What's Emerging end of February Plus a few days) 2025
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy.
Welcome to our newsletter for the end of February 2025.
Apologies for being late with this. there has been a lot on - Paul
In the next few weeks Paul will continue to work on the strategy implementation consultation process with RSL Victoria and present on the future of AI to a CEO roundtable. He will also present to a YMCA CEO conference and a syndicate at the CEO Institute. He will also continue working on his new startup which now has partial funding. He will also continue in his role of Chair with venture philanthropy organisation Social Venture Partners.
If you are interested in talking to us about any of our strategy approaches, foresight approaches, workshops, or conference presentations for next year, please Contact Us.
The Emergent Futures Team
In case you missed it. The most popular link from the last edition was:
Only walking for exercise? Here’s how to get the most out of it
Walking is cost-effective, doesn’t require any special equipment or training, and can be done with small pockets of time. Our preliminary research, shows there are ways to incorporate strength-training components into walking to improve your muscle strength and balance………..Read More
What are we Writing About?
Paul has written a speculative scenario about what the Democrats might/should be doing to combat the Trump/Musk presidency. Paul and Chris Rice (Political Scientist and Futurist in Kentucky) will be writing longer articles on the potential crises points in the USA in coming weeks and what they might mean. You can read Paul’s piece at LinkedIn
What’s Emerging
Scientists engineer fish and flies to clean up toxic mercury
Using genes borrowed from bacteria, Macquarie University-led research has demonstrated fish and flies can be engineered to break down methylmercury and remove it from their bodies as a less harmful gas, offering new ways to tackle persistent mercury pollution in the environment.........…..Read More
Startup grows egg proteins in potato fields
Molecular farmers Maya Sapir-Mir and Raya Liberman-Aloni are taking a global culinary favorite and transforming it into a low-cost bioreactor to manufacture egg protein. They set up PoLoPo in 2022 to engineer potato plants to produce egg-white protein without the need for expensive bioreactors. The company, which is based in Ness Ziona, Israel, has begun its first field trial growing the protein-rich tuber.......….….Read more
Massive Foundation Model for Biomolecular Sciences Now Available via NVIDIA BioNeMo
Scientists everywhere can now access Evo 2, a powerful new foundation model that understands the genetic code for all domains of life. Unveiled today as the largest publicly available AI model for genomic data, it was built on the NVIDIA DGX Cloud platform in a collaboration led by nonprofit biomedical research organization Arc Institute and Stanford University....…..Read More
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip carves new path for quantum computing
The world’s first quantum chip powered by a new Topological Core architecture that it expects will realize quantum computers capable of solving meaningful, industrial-scale problems in years, not decades..............…..Read More
BYD unveils smart driving system 'God's Eye' with low-cost goals; rivals question its true capabilities
The system's sensors include AI, cameras, ultrasonic radar, millimeter-wave radar, and LiDAR, with the number and combination of sensors varying by vehicle model and price. The most affordable model is priced around CNY100,000 (approx. US$13,717), or even as low as CNY70,000, which is expected to shock the market.......……. Read More
American Sellers Are Losing Walmart to China Too
In 2024, Chinese sellers made up nearly half of the new sellers added to Walmart’s marketplace, accelerating the platform’s transformation into yet another channel dominated by Chinese merchants. Walmart’s marketplace is following Amazon’s path – where Chinese sellers already represent more than 50% of sellers......……. Read More
Channel 4’s social audiences thrive, driven by YouTube and Channel 4.0
Channel 4 led British broadcasters’ embrace of social in 2024, as YouTube audiences for full episodes of hit shows such as First Dates, Murder Case: Digital Detectives and Grand Designs swelled by more than two-and-a-half times (+169% year on year). Newly released data for 2024 highlights Channel 4’s social leadership: its main YouTube channel saw higher average views per video than equivalent channels from the BBC, ITV and Channel 5, as well as more views than ITV, Sky and Channel 5. Channel 4 News also drove higher average views per video on YouTube than ITV News and Sky News......…..Read more
Anduril to take over Microsoft’s $22 billion U.S. Army headset program
The partnership will give the drone software maker “oversight of production, future development of hardware and software, and delivery timelines” if approved by the Department of Defense.......…..Read more
Cook Islands deal opens up Pacific to China
China will be able to establish a "significant strategic presence" in the Pacific following its new agreement with the Cook Islands, a security studies professor says......…..Read more
Meta’s Ray-Bans have sold 2 million pairs — its maker is prepping to sell 10M each year
EssilorLuxottica, which produces those glasses for Meta, has now publicly revealed 2 million pairs of Meta Ray-Bans have sold since their October 2023 debut, and that it’s aiming to produce 10 million Meta glasses each year by the end of 2026.....…..Read more
AI agents could birth the first one-person unicorn — but at what societal cost?
Thanks to the advent of cloud computing and distributed digital infrastructure, the one-person micro-enterprise is far from a novel concept. Cheap on-demand compute, remote collaboration, payment processing APIs, social media, and e-commerce marketplaces have all made it easier to “go it alone” as an entrepreneur. But what about scaling that one-person business into something meatier — an enterprise of unicorn proportions?......…..Read more
Airbus postpones development of new hydrogen aircraft
Airbus did not give a new timeline for the project, but the Force Ouvriere union said that staff had been told earlier this week that the technology was running five to 10 years behind the pace needed to support the original 2035 target......…..Read more
Business and Other Tips
Criminal gangs using key programming devices to steal cars at level not seen in Victoria in decades, police say
Police believed the methodology was well known among criminal circles and being used extensively locally, as well as other countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. Paul: protect yourself if you have one of these models……….Read More
Increased mortality and serious health issues for those hospitalised with COVID, study reveals
The first six months following hospitalisation were particularly crucial, with those hospitalised from COVID facing nearly three times the excess risk of death. Paul - yet another reason for being cautious about catching COVID and taking care of yourself if you do..……….Read More
Unlock the Power of Smart Scheduling: Strategies, Benefits, and Tools
Paul: I am a particular fan of time blocking and active timing with breaks - schedule 2 hours with no interruptions but work for 55 minutes, take a break for 10 and do something active, then do 55 minutes and take a longer break. I work from home a lot so doing this and getting stuff done around the house/or exercise is good in the breaks………..Read More
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