Flashforward is a science fiction novel by Canadian author
Robert J. Sawyer first published in 1999. The novel is set in 2009. At
CERN, the
Large Hadron Collider accelerator is performing a run to search for the
Higgs boson. The experiment has a unique side effect; the entire human race loses their consciousness for about two minutes. During that time, nearly everyone sees themselves roughly twenty-one years and six months in the future. Each individual experiences the future through the senses of his or her future self. This "
flashforward" results in countless deaths and accidents involving vehicles, aircraft, and any other device needing human control at the time of the experiment. The novel inspired the 2009 television series
FlashForward.