Welcome to this 108th 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 am preparing this newsletter this week from Montreal, Canada. This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Strategic blindspots
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.
More Than One-Third of Desks Globally Sit Empty All Week Long. Japan’s labor crunch is so acute that companies are hiring 70-year-olds. China’s car companies are turning into tech companies. Can the Construction Industry Be Disrupted? AI threatens the billable hour revenue model. A New Uber Clone With Armed Drivers Is the App for a Violent America. Amazon Launches Supply Chain Services for Stores.
Our future
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter (which I still find infinitely better than Threads).
The Transformative, Alarming Power of Gene Editing. Burnt out or jobless - meet the 'full-time children'. Tradwifes. 25% of the population in France will be caregivers by 2050. How a Vast Demographic Shift Will Reshape the World . Health in 2040. The Problem With Counterfeit People. Asia as a Time Machine to the Future.
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?
Sony announced it will roll out an “Aibo Foster Parent” program for the $2,900 robotic dogs it sells. India’s weather influencers are faster than official channelsIndia’s weather . South Africans are using a power outage notification app to find odd jobs. Apple is seeking to patent a system for “impact detection” using motion sensors in airpods. AI detects eye disease and risk of Parkinson’s from retinal images.
On our radar
This week, I am working on strategic opportunities for companies that develop products and services to make us more resilient to extreme weather: The Bud Ground Cooler. Cooling paint. This butterfly-inspired paint could keep your car cool. Aerogami jackets. Cooling clothes for construction workers. Urban forests. Digital twin cities. Floating pools.
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 dashboard of the current future.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
What Should Men Do with Their Hands? The World’s Largest Landowners ( and check also Who owns the West?). Being A Person of Place. AI Study Says Sometimes It’s Good When Executives Act Like Robots. Have you experienced a meaningful connection on. We can see how our time spent has changed over the years.
Numbers
0.5- ChatGPT consumes half a liter of water per conversation
84% - 84% of 25 top car brands share or sell your personal data and this quote:
“The Nissan privacy notice says the company can share "sensitive personal information, including driver's license number, national or state identification number, citizenship status, immigration status, race, national origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual activity, precise geolocation, health diagnosis data, and genetic information."
Feeling good
Dial a pilot. Let’s go wander. The poem camera.
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