Physical intelligence, LUCA, and kidults
November 28, 2024
Welcome to this 143rd 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 Montreal, 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
The world in the last 24 hours. An AI-driven Geopolitical Risk Management platform translates political events into legal risks. The posts on Bluesky that were deleted. The Death of Search. Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies.
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.
How China Is Assisting A European Suicide. The flooding following the Hurricane Helene hit affected a plant , responsible for producing 60 percent of the intravenous fluids used in the United States. Are we facing an imminent AI-powered wage collapse? Amazon is launching telehealth and pharmacy services to address needs like skincare and hair growth treatments. How Gymshark's pop-up salon tackles hair as a barrier to fitness for Black women. From kidults to senior gamers, brands play with blurred generational divides.
Our future
Regulatory Outlook for International Trade Following the 2024 Election. Physical intelligence. The 15 social media trends that will shape your 2025 strategy. Teff luck. Scent Teleportation.
It is the time of the year when trend reports for 2025 start coming in. Until end of January, I will track those of interest to you, with my personal remarks:
The Economist: Ten business trends for 2025, and forecasts for 15 industries
Qualtrics- 2025 Global Consumer Trends Report
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Bluesky.
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?
Cheeseburgers to be served in first class on Delta flights. Tech lobbying. Adobe proposes fonts that fit your personality. Thousands Of Flood Damaged Enthusiast Cars Are Showing Up At Florida Auctions. Gamer role introduced in children's hospital. Sales of hairbrushes are soaring. A new store in LA, Outlandish, brings TikTok Shop to life. The job you have to pay to get.
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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 AI4Culture, which offers access to a pool of curated AI software tools, datasets and capacity building material in culture.
Unpacking AI
This is a new section. Clients have asked me to dig into the impact of AI for their organization, industry, or their own work. I will add in this sections tools, or angles of interpretation that I find relevant to our community of curious minds:
British telephone operator O2 has created an AI bot that pretends to be an elderly person. A Swiss firm’s software mines the world’s knowledge for patent opportunities. Meta taps US, UK universities to test VR in education, creates digital twin 'metaversities' in Europe. AI Medical Imagery Model Offers Fast, Cost-Efficient Expert Analysis.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths.
Toronto is getting a new area code. In a world without dialing, why do we care so much? What 1,000 Farmers Told Us About Tech Adoption. What Is the Earth’s Carrying Capacity? In ancient Mesopotamia, people rarely wrote about preparing food... Earth’s First Interstellar Transmission. Are we all coming from LUCA. The First Virtual Meeting Was in 1916. Terms of service.
Numbers
89mn- the costs from the Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal in 2021 to Maerk alone but if you do a straightforward scaling based on Maersk’s market share, you get around $600 million worldwide costs.
2 bn- it’s estimated that the Houthis are making on the order of $2 billion a year by extorting shipping companies to allow ships to pass through the Red Sea without being attacked
20%- One in five Americans gets their news from influencers.
Feeling good
The European championship of tram drivers. The podcast that adapts to where you are walking. A life well lived by a man who invented over 800 iconic toys. Cold water dives and this quote:
There is no place for fear, no place for panic, no place for mistakes. Under the ice, you need total control of the place, the time, and to trust yourself completely.
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