What's Emerging end of October 2024
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy.
Welcome to our end of October newsletter.
As previously flagged our newsletters will be a little more intermittent and shorter over the next 3 months (including this one) as Paul has to take significant time off to deal with a health issue. As a result, he will not be taking on any new project work until the New Year.
In the next few weeks Paul will continue to work on the strategy implementation consultation process with RSL Victoria. Paul will also finalise work on a scenario and Foresight Forum project with the Professional Standards Authority on the future of the professions and implications for standards and regulation. He will also continue in his role of Chair with venture philanthropy organisation Social Venture Partners. He will also be having his first investors meeting for the social enterprise business we have been teasing about. Still cannot tell you about it.
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:
The world’s largest wind-powered cargo ship just made its first delivery across the Atlantic
When a new cargo ship set sail from France to New York last month, loaded with hundreds of pallets of champagne, wine, and cognac, it was the first time in nearly a century that a large cargo ship crossed the Atlantic powered almost entirely by the wind..........…..Read More
What are we Writing About?
As Paul has been dealing with a health issue there is nothing in this section this newsletter
What’s Emerging
GITAI’s Inchworm-Type Robotic Arm Achieves TRL6 in a Thermal Vacuum Chamber Test Simulating the Lunar South Pole Environment
To reduce the cost of space operations by 100 times, GITAI is developing robotic satellites for on-orbit services, lunar robotic rovers for infrastructure construction, and inchworm-type robotic arms that can be used in both areas.........…..Read More
Australia’s fertility rate has reached a record low. What might that mean for the economy?
Australians simply aren’t having as many babies as they used to, raising some serious questions about how we can maintain our country’s workforce, sustain economic growth and fund important services......….….Read more
Hackers took over robovacs to chase pets and yell slurs
Someone gained access to Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni robotic vacuums across several US cities earlier this year and used them to chase pets and yell racist slurs at their owners,.”......…..Read More
De-extinction company claims it has nearly complete thylacine genome
The genome of the extinct thylacine has been nearly completely sequenced, de-extinction company Colossal has announced. It says the genome is more than 99.9 per cent complete, with just 45 gaps that will soon be closed – but it has provided no evidence to back up its claim...........…..Read More
Qantas accused of greenwashing as climate advocates lodge complaint over sustainability, net zero claims
An environmental advocacy group has lodged a complaint with the consumer watchdog over claims Qantas makes on sustainability and climate......……. Read More
China is First Country to Sell Over a Million Electric Vehicles in a Month
China sold over one million EVs in August 2024, breaking the previous record set in December 2023 by 70,000 vehicles, revealed research-house, Rho Motion. The European market is now down 4% so far this year compared to the same period last year, the first-time sales growth has turned negative in the region......……. Read More
Toyota to Invest $500 Million in Joby Aviation
Toyota Motor Corporation and Joby Aviation, Inc. , a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced that Toyota will invest an additional $500 million to support the certification and commercial production of Joby's electric air taxi, with the aim of realizing the two companies' shared vision of air mobility.....…..Read more
Just how doomed is home insurance?
Hurricanes like Milton and Helene are making it harder than ever to insure your home.......…..Read more
License Plate Readers Are Creating a US-Wide Database of More Than Just Cars
From Trump campaign signs to Planned Parenthood bumper stickers, license plate readers around the US are creating searchable databases that reveal Americans’ political leanings and more.....…..Read more
HPV vaccine study finds zero cases of cervical cancer among women vaccinated before age 14
An amazing success story: A historic new study out of Scotland shows the real-world impact of vaccines against the human papillomavirus: The country has detected no cases of cervical cancer in women born between 1988-1996 who were fully vaccinated against HPV between the ages of 12 and 13......…..Read more
Why Silicon Valley’s biggest AI developers are hiring poets
Training data companies are grabbing writers of fiction, drama, poetry, and also general humanities experts to improve AI creative writing.......…..Read more
A fabrication strategy for millimeter-scale, self-sensing soft-rigid hybrid robots
Soft robots typically involve manual assembly of core hardware components like actuators, sensors, and controllers. This increases fabrication time and reduces consistency, especially in small-scale soft robots. Here is a scalable monolithic fabrication method for millimeter-scale soft-rigid hybrid robots, simplifying the integration of core hardware components.......…..Read more
Business and Other Tips
The Cognitive Shortcut That Clouds Decision-Making
Merely repeating false claims increases their believability, leaving business leaders vulnerable to basing decisions on misinformation. Here are four strategies to prevent this.……….Read More
Snakes are waking up. What should you do if you’re bitten? And what if you’re a long way from help?
From the creeks that wind through inner city Melbourne to the far outback in Western Australia, snake season is beginning. Over the cooler months snakes have been in state of brumation. This is very similar to hibernation and characterised by sluggishness and inactivity. As warmer conditions return both snakes and humans become more active in the outdoors, leading to an increased likelihood of interaction. This may happen when people are hiking, dog-walking or gardening. The risk of being bitten by a snake is exceptionally small, but knowing basic first aid could potentially save your, or another person’s, life. .……….Read More
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