In this issue: GROWING FISH IN DESERTS NON-LETHAL WEAPONS DIGITAL MEMORIES SEARCH PRIVACY And much, much more... --------------------------------- BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL BRAINMAIL *Feeding hungry minds since 2004 --------------------------------- Issue 74 - April 2011 --------------------------------- Brainmail is a free monthly (usually) newsletter dedicated to current and future trends, statistics and other nuggets of information. To subscribe, or unsubscribe, to the world's best cerebral snackfood visit http://brainmail.nowandnext.com/ Tell the whole world about brainmail - forward this to zillions of friends. --------------------------------- : NEW TRENDS, NEW TECHNOLOGY & NEW THINKING > Want to be in the movies? A company called Yoostar is selling a technology package for $170 that allows individuals to insert themselves into classic movies. The kit contains a green screen, a webcam and a microphone but the clever bit is what's contained within a DVD. This features scenes from movies but one of the actors has been painted out allowing fans to put themselves in. How long before someone creates a technology that allows viewers to insert themselves into any new movie? Ref: International Herald Tribune (US). > Non-human kindness The robotics industry is currently worth around GBP 5 billion per year and is expected to reach GBP 75 billion by 2030. Robotic toys, robotic assembly plants and search and rescue robots are already common. New developments will include robotic carers for the elderly and robotic teaching assistants for the young. Ref: Japan Robot Association (Japan) > Early morning technology trends According to Verizon Wireless in the US, web traffic has been increasing in the early morning. The reason for this, apparently, is a steep increase in the number of texts, tweets and facebook updates sent between 7am and 10am. One parent in the US explained the rise in early morning activity by saying, "I could walk upstairs (to ask the kids to come down) but they always answer their texts." Ref: The Times (UK) > Non-lethal weapons An American firm called Intelligent Optical Systems has discovered that a specific pattern of pulsing or strobing lights can make people nauseous, dizzy and confused. The 'so what?' is the development a product called the incapacitator, which can be used to disarm felons or temporarily disorientate anti-social individuals. Ref: New Scientist (UK) > A throwaway trend It has been estimated that almost 600 billion pounds (weight) of plastics are produced every year to create single use products (think of drinking straws, water bottles and so on). Given the rising cost of oil, together with other sustainability issues, is there about to be an anti-plastic backlash? Ref: Plastic: A Toxic Love Story by Susan Freinkel > Web trends According to Rowan Gibson (author of Innovation to the Core) the web is doubling in power every 2 years. This means that in 10 years it will be 32 times more powerful. Ref: The Atlantic (US) > 2011 trends (from I know not where) Here's a good list of trends for 2011 recently discovered on the back of an envelope. The trends are: insecurity, BRICs, climate change, well-being, mobility, population, trust & reputation, values & beliefs, environmental degradation, identity, networks & connectivity, resources and urbanisation. No idea about the source I'm afraid. Ref: Not forthcoming > Top 10 medical ideas What are the top medical innovations for 2011? According to the Medical Innovations Summit the list for this year includes: a new molecular imaging biomarker for the early detection, prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's; a new drug for metastatic melanoma; PROVENGE therapeutic cancer vaccine for prostrate cancer; exhaled nitric oxide breath analysis for monitoring asthma; statin treatment for people that feel healthy but aren't really; hepatitis C protease-inhibiting drugs; implantable monitors for patients with heart failure; endoscopic weight loss procedures; capsule endoscopy for the diagnosis of paediatric gastrointestinal disorders; and a new drug for MS developed from a fungus found in the intestine of wasps. Ref: Essential Marbella (Spain) > New wave trend Scientists at Michigan State University and the Warsaw Institute of Technology have been awarded $2.5 million to continue work developing a new form of engine known as a wave-disc engine. The engine, which is roughly the size of a dinner plate, is 500% more fuel-efficient, 20% lighter and 30% cheaper than a conventional internal combustion engine. Ref: The Times (UK) > Search privacy Track me not (Trackmenot.org) is a Firefox extension that protects users against search data profiling. The software works by issuing randomised queries to popular search engines. Clear? Ref: The Atlantic (US) > Digital memories The oldest known man-made information is a cave painting at Lascaux in France, made roughly 16,000 years ago. How long do you think your emails or digital photographs will survive? Researchers at the University of California (Berkeley) are developing a technology that could allow digital memories to survive for a billion years. The technique, using carbon nano-tubes, works because the material is so hard that it does not degrade with use or over time. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Pandora's laptop Here's something to make human heads spin. Once computing speeds reach 10 to the power 16 operations per second (which should be sometime around 2020), all we will need to do is come up with an algorithm for the human mind and then all computers will become self-aware. Good luck with that. Ref: Wired (UK) > Multi-tasking and learning In 2006, three psychologists at the University of California showed some individuals a selection of shapes on a computer screen whilst at the same time playing a selection of musical tones. The subjects were then asked to either find patterns in the shapes or count the number of high tones. The result was a snappily named research paper entitled 'Modulation of competing memory systems by distraction.' Rough summary: If you try to do more than one task at once (or you are distracted) the accuracy with which you complete the key task doesn't necessarily suffer but the amount of learning does. Ref: The Financial Times (UK) > Word detective: SWEDOW An acronym used to describe Stuff We Don't Want; especially the rubbish people don't want which is 'generously' donated to charities and relief efforts. Ref: Wordspy.com --------------------------------- : THE NUMBERS China spends more on internal security than external defence. Ref: The Economist (UK) There are now 32 CCTV cameras within 200 yards of the building in which George Orwell wrote the book '1984'. Ref: Daily Mail (UK) In Western Europe almost 33% of people now live alone. Ref: Euromonitor (UK) It takes just 10 litres of water to grow 1 kilogram of fish in a fish farm in a desert, compared to 750 litres of water to grow 1 kilogram of wheat in a desert. Ref: Business Spectator (Aus) Single women bought 25% of the homes sold in the US in 2008. Single men bought a further 9%. Ref: Financial Times (UK) In 1986 there were 86 cities with populations in excess of 1 million people. By 2015 there will be 550. Ref: A Brief History of the World by Jacques Attali. 33% of US army recruits are rejected due to unsatisfactory levels of physical fitness. Ref: Harper's (US) 109 tube journeys in between stations in central London are now faster on foot. Ref: Wired (UK) 86% of Japanese schoolgirls read keitai shousetsu (mobile phone novels). Ref: Wired (UK) 3 billion photos were uploaded to Facebook during February 2011. Ref: Financial Times (UK) In Gloucestershire (UK) the local council has reduced the number of public libraries by 43% in favour of "24/7 virtual services". Ref: The Observer (UK) 22 billion digital photographs were taken in Japan during 2007 but only 30% were printed. Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) 25% of all US fresh water is used to make food that is subsequently thrown away. Ref: Harper's (US) The US market for small arms (handguns) grew by 28% between 2000 and 2006. The US remains both the world's biggest exporter and importer. Ref: Monocle (UK) China has 20% of the world's population but only 7% of its arable land and only 7% of its fresh water. Ref: Williams Inference (US) Over the past 20 years, there have been an average of 67 child murders per year in the UK, 68% of which were carried out by family members or family friends. Ref: Spikedonline.com (UK) The world's top ten grape producers are: Italy, China, US, Spain, France, Turkey, Iran, Argentina, Chile and Australia. Ref: Monocle (UK) --------------------------------- : BOOK OF THE MONTH "Alone Together" by Sherry Turkle --------------------------------- : WEB SIGHT OF THE MONTH Ask it what the meaning of life is: http://www.wolframalpha.com/ --------------------------------- : QUOTE OF THE MONTH "Radicalism usually prospers in the gap between rising expectations and declining opportunities." - Lawrence Wright. --------------------------------- : PREDICTION OF THE MONTH In the future we will have digital or sticky air. This is a technology that will allow people to leave messages suspended in the air to be collected later by friends walking past the same spot. - Dr Ian Pearson. --------------------------------- : STILL HUNGRY? Not a lot of people know this, but brainmail is put together using some of the leftover bits from the What's Next trends report. So if this snack-sized newsletter is leaving you a bit hungry, go to nowandnext.com for something more substantial (and that's free too). --------------------------------- : BRAINMAIL LIVE If you are considering a future focused speaker for your next conference, workshop, or other event ask your speaker agency about Richard Watson or contact him direct via nowandnext.com. Richard is the creator of brainmail (along with Matt and Phil). --------------------------------- : SMALL PRINT The material appearing in brainmail is sourced from a variety of usually reliable publications worldwide. However, we cannot guarantee the truthfulness of stories and a degree of commonsense should be applied before quoting or using any material in a commercial context. If something appears to be too good to be true it probably is.