What's Emerging Mid-October 2021
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy
Introduction
Welcome to our mid-October newsletter for 2021.
In the next few weeks, Paul will continue working with a council on their community vision and working on a value adding strategy for agriculture in Queensland. He will also be working with the AFL Players Association on their next strategic plan (with futurist Reanna Browne who is the lead consultant). Paul will also continue working in his role as advisor for foresight and strategy to Save the Children Australia and will be presenting to the Murray River Tourism Board AGM on opportunities in the next 12 months. He is also commencing 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 starting work on the new project with Vision Australia on their 10 year vision and strategic planning.
Paul will be also be finalising the hand over of the role of temporary Executive Director of Social Venture Partners Melbourne over the next two weeks as a new permanent Executive Director takes up the role.
Stay safe out there. If you are in Australia we are about to start a whole new phase of the Pandemic and things might be a little tumultuous over the next few months.
The Emergent Futures Team
In case you missed it. The most popular link from the last edition:
$5.9 million ransomware attack on farming co-op may cause food shortage……Read more
What are we Writing About?
Paul’s presentation to the CEO Institute on foresight for Practical Strategy In October is now up on our website. Go to our Home Page and look under our latest work.
What’s Emerging
Tesla insurance will change the way you think about driving
Think about this: If you know that your driving behaviour (as opposed to driving or claims history) will determine how much you pay to insure your vehicle, and the lives and vehicles of those around you, would you think twice about making that snappy lane change, or driving too close to the car in front? Or driving too fast?.…. Read More
Is there a dark side to China’s high-speed rail network?
Researchers say bullet trains could mean lower economic activity in some western parts of the country. The conclusion is based on analysis of satellite data showing changes in night light....…. Read more
Dave and Goliath: maverick writer Eggers makes a stand against Amazon
The author likes small bookshops. So he won’t let the online giant sell his new hardback.….. Read more
DeepMind’s AI predicts almost exactly when and where it’s going to rain
Working with the Met Office, the UK’s national weather service, DeepMind has developed a deep-learning tool called DGMR that can accurately predict the likelihood of rain in the next 90 minutes—one of weather forecasting’s toughest challenges. In a blind comparison with existing tools, several dozen experts judged DGMR’s forecasts to be the best across a range of factors—including its predictions of the location, extent, movement, and intensity of the rain—89% of the time. The results were published in a Nature paper…… Read more
A ‘Historic Event’: First Malaria Vaccine Approved by W.H.O.
Malaria kills about 500,000 people each year, about half of them children in Africa. The new vaccine isn’t perfect, but it will help turn the tide, experts said.….Read more
IEEFA U.S.: Surging generation from solar, wind on track to push renewable market share to 30 percent by 2026
Data for the first eight months of this year show that wind generation has risen more than 25 percent since 2019 (pushing its market share to almost 9 percent) while utility-scale solar generation has jumped 55 percent (pushing its market share to nearly 3 percent). Combined, wind and utility-scale solar generation has gone up by 76 million megawatt-hours (MWh)—a 31 percent increase—while coal and gas generation has fallen by 1.6 percent since 2019, reflecting the ongoing transition of electricity markets to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels...….. Read more
McDonald's targets net zero emissions by 2050, from meat to energy
"We're trying to send a signal to our partners, to our investors, to our suppliers, to other brands in the global community, to policymakers, that we share that vision for 2050," McDonald's Chief Sustainability Officer Jenny McColloch told Reuters in an interview...…. Read more
Woman successfully treated for depression with electrical brain implant
The device works by detecting patterns of brain activity linked to depression and automatically interrupting them using tiny pulses of electrical stimulation delivered deep inside the brain. The 36-year-old patient, Sarah, said the therapy had returned her to “a life worth living”, allowing her to laugh spontaneously for the first time in five years.....….. Read more
Australia: Public infrastructure projects at risk of COVID-induced skilled labour shortage, report finds
Government investment in bridges, roads and railways is expected to double in coming years, but a new report has warned the spending blitz could be undermined by one of the worst skills shortages in decades.....…..Read more
JETPACK AVIATION’SRECREATIONAL SPEEDER FLYING MOTORCYCLE WILL GO ON SALE BY 2023
Expected to be available commercially in 2023, two versions of JetPack Aviation’s Speeder are available for pre-order now: the recreational model for personal use and the military model, which is being positioned as a tool “to save lives.” This futuristic vehicle (which is lighter than some motorcycles and takes up the space of a small car) employs vertical take-off and landing technology, allowing it to lift up and away. It’s expected to reach speeds of 240km/h. Paul: What could possibly go wrong? Imagine the worst jet ski behaviour you have seen and imagine it with these!...….….Read more
Oil recovery shows demand is still on a rising trend
When consumption plunged as the pandemic hit, there were claims that the world had passed Peak Demand for oil. As demand rebounds, those claims are set to be refuted…….Read more
Aussie Ravens Have Had Enough of Alphabet’s Delivery Drones
Reports of Wing’s delivery drones being mercilessly attacked by ravens have caused the company to cease operations in parts of Canberra. “We have identified some ravens demonstrating territorial behaviour in a small part of our delivery area in the suburb of Harrison, and we’ve asked local ornithological experts to investigate this further to ensure we continue to have minimal impact on birdlife,”..…. Read more
US army to 3D print concrete buildings and bridges in disaster areas
The US Army Corps of Engineers can now print concrete barracks, bunkers and other structures in challenging environments. Its Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES) programme has also drawn up plans to create the world’s first 3D-printed vehicle bridge, and prototype printers should be in the field next year......…Read more
Chinese tech giants roll out more courier robots as COVID-19 pandemic creates demand for contactless services
More than a thousand robots are set to join the delivery services of Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Meituan and JD.com over the next year as the continuing COVID-19 pandemic fuels demand for contactless services. The companies expect to operate more than 2,000 robots between them by 2022, up about four-fold from now, their executives said.....……. Read more
Business Tips
US task force proposes adults 60 and older should not start daily aspirin to prevent heart disease or stroke
The draft says that adults 60 and older should not start taking aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke because new evidence shows that potential harms cancel out the benefits, according to the task force. Not strictly a business tip but still important..…… Read more
I live in an apartment. How can I cut my risk of getting COVID?
Given we are likely to have high daily case numbers at various stages in every state in Australia over the next 12 months this is useful advice.……Read more
How can we overcome procrastination?
Another interesting Rachel Botsman piece featuring:
Nir Eyal. author of Indistractable, has a great tip he calls “Surfing the Urge.” It’s cultivating curiosity around the uncomfortable feelings of procrastination. Eyal suggests that you:
Notice when you are putting something off.
Ask yourself what you are feeling — boredom, tiredness, or anxiety?
Label the feeling, e.g. “I’m frightened I can’t talk in front of a live audience.”
Sit with the discomfort and resist walking toward the distraction.
Like a wave, the feeling will rise, crest, and then eventually subside.
...…. Read more
Microsoft warns over password attacks against these Office 365 customers
Microsoft says 250 Office 365 customers in the US and Israeli defense technology sector have been targeted with 'password-spraying' attacks, where attackers try to access many accounts with commonly used passwords. The risk of compromise from password-spraying attacks is significantly reduced for organizations that roll out multi-factor authentication. .……Read more
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