Welcome to this 134th issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”.
Each week, I personally sift through hundreds of sources of inspiration to track where we’re heading. If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, take the time to send me a note and introduce yourself, I love to understand who is reading.
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I have prepared this newsletter this week from Toronto, Canada. This is what I noticed these past couple of weeks, thank you for sharing with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Competitive Intelligence
Google One Dark web reports coming to all Google accounts soon. A database that spans the four key perspectives, including broker research, expert calls, company documents, news & regulatory sites. Trends before they are trending. 10 sources of alternative data. Manufactured cargo cranes are sounding alarm bells in D.C. about state-backed espionage and cyber threats.
Strategic blindspots and business models
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots. This section also is about the risks we miss.
The most powerful company in tech is a niche Dutch business you've never heard of. Crazy antics or crazy smart marketing? How Taco Bell attracts Gen Z. 1,700 “smart” bassinet loses features if you buy it used. Kenya’s Uber drivers defy set rates with their own fare cards as fuel prices surge. Automated Mini-Markets Could Upend Germany’s Store Closure Laws . How K-Pop Is Redefining Itself. The pharmacy that provided books. Advanced market commitments.
Our future
The disruption of labor by humanoid robots . Why we should incorporate futures and foresight into building and evaluating theories of change. Synthetic diamonds are now purer, more beautiful, and vastly cheaper than mined diamonds. Outrageous Predictions. A 2050 timeline.
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter.
Weak signals
Weak signals are indicators of a change, a trend or an emerging risk that might become significant for the future. They allow us to run hypothesis, expand our thinking, and challenge assumptions. How will you interpret those in your industry or field of expertise?
The strangest items people have left in their hotel rooms. The Most Sought-After Travel Guide Is a Google Doc. Man Arrested for Creating Fake Bands With AI. NCAA Bans OSU's QR Code Helmet Fundraising Initiative. The airport tray trend stirring outrage and delight. New kids' book by Fruittella can only be read outside, in the sun. Snap debuts operating system for AR glasses.
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Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that led me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors: “A rabbit hole is not a distraction. A rabbit hole is your brain trying to tell you to pay attention to something you’re curious about. Ignore algorithmic rabbit holes” ( by are.na):
This week, I explored Foresight, the Centre for Strategic Futures’ biennial publication covering research into international megatrends and emerging issues.
On my radar
I attended this week in the pittoresque village of Chamonix in France the Summit of Minds, where I discovered the work of philosopher Christopher Wong Michaelson on the Future of Work: is your work worth it?
Here’s more about the future of work this week: Resignation agencies that promise to make quitting more painless have emerged. Shadow stand-ins” are being employed by workers who are secretly outsourcing parts — or all — of their jobs. Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index found that 78% of AI users are bringing their own AI tools to work (BYOAI) without instruction from their employers. One in four Gen Zers said they’ve brought a parent to a job interview, and one quarter have had their parents apply to a job on their behalf. sending your AI avatar to a Zoom meeting in your place.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths.
Fast-Forward to Boredom: How Switching Behavior on Digital Media Makes People More Bored. About biocrusts. The Paradox of 1 – 1 + 1 – 1 + 1 – 1 + … How memes now define seasons. Hidden patterns for Nobel Prize Science trends.
Numbers
33- U.S. airlines already raked in $33 billion from baggage fees in 2023
35B minutes: How much time Americans have spent watching “Bluey” in 2024
2/3- Elon Musk now controls two thirds of all active satellites
Feeling good
Is my blue your blue? Sound effects. Nature journaling. A Fun Taxonomy of Bread Tags.
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