What's Emerging May 2022
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy
Welcome to our end of May version of the newsletter.
In the next few weeks, Paul will continue running a project on how to maximise the adoption of new irrigation technologies in the Dairy and Cotton industries via the use of Sense Maker narrative collection techniques. He will also be continuing work with Vision Australia on their 10 year vision and strategic planning and continue a scenario project with the New Zealand veterinary profession on the future for veterinary science. He will also be speaking to a CEO Institute Group at the MCG and a Hydroponics Conference in Melbourne. He is helping to organise a conference on the future of the farm later in the year and has joined a new global research project led by Simon Wardley from the UK. More on that later. Lastly he will be working with a business looking at new teaching platform models for universities.
Please Contact Us if you want to talk about any of these approaches for your organisation or industry or want a presentation for your organisation or conference.
The Emergent Futures Team
Paul has also started a pro-bono project with 100 Story Building as a lead Partner for Social Venture Partners Melbourne which will involve a comprehensive business model review.
In case you missed it. The most popular link from the last edition:
Swarm of Micro Flying Robots in the Wild
Paul: Depending on your point of view this is either an amazing or a terrifying view of the future.
What are we Writing About?
Paul’s plenary keynote presentation to the Australian Veterinary Association is now up on our website. Go to our HOME PAGE and scroll to our latest work to access it.
What’s Emerging
China’s population is about to shrink for the first time since the great famine struck 60 years ago. Here’s what it means for the world
Projections prepared by a team at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences have it falling this year – for the first time post-famine – by 0.49 in a thousand. The turning point has come a decade sooner than expected...…. read more
The device is smaller than other proposed glucose fuel cells, measuring just 400 nanometers thick, or about 1/100 the diameter of a human hair. The sugary power source generates about 43 microwatts per square centimeter of electricity, achieving the highest power density of any glucose fuel cell to date under ambient conditions. The new device is also resilient, able to withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees Celsius. If incorporated into a medical implant, the fuel cell could remain stable through the high-temperature sterilization process required for all implantable devices……read more
Netherlands to ban fossil heating from 2026, make heat pumps mandatory
Additionally, the government will partner with the installation sector and the heat pump manufacturers. The installers’ association will ensure training locations in every region and special courses for “late entrants” to the sector, allowing for inter-industry movement of labour......…..Read more
Tiny robotic crab is smallest-ever remote-controlled walking robot
Smaller than a flea, robot can walk, bend, twist, turn and jump...….. Read more
Global wheat prices jump after India export ban
The export ban comes after a heatwave hit India's wheat crops, taking domestic prices to a record high. The cost of everything from bread and cakes to noodles and pasta has risen in recent months as wheat prices soared on world commodity markets. India's government said it would still allow exports backed by letters of credit that have already been issued, and to countries that request supplies "to meet their food security needs"…..Read more
Danny's workmate is called GPT-3. You've probably read its work without realising it's an AI
Danny Mahoney's workmate never leaves, sleeps, or takes a break. Day after day, the AI writing assistant churns out blog posts, reviews, company descriptions and the like for clients of Andro Media, Mr Mahoney's digital marketing company in Melbourne. He still has to check and edit the AI-generated text, but it's less work and he's cut his rates by half......….. Read more
Now There’s A Drum Magazine For Dropping Multiple Bombs From Commercial Drones
There are unconfirmed reports that an unnamed Dutch company has developed drum magazines for commercial drones, and that prototypes are headed to Ukraine. The photos show what looks to be a commercial quadcopter-type drone equipped with a drum magazine that is engineered to hold and drop multiple mortar shells in succession...…. Read more
Money for mushrooms: Fable Food closes in on third fundraising round
Plant-based start-up Fable Food is close to securing up to $25 million in fresh funding, as the alternative meat sector continues to curry favour with meat eaters and vegetarians alike. The start-up makes meat products out of shiitake mushrooms and counts Grill’d, Guzman y Gomez and Heston Blumenthal as customers..........….. Read more
This electric ‘sea glider’ could be the ultimate island hopper
The zero-emission Monarch propeller plane soars just above the sea, using aerodynamics similar to America’s Cup yachts: beginning with its hull in the water, hydrofoil acceleration generates lift to position the vehicle at around 10 metres over the water......…..Read more
Expect more power price hikes – a 1970s-style energy shock is on the cards
The short-term market price of black coal (used for about 70% of coal-fired generation) is now about five times higher than its long-run (ten year) average. One coal miner, New Hope Coal, says these are “record highs”. Similarly the short-term price of gas has risen to levels never seen before in Australia – about four times its long-run average....….….Read more
Young brain fluid improves memory in old mice
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from young mice can improve memory function in older mice, researchers report today in Nature. A direct brain infusion of young CSF probably improves the conductivity of the neurons in ageing mice, which improves the process of making and recalling memories. The team also suggests that the improvements are largely due to a specific protein in the fluid.…… Read More
UK to relax law on gene-edited food in post-Brexit change from EU
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill being introduced to Parliament will allow gene-edited crops to be developed and grown in England and sold in Great Britain....…. Read more
Every Dog Owner Needs a Smart Robotic Laser Guiding Them to Poop That Needs Picking Up
To avoid the hassle of scooping immediately after letting their dog outside for a potty break, and to ensure that future cleanups don’t miss any deposits, Caleb Olson created a smart system that not only tracks where their pup poops, but also uses a laser to guide them to every last pile...….. Read More
NASA Moves Forward With Next-Gen Solar Sail Project
The concept of solar sails is an old one — they were first proposed in the 1980s. The gist is that you equip a vessel with a lightweight sail that translates the pressure from solar radiation into propulsion. The problem is that a solar sail has to be much larger than the spacecraft it’s dragging along. Even a low-thrust solar sail would need to be almost a square kilometer, and you need to keep it intact over the course of a mission. Plus, you have little choice but to fly in the direction of sunlight, so you have to make tradeoffs for either power or navigation. Futuristic diffractive light sails could address these shortcomings. .......……. Read more
Business Tips
Use DICE instead of RACI
Good project management tip…… Read more
13 features to improve your Google Docs experience
These handy-but-hidden features will help you do things like create typing shortcuts, translate text instantly, or add GIFs to your documents .……Read more
The complete Zoom guide: From basic help to advanced tips and tricks
Something for everyone.....…. Read more
Stuck Between Two Bad Options? You Need to “Knock the Flagpole Down”
A great decision-making strategy from the cofounder of Netflix....……Read more
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