In this issue: NOT WHAT YOU'D THINK MOBILE MORPHING ELECTRIC ROADS 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 81 --------------------------------- 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 > Not what you'd think A study of over 500 US high-tech and engineering companies with turnovers in excess of $1 million found that the average age of founders was 39. Furthermore, there were twice as many founders aged over 50 than under 25 and twice as many over 60 as aged under 20. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Innovation blindness A study by Paul Leonardi at Northwestern University (US) says that rapid prototyping can cause rapid failure if a company moves too fast from the initial prototype to a more detailed model. The problem, in a nutshell, is that if physical detail is added too soon, internal meetings move from discussions about problems or customer need to debates about the model's form. Ref: Harvard Business Review (US) > Scale and innovation It is often assumed that small companies are more innovative than large ones, but an analysis by the Progressive Policy Institute says that the reverse often is the case. There are three reasons for this, according to the study. One is that economic activity is increasingly driven by complex economic eco-systems. The second reason is that globalisation favours scale and the third is that the need for innovation is increasingly found in complex industries such as health or energy. A further reason why big might be back is the most important resource of all - people. Talent tends to be attracted to big companies. Ref: Economist (UK) > Mobile morphing Motorola has developed a phone that adjusts its settings according to its location. For example, if the phone knows it is in an office, the ringer volume will be lowered, whereas outside it might be raised. Ref: Daily Telegraph (UK) > Virtual reality glasses Google is believed to be developing Android-powered virtual reality glasses that will display contextual information right in front of a wearer's eyeballs. Meanwhile, Apple is understood to be working on an Apple TV set. Ref: CNN (US) > Electric roads Engineers working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US have invented a technology that could allow electric cars to re-charge whilst they drive. The system embeds electric coils in the road surface, which allows power to be transferred to similar coils underneath the vehicle. Ref: CNN.com (US) > 10 ideas An article in Time magazine lists ten ideas that are changing peoples' lives. They are: Living alone, the rise of the Nones, heads in the cloud, handprints not footprints, food that lasts forever, black irony, high status stress, public privacy, the end of nature and niche ageing. Ref: Time (US) > 6 trends According to Ernst & Young, six key developments will re-shape the business world over the next few decades. The six trends are: The rising power of emerging markets, clean-tech, global banking recovery, closer ties between governments and the private sector, rapid developments in smart, mobile computing and demographics shifts impacting the global workforce. Ref: Ernst & Young (US) > Not shy but retiring The Country Music Association in Franklin, Tennessee, is planning to create a retirement community aimed at country music fans. The development will include recording studios and performance areas. Ref: Time (US) > Rise of state capitalism The world's top 10 oil companies (measured by known oil reserves) are now all state owned. Ref: The Economist (UK) --------------------------------- : THE NUMBERS In 1950, 4 million people in the USA (9% of US households) lived alone. Now the figure is 33 million - or 28% of all Americans. Ref: Time (US) In the early 1960s, 6% of the UK student population went on to attend university. By 2012 the figure had risen to 40%. Ref: FT (UK) Since 1995, there has been a 30% increase in the number of South Korean students attending university. Ref: Economist (UK) In the US, around 1% of companies create around 40% of new jobs. Ref: The Economist (UK) In 2010, $211 billion was invested in renewable energy projects worldwide. Ref: Daily Telegraph (UK) 70% of people in a large crowd are in groups. Ref: Economist (UK) State backed companies account for around 80% of China's stock market (by value). In Russia the figure is 62% and in Brazil 38%. Ref: The Economist (UK) 21.1.12 Job candidates that ask for ridiculously high salaries tend to be offered 9% more than candidates that ask for normal sized sums. Ref: Harvard Business Review (US) In 2009, China Mobile and China National Petroleum made profits of $33 billion - more than the profits of China's top 500 most profitable companies combined. Ref: Economist (UK) A study by the ad agency O&M says that 70% of people would prefer to spend more time with their families than make more money at work. Ref: The Futurist (US) Only 4% of the US population describe themselves as atheist or agnostic, but 40% of unaffiliated people describe themselves as fairly religious. Ref: Time (US) Almost 90% of plant activity occurs in ecosystems where human impact is significant. Ref: Time (US) If Facebook is valued at around $100 billion then each user is worth around $125 (probably out of date by the time you read this). Ref: New Scientist (UK) According to the 2010 US Census, white people will become a minority group in the US by the year 2040. Ref: FT (UK) --------------------------------- : BOOK OF THE MONTH "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain --------------------------------- : WEB SIGHT OF THE MONTH A school art project about monsters that's grown into a website, a workshop, a book and just about everything else: www.themonsterengine.com --------------------------------- : QUOTE OF THE MONTH "The past has replaced the future in the imagination, particularly among young people." - Simon Reynolds quoted in Wired magazine --------------------------------- : IDEA OF THE MONTH Project images from the Hubble space telescope onto giant screens in Piccadilly Circus (or other public spaces such as Times Square). - Alain de Botton --------------------------------- : 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.