In this issue: ME VERSUS WE VIRTUAL EVIDENCE SILLY SHOES SIZE DOES MATTER And much, much more... ------------------------------------------------------------ ____ ____ ___ _____ ____ ______ ______ * / __ )/ __ \/ | / _/ | / / |/ / | / _/ / / __ / /_/ / /| | / // |/ / /|_/ / /| | / // / / /_/ / _ _/ ___ |_/ // /| / / / / ___ |_/ // /___ /_____/_/ |_/_/ |_/___/_/ |_/_/ /_/_/ |_/___/_____/ *Feeding hungry minds since 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------ Brainmail email issue 38 - April 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------ Brainmail is a free snack-sized newsletter dedicated to current and future trends. To subscribe or unsubscribe go to http://brainmail.nowandnext.com Tell the whole world about brainmail forward this to a couple of friends. ------------------------------------------------------------ > Me versus we A study by the University of Alberta (Canada) says that Western societies tend to judge the mood of a person by their facial expression. In contrast, Japanese - and some other Eastern societies - judge the mood of people by the expressions of those around them. In other words, Western societies are attuned to the feelings of the individual whereas in the East it is towards the feelings of the group. Ref: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (US) > Bye honey. Bees pollinate over 90% of flowering crops and contribute over GB £1 billion to the UK economy. However, 11% of surveyed beehives in Britain were wiped out last year and experts predict that honeybees will be extinct in Britain by 2018 unless measures are taken to stop the spread of parasites and disease. Ref: British Beekeepers Association (UK) > ROI - Return on Insecurity A study looking at the cost effectiveness of counter-terrorism measures says that much of the estimated US$65-$200 billion spent since 2001 is of little value from a purely economic point of view. Moreover, since terrorism is global, spending in one country can have the effect of simply displacing terrorist activity to another. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Dying from a broken heart A medical study in the UK says that widowed men are 600% more likely to die in the 12 months following a partner's death than at any other time. The study was based on an analysis of 11,454 life annuity policies in Canada. Ref: The Times (UK) > The new sea powers According to the World Energy Council, electricity generated by offshore turbines could be worth US$1 trillion globally and wave power alone could generate 6.5% of the total US energy needs so perhaps harnessing wave power via oscillating water columns and buoys is a the wave of the future. Companies that are active in sea power include Finavera Renewables, Oceanlinx and Wavegen. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) > Work-related insomnia A study commissioned by a UK hotel chain claims that 60% of employees have trouble sleeping on Sundays due to worries about work on Mondays. The average Briton apparently looses 51 minutes sleep every night worrying about work. Ref: Daily Telegraph (UK) > Virtual evidence Police in the US have charged a high school student for possession of alcohol after citing photographic evidence found on Facebook. Ref: Time (US) > Word detective: Presumed consent Presumed consent is when an individual has not opted out of something. For example, in France and Spain it is assumed that you are happy to donate your organs after your death unless you specifically say you are not. What other areas could this policy be applied to and what are the potential risks? Ref: Time (US) > Key words for 2008 A series of food scandals in Japan, plus the rising cost of food, means that two of the most important words for Japanese food shoppers are 'cheap' and 'safe'. Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) > Very silly ideas In Japan you can buy something called the Dangerbomb clock. It looks like a ticking bomb and gives users a three-minute and one minute warning before the alarm goes off. To deactivate the alarm you have to remove one of three coloured wires and if you get it wrong the clock 'explodes'. An even more silly idea is an alarm clock that looks like a grenade. When the alarm goes off you through the clock onto the floor to 'deactivate' it. See www.banpresto.co.jp and www.to-conne.co.jp/trd/ Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) > Silly shoes Here's an accident waiting to happen - motorized roller skates priced at around GB£300 from theishoes.com. Top speed is about 13 miles per hour. Ref: The Times (UK) > Handy idea A Japanese company has developed gloves that moisten the wearer's hands. Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) > Email Free Fridays A growing number of companies are switching off their email systems every Friday. Companies like Nestle Rowntree (UK) are encouraging employees to have e-mail free Fridays and meet with people face-to-face rather than online. Phone Company US Cellular is taking a similar approach while staff at Intel are encouraged to phone or physically meet people as much as possible during 'Zero Email Fridays'. Ref: USA Today (US) /The Times (UK) > Size does matter A simulated chimney sweep chimney-climb at the National Trust Museum of Childhood in Derbyshire (UK) has had to be redesigned to accommodate the large girths of modern children. Apparently modern children are too large to climb up a real Victorian chimney. Ref: Financial Times (UK) ------------------------------------------------------------ : STATSHOTS 1,595 Americans died in auto accidents when they switched from planes to automobiles in the immediate aftermath of September 11. Ref: Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear by Dan Gardner. The fine for possessing a hamster in Vietnam is US$1,900. Ref: Time (US) 1% of all adults in the US are in jail. Ref: Washington Post (US) Tesco is the world's largest retailer of wine selling GB £1.5 billion worth annually. Ref: Sunday Times (UK) Families in the UK spend GB £14,800 per year on household bills. Five years ago the figure was £8,000. Ref: The Guardian (UK) The average level of consumer debt in Australia is equal to 18 months salary. Ref: Sydney Morning Herald (Aus) There are now more pensioners aged > sixty (11.2 million) than children aged < sixteen (11.1 million) in the UK. Ref: Office for National Statistics (UK) Pets outnumber people 1.5:1 in Australia Ref: BRW (Aus) The latest Justin Timberlake Album is available in 115 formats. Ref: Sydney Morning Herald (Aus) 3 million US white-collar jobs are predicted to vanish by 2015 due to outsourcing. Ref: Monocle (UK) There was a 400% rise in Chinese patent applications between 1995 and 2005. Ref: World Intellectual Property Organization The number of breast-augmentation surgeries performed on female teens rose by 55% in the US between 2006 and 2007. Ref: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (US) 50% of New York University students said they would "permanently forfeit" the right to vote in exchange for a one-off payment of US$1million. Ref: Harper's (US) Between 1991 and 2005 deaths directly related to alcohol nearly doubled in the UK. Ref: British Medical Journal (UK) 80% of UK wealth is held by people aged 55+ Ref: Daily Telegraph (UK) Around 100 million people are thought to have died prematurely during the 20th Century due to cigarette smoking. Ref: World Health Organisation 2.9 million rooms have been 'lost' in British homes since 2003 due to open-plan home conversions. Ref: Daily Mirror (UK) In 2005, 40% of UK weddings involved someone that was getting married for at least the second time. Ref: The Observer (UK) Consumer spending by those aged 65-74 is predicted to increase by 40% by 2017. Ref: Verdict Research (UK) Immigrants sent in excess of US$275 billion back home in 2006. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) In 2003, the minimum wage in the UK was £4.20 per hour. In the US it was $5.15. In China it was 18 pence (29 cents) and it India it was 7 pence (11 cents). Ref: Sunday Times (UK) There has been a 50% fall in the use of public payphones in the UK over the last 36 months. Ref: Time (US) Visitor numbers to the US have fallen by 17% following the imposition of post 9/11 security measures. Ref: Monocle (UK) 74% of Britons think that 'green taxes' are a con. Ref: YouGov/Sunday Telegraph (UK) Prostitution is the most dangerous job in America. The second most dangerous job is serving liquor in a liquor store if you are a woman. Ref: Sunday Times (UK) ------------------------------------------------------------ : BOOK OF THE MONTH The Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation and Time Travel by Micho Kaku. ------------------------------------------------------------ : WEBSITE OF THE MONTH A website dedicated to great data visualization. Ironically the site is pretty ugly. http://www.math.yorku.ca/SCS/Gallery/ ------------------------------------------------------------ : QUOTE OF THE MONTH "We make art from the quarrel with ourselves, mere rhetoric from the quarrel with others" - W.B. Yates. ------------------------------------------------------------ : LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT? Do you want some of these innovations, insights and ideas put into context and brought to life? Then get in touch via nowandnext.com. Even if we can't help, we'll know someone, somewhere in the world, that can. ------------------------------------------------------------ : AND FINALLY ... Interested in trends? 2008+ is a look at ten emerging trends that will shape our lives in 2008 and beyond. The GBP £49 publication includes sections on eleven industries and features a new version of the now legendary 'trend blend' map (this year based on the Shanghai subway). A sample can be found online at nowandnext.com ------------------------------------------------------------ : STILL HUNGRY? If this snack-sized newsletter still leaves you feeling hungry feed your brain with something a little more substantial at www.nowandnext.com (and yes, that's free too). ------------------------------------------------------------ : LOVE IT? THEN SHARE IT Do you know someone whose brain is not being fully exercised? Someone that is snacking on media that isn't terribly satisfying. Floss their brain and brighten up their day with a copy of brainmail in their inbox - forward this to your friends. ------------------------------------------------------------ : SMALL PRINT The stories and statistics appearing in brainmail are sourced from a variety of trustworthy publications worldwide. However, brainmail cannot guarantee the truthfulness of stories and a degree of commonsense should be applied before quoting or using any of this material in a commercial context.