What's Emerging June 2023
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy.
Welcome to our end of June newsletter
In the next few weeks, Paul will continue working on a large foresight and strategic planning program for RSL Victoria and a strategic board review with a health sector foundation. He will also be presenting on the future of Agricultural Shows in Adelaide.
He will also be convening a group to look at experiments in futures thinking using new AI models to generate questions rather than answers. An approach beyond the current ChatGPT hysteria. Places will be limited, so please contact us if you wish to participate. First come, first served.
Paul will also be continuing his work in his position as Chair of Social Venture Partners Melbourne, which supports innovative not-for-profit startups to scale their operations through engaged philanthropy.
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:
Yet again: Lawyer cites fake cases invented by ChatGPT, judge is not amused
A lawyer asked ChatGPT for examples of cases that supported an argument they were trying to make. ChatGPT, as it often does, hallucinated wildly—it invented several supporting cases out of thin air. When the lawyer was asked to provide copies of the cases in question, they turned to ChatGPT for help again—and it invented full details of those cases, which they duly screenshotted and copied into their legal filings.........…..Read more
What are we Writing About?
Paul has written on LinkedIn on the changing political landscape and what it might mean for the legal and regulatory environment you operate in……. The Future Political Environment
What’s Emerging
A bit of a robot theme this edition
Mori3: A polygon-based modular robot
Each module is their own robot; they have their own power, motors, sensors. By themselves, they can drive around on the ground and change the length of each of their triangular edges. However, working together, they function as a complete system capable of achieving many different types of tasks..…..Read More
On the Decentralization of Robotics (A Story about Trouts, Magic Seeds, and Spidey Senses, Naturally)
Paul: an interesting story on the future of robots by my friend Patrick Meier...…..Read More
Robots learn to perform chores by watching YouTube
Learning has been a holy grail in robotics for decades. If these systems are going to thrive in unpredictable environments, they’ll need to do more than just respond to programming — they’ll need to adapt and learn..........……. Read more
Ocado shares soar on takeover rumours
Ocado’s second largest shareholder has said the retail technology firm should remain listed in the UK, after its shares soared 40% on speculation that it could become the target of a takeover. Paul: This is particularly interesting for Australia where Ocado is building automated robotic warehouse systems for Coles.. Imagine Amazon owning them and being in competition with Coles at the same time......……. Read More
Physicists Discover a New State of Matter Hidden in The Quantum World
This new state revealed some rather interesting properties. For instance, electrons will freeze into a predictable pattern and a fixed spin direction at absolute zero and can't be interfered with by other particles or magnetic fields. That stability could have applications in quantum-level digital storage systems........…..Read more
5 people have acquired malaria in the US. They’re the first in 20 years.
The cases, identified in Florida and Texas, raise a lot of questions..........…..Read more
The first big battery at an Australian coal site goes live at Hazelwood power station
The Latrobe Valley has been the home of Victoria's coal-fired power stations since last century. Hazelwood was the first to close, with Yallourn and Loy Yang A set to follow. in 2028 and 2035, respectively. The Hazelwood battery will take advantage of existing grid infrastructure installed to service the coal industry to feed power into the grid.........….. Read more
U.S. Approval of Interracial Marriage at New High of 94%
The latest figure is from a Gallup poll conducted July 6-21. Shifts in the 63-year-old trend represent one of the largest transformations in public opinion in Gallup's history -- beginning at a time when interracial marriage was nearly universally opposed and continuing to its nearly universal approval today.....…. Read more
The world's fish are shrinking as the climate warms. We're trying to figure out why
Fish are the most diverse group of vertebrates, ranging from tiny gobies and zebrafish to gigantic tunas and whale sharks. They provide vital sustenance to billions of people worldwide via fisheries and aquaculture, and are critical parts of aquatic ecosystems.But fish around the world are getting smaller as their habitats get warmer........…..Read more
COVID didn’t change internal migration as much as claimed, new ABS data show
At its height, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted well-established patterns of migration within Australia. Reports of a regional renaissance suggested city dwellers were moving to regional areas in droves. The governments of Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory were also keen to promote new migration flows to reverse long-standing declines in their shares of the national population. Advice from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that internal migration numbers were “implausibly high” received less attention. The ABS suspended these data releases due to this concern. Its latest population data release uses a revised model for net interstate migration..........….. Read more
'You can 3D print one material through another, as if it were invisible': New 3D printing technique
They achieved this by modifying a well-established 3D printing process known as stereolithography to push the boundaries of multi-material integration. A conventional 3D printer would normally apply a blue or UV laser to a liquid resin that is then selectively solidified, layer by layer, to build a desired object. But a major drawback of this approach has been the limitations in intermixing materials. What is different about this latest project is that the scientists use a NIR light source capable of printing at far greater depths into the resin vat, and with no need to print in layers.........….….Read more
Machine learning algorithm identifies 3 natural anti-aging chemicals
Previous studies have identified some promising senolytics, but they’re often toxic to healthy cells. Now, a study led by researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland has used a pioneering method to seek out chemicals that can safely and effectively eliminate these defective cells..….…Read more.
WPP partners with NVIDIA to build generative AI-enabled content engine for digital advertising
The new engine connects an ecosystem of 3D design, manufacturing and creative supply chain tools, including those from Adobe and Getty Images, letting WPP’s artists and designers integrate 3D content creation with generative AI. This enables their clients to reach consumers in highly personalised and engaging ways, while preserving the quality, accuracy and fidelity of their company’s brand identity, products and logos.……...…Read more.
Japan vending machines to automatically offer free food if earthquake hits
The machines, which contain about 300 bottles and cans of soft drinks and 150 emergency food items, including nutritional supplements, have been installed near buildings that have been designated as evacuation shelters................…Read more.
Business Tips
Google Pixel phones have a secret button. Here's how to find it (and use it)
Through the Pixel's gyroscope and accelerometer, Quick Tap is triggered when you double-tap the back of the device. Paul: I have set this up to quickly turn on the torch which is very useful. Not sure if it is available on other Android phones or not, but it is not an option on a Motorola Android phone that my partner uses. Check your own systems. ...…..read more.
Paracetamol versus ibuprofen – which works best and when?
While both are effective at reducing pain, they work in different ways. So deciding which one you should choose is dependent on the type of pain you are experiencing. Sometimes it might be appropriate to take a medication that contains both drugs. ……Read more
How do you plan for a founding CEO succession?
Leadership transitions from founding CEOs to new leaders entail a variety of opportunities and challenges. Transitions can bring a new focus, a different direction, or an injection of momentum – but can just as easily be disruptive, challenging, and distracting. While these CEO successions are reasonably common, they often go undiscussed until it is an urgent and immediate concern. Paul: This is an issue we deal with at Social Venture Partners Melbourne with our investees. This article looks at one of our investees Youth Live4Life which has had tremendous success reducing youth suicide in the regional communities they serve. SVPM and SVA have worked together with them. The organisations here are not for-profit entities, but the principles are more general....…. Read More
Complexity is not supposed to be complex
An excellent article by Sonja Blignaut …... Read more
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