Welcome to this 44th 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.
I won’t be hosting our weekly discussion on Clubhouse this Saturday ay 9am as I’ll be flying back from Europe at that time, but my colleague Kyraocity will co-host.
You can subscribe to this weekly newsletter here to get it directly by mail.
This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing this newsletter to those who look into the future.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots.
How We Broke the Supply Chain. Selfridges to Offer Couples Therapy to Attract Shoppers. What would happen if financial markets crashed? Reselling gigs is Tik Tok’s newest side hustle. Researchers create plastic twice as strong as steel. Porsche 'digital twin' can predict when your car will need service. Regulating digital marketplaces: Metaverse poses new competition challenges. Materials necessary for the transition to a low carbon economy.
We have scheduled the dates for 2022 for our “Strategic Blindspots”course . Our next cohort which will take place in Montreal, Canada, on April 26-27, 2022. Registrations are open.
Our future
How tech changes intimacy. Plane food is improved by noise-cancelling headphones. Synthetic wombs. What Will Post-Pandemic Performance Venues Look Like? Postpandemic scenarios: Hotels and abandoned malls become pandemic-proof senior citizen communities. Four essential tools for your cognitive, future-toolbox. Robots don’t replace human care; they extend it. Gender neutral awards categories. Flash Joule heating extracts rare earth elements from fly ash, bauxite residue, electronic waste. Breeding genetically modified pigs to grow heart transplants. SpaceX to lose up to 40 Starlink satellites after geomagnetic storm.
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?
Meta’s job board. Crying selfies. The app that shares feelings. Silent study. Footwear and the metaverse. Videos reveal how much New Yorkers actually pay in rent. The Russian government announced plans to regulate crypto by licensing exchanges and taking a cut from large transactions. Subtitles for in-person conversations. Invisible disabilities in airports. Personal boundaries around human avatars.
We keep you updated on those weak signals and more on Twitter.
On our radar
This week, I took a dive into what NFTs could mean for brands, beyond the hype: Dapps are a growing movement of applications that use Ethereum to disrupt business models or invent new ones. Some NFT sales show evidence of 'wash trading'. A list of 3,734 blockchain apps for Ethereum, Hive, EOS, and more. Creative Agency Buys One Million Square Foot Plot in the Metaverse.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that lead me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors.
This week, I went down the rabbit hole into the list of obscure words should we bring back into daily use.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths …
The evidence of two forms of liquid water. Trees don’t rush to heal from trauma. How to ask for help. Losing discoveries. Space smells like Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Reaction offices. Deafened: Plants are adversely affected by the racket of urban traffic. The Age of Lead, a Cheating Age, the Age of Mad-Folks, a Depraved Age, Driveling Times, this Irreligious Age and the present Age of Vice.
I have published this week a yearly review of the top 70 newsletters curious minds are reading in 2022.
Feeling Good
A map of extraordinary sights. A time capsule from Beyrouth. Sand sculptures. Listening to Mohsen Namjoo. Shade Map.
The image for this issue was created by Deviant Art.
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