I can see why George is excited, mind.

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