What's Emerging mid-September 2023
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy.
Welcome to our mid-September newsletter
In the next few weeks, Paul will be completing a strategic board review with a health sector foundation and working with a council on the future of service delivery. He will also be presenting on the future of business in Albany. 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, and acting as a mentor for the Startup Bootcamp in Melbourne.
Paul also has three 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:
House fires caused by lithium batteries are on the rise. Here is what you need to know
It only takes "a couple of breaths" of toxic fumes from a battery-ignited fire to cause a person to become unconscious. ....…. Read More
What are we Writing About?
Paul’s presentation to the Ag Shows Association Conference in Adelaide is now up on our website: The Future for Agricultural Shows. Go to our Home Page and scroll down to “Our Latest Work”
What’s Emerging
A battlefield for ants? New study on ant warfare shows we could manipulate their fights
In a new study researchers used mathematical models on video game simulations to test how battlefield dynamics change warfare outcomes. They then confirmed these concepts in the real world – using ant battles.......…..Read More
‘A first in Paris’: city fumigates for tiger mosquitoes as tropical pests spread, bringing disease
Parisian health authorities treat French capital for the first time as Zika and dengue-carrying tiger mosquitoes advance through northeastern Europe.....…..Read More
IMF warns climate shocks may increase conflict deaths
While climate shocks alone may not trigger new unrest, the Washington-based IMF said, they "significantly worsen conflict, compounding fragility" such as hunger, poverty and displacement. By 2060, conflict deaths could increase by 8.5 percent as a share of the population in so-called fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS), and by up to 14 percent in those nations facing an extreme increase in temperatures, the report said...........……. Read more
Terra CO2 Is Building A Low Carbon Concrete Factory In Texas
Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials on Earth. Traditionally, it relies on Portland cement, whose primary component is calcium derived from limestone. First, the limestone is heated to a high temperature using fossil fuels, which creates lots of carbon dioxide. Second, as the limestone decomposes into calcium, a large quantity of carbon dioxide is released. Because of the carbon double whammy, cement accounts for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions ......……. Read More
Scientists Think an Earth-Like Planet May Be Hiding in Our Solar System
The far reaches of the Solar System are a dim and distant realm with particulars that elude us. So far from the light of the Sun, even a relatively large planet could easily escape our notice. The trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) that we have found out there, beyond the orbit of Neptune, exhibit some peculiar clustering behaviors that could indicate the presence of a hidden world. This has led scientists to propose the idea of Planet Nine, a large terrestrial planet lurking far beyond the range of visibility...........…..Read more
A developer built a 'propaganda machine' using OpenAI tech to highlight the dangers of mass-produced AI disinformation
A developer has built an AI "disinformation machine" using OpenAI-powered technology like ChatGPT. The project, named CounterCloud, took its creator two months to complete and cost less than $400 a month to operate, highlighting how cheap and simple it can be to create mass propaganda. Paul: I have been talking about this danger to brands and industries over the last few months.........…..Read more
Can Shrinking Be Good for Japan? A Marxist Best Seller Makes the Case.
Kohei Saito says the country should seize this moment of demographic and economic challenge to reinvent itself through “degrowth communism.”"..….. Read more
History reveals Australia’s looming cyclone risk, pointing to future impact on insurance costs
New analysis of Australia's natural disasters shows the danger posed by cyclones to the nation's east coast. Cyclones that hit Queensland in 1967 and 1974 would rank among the nation's top-10 costliest natural disasters, should they repeat in the same places today....…. Read more
AI destroys human champions in real-world drone racing
Artificial intelligence (AI) has outperformed even the best human players in various games and competitions. From chess to Go and even video games like Gran Turismo and DOTA 2, AI has demonstrated its prowess. Now, researchers at the University of Zurich have taken things to the next level with a remarkable autonomous drone system named "Swift." This AI-powered drone successfully outpaced human drone-racing champions, marking a significant milestone in the integration of AI with real-world activities.........…..Read more
US military plans to unleash thousands of autonomous war robots over next two years
The United States military plans to start using thousands of autonomous weapons systems in the next two years in a bid to counter China’s growing power, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced in a speech on Monday. The so-called Replicator initiative aims to work with defence and other tech companies to produce high volumes of affordable systems for all branches of the military............….. Read more
AI 'nose' predicts smells from molecular structures
In a major breakthrough, scientists have built a tool to predict the odor profile of a molecule, just based on its structure. It can identify molecules that look different but smell the same, as well as molecules that look very similar but smell totally different. The research was published in Science...........….….Read more
El Niño threatens the world’s rice supplies
After India imposed an export ban on rice following destructive rains, prices have soared – now rising temperatures put crops across south-east Asia at risk.….…Read more.
Virtual reality is helping Olkola Traditional Owners get back on Country
In partnership with researchers, the Olkola are using digital technologies, including virtual reality and augmented reality, to capture their cultural stories. These digitised stories, as well as Olkola artefacts, are to be kept and shared at the Cultural Knowledge Centre....……...… Read more.
Mercedes-Benz’s legal win over car dealers could transform the way new cars are sold in Australia
In what has been called the most important legal case in the history of the Australian automotive industry, the Federal Court has rejected a $650 million compensation claim against Mercedes-Benz for replacing its traditional dealership model with a fixed-price, direct-to-customer agency model....……...… Read more.
Business and Other Tips
The ultimate guide to JTBD (Jobs To Be Done) | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework)
Paul: A great guide to thinking about the sales process.......…..read more.
Remote rituals
Sunsama blog on working remotely as a team. ....…. Read More
Google Calendar just added bookable appointment scheduling, and it's pretty sweet
If you've been looking for an easy way to offer bookable appointments, Google has you covered on both free and paid accounts now. Here's how to use the new feature.Paul: I use Calendly and this looks very much like a clone of that service. Pretty good free tool but it does default to Google Meet which I do not particularly like.Read More
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