What's Emerging end of October 2023
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy.
Welcome to our end-of-October newsletter
Apologies for sending out the newsletter late. The last few days have been very busy on short notice.
In the next few weeks, Paul will be completing a strategic board review with a health sector foundation. He will also be working with the I CAN network on the future of their online mentoring program, as well as exploring the business model for a new social enterprise he is thinking of establishing. He will also be continuing to work with RSL Victoria on implementing their new strategic plan. He is less busy than usual as a planned 11-day trip to Perth has been delayed until next year by a client. So hit him up at paul@emergentfutures.com so he does not get too much time to relax.
Paul also has five new invite codes for the social media network Bluesky. Click on Contact Us below if you want to get one so you can explore that new space.
If you are interested in talking to us about any of these approaches, please Contact Us.
The Emergent Futures Team
In case you missed it. The most popular link from the last edition:
Dutch feed additive Bovear cuts cattle methane emissions in Australian testing
A Dutch product is providing some tough competition for a methane-busting seaweed, asparagopsis, being developed in Australia to reduce emissions in cattle..........…..Read more
What are we Writing About?
As none of our recent work is public, there is nothing in this section of this edition.
What’s Emerging
Hay fever-fighting rice to be part of Japan's economic stimulus
Japan is set to financially support the development of a genetically modified rice that can alleviate hay fever symptoms when consumed as part of economic stimulus measures being drawn up..........…..Read More
Starlink satellites are ‘leaking’ signals that interfere with our most sensitive radio telescopes
Thousands of satellites have been launched into Earth orbit over the past decade or so, with tens of thousands more planned in coming years. Many of these will be in “mega-constellations” such as Starlink, which aim to cover the entire globe............……. Read more
How Daily Mail went from voice of Middle England to Tiktok sensation
Don’t be surprised if you hear a member of Gen Z saying the Daily Mail “slays” on Tiktok or that it’s gone “hard af” with its “fire edits”.The broad translation is: “The Daily Mail has become the largest publisher of news in the world on Tiktok and a surprise hit among millions of under-25s.”.Paul: I am no fan of the Daily Mail but this is interesting.....……. Read More
First word discovered in unopened Herculaneum scroll by 21yo computer science student
The Herculaneum papyri, ancient scrolls housed in the library of a private villa near Pompeii, were buried and carbonized by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. For almost 2,000 years, this lone surviving library from antiquity was buried underground under 20 meters of volcanic mud. In the 1700s, they were excavated, and while they were in some ways preserved by the eruption, they were so fragile that they would turn to dust if mishandled. How do you read a scroll you can’t open? For hundreds of years, this question went unanswered...........…..Read more
Microsoft’s futuristic ‘Project Silica’ stores data on glass plates for 10,000 years
The Microsoft researchers store the data in the glass using three-dimensional pixels called voxels. In contrast to classical storage methods such as magnetic spinning disks, the “saucer-sized glass plates of Project Silica will store data for thousands of years and create sustainable storage for the world,” as Microsoft describes it.........…..Read more
Beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, a landscape frozen in time is revealed
A new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, has examined a corner of this underworld in great detail for the first time, revealing a landscape of deep valleys and high mountain peaks. .....….. Read more
Disease-resistant gene-edited pigs could help revolutionize animal farming. Will consumers accept them?
When Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), as it became known, was discovered in the early 1990s, it was named, simply, ‘mystery swine disease’. Nobody seemed to know where it came from or how to stop it spreading. PIC has worked with the University of Missouri and Scotland’s Roslin Institute to produce pigs using gene editing that are resistant to PRRS – and could be just a few months away from approval in the US.....…. Read more
Chip Startup Tachyum Will Make 50 Exaflop Supercomputers and 8 ZettaFlop AI Computers in 2025
When complete, the Prodigy-powered system will deliver a 25x multiplier vs. the world’s fastest conventional supercomputer built just this year, and will achieve AI capabilities 25,000x larger than models for ChatGPT4.Paul - lets wait and see........…..Read more
Foxconn aims to double jobs, investment in India over next 12 months
Paul: part of an ongoing diversification of supply chains ...........….. Read more
An AI revolution is brewing in medicine. What will it look like?
Emerging generalist models could overcome some limitations of first-generation machine-learning tools for clinical use.........….….Read more
IATA launches first integrated shopping to travel journey using digital identity
On a journey from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino via British Airways, IATA successfully tested the first fully integrated digital identity travel experience.
Our vision for future travel is fully digital and secured with biometric identification. While the technology exists to do this at each stage of a journey, linking these steps together has proven challenging…with our partners we showed that it is possible. This will open up a world of possibilities for simpler journeys in the future,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.
..….…Read more.
DIY retailer's app gives customized energy-saving tips based on uploaded photos of rooms
Dutch DIY retailer Praxis is leveraging artificial intelligence to guide its consumers toward greener living. The company just added a feature called 'Sustainability Check' to its free Praxis Plus app, aiming to simplify the process of making homes more energy-efficient. Users upload a single photo of a room and answer four contextual questions, such as the type of building they inhabit and how much work they're prepared to do.……...… Read more.
bp pulse expands across the US with purchase of Tesla’s ultra-fast charging hardware
The rollout will commence in 2024. Currently, bp pulse plans installations at prominent BP, Amoco, ampm, and Thorntons-branded sites, TravelCenters of America locations, and strategically positioned large-scale Gigahub™ charging sites near airports and major metropolitan areas throughout the United States.....……...… Read more.
Business and Other Tips
Even Short Runs Have Major Health Benefits
Jogging a mile or two a few times a week can help you live longer and reduce your risk of disease......…..read more (New York Times), or here is a link to the Original Work
No Longer Lonely at the Top: A Growing Number of Nonprofits Hire Co-CEOs
Shared leadership helps organizations find the skills they need and can be an answer to candidates’ demand for greater work-life balance. Paul: something to think about for your organisation?....…. Read More
Google: 3 new ways to check images and sources online
You will be able to look at:
An image’s history: Y
How other sites use and describe the image:
An image’s metadata:
. ……Read More
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