Welcome to this 112nd issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”.
Each week, I 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 Lisbon, Portugal. This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Competitive Intelligence and Privacy
Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy. Drugmakers Are Set to Pay 23andMe Millions to Access Consumer DNA. A username search tool.
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.
Hundreds cognitive biases that psychologists have found all “boil down to one of a handful of fundamental beliefs”. Humans inherit artificial intelligence biases . Uber now lets users book a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey. Peruvian supermarket offers mammograms. Mercedes-Benz teams up with Mastercard to introduce native in-car payments. How to get a restaurant reservation. The Dunning-Kruger effect.
Our future
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter (which I still find infinitely better than Threads).
Guide to the internet of the future. According to the 2024 Global Insurance Outlook, insurers are adapting to existential threats like climate change and cybercrime by aiming to help consumers prevent or mitigate risks before they occur. Education in 2050. Microsoft’s futuristic ‘Project Silica’ stores data on glass plates for 10,000 years. Employers looking to retain top talent are covering a wider range of benefits, from egg-freezing and IVF to talk therapy and maybe even psychedelics. A new kind of shopper dropped. ‘Zero consumers’.
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 booming digital afterlife market. The streaming company filed a patent application for “automatically inferring intent” from search queries. Baby names and pop culture. The Real Real is selling an actual Picasso. Gen Zers can recognize brands based solely on ‘sonic memes,’ report says. Doritos Develops AI Tech to Cancel Its Crunch for Gamers. orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered--are you sure you want to continue? Diwali is now a school holiday in New York City. What your font choice says about you and your future.
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 stumbled upon The 200 Best Inventions of 2023.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
How we spent our days from 2019 through 2022. A look at Taiwan's super-aged future. Branded residences. Emotions of Highly Sensitive People. The beauty of chalk. the quest to scientifically map odours. Real play. Cognitive control in media multitaskers.
Numbers
50%- From 1983 to 2019, inflation raised the real income of the middle wealth quintile by two-thirds, while the bottom two wealth quintiles saw a nearly 50% reduction in their real income due to inflation. Climaviation.
88,000- Drivers in Singapore now need to pay £88,000 for permission to own a car
60%- Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo announced its commitment to ensuring that 60% of its protein offerings are plant-based by 2030.
Feeling good
Because it’s the season: The Bird Migration Explorer. Mapping podcasts. Dutch cycling lifestyle.
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