In this issue: COUNTRYSIDE HEDGE COLLECTIVE MEMORY GEEK GAMES LIMITS ON LUXURY WIRE CUTTERS And much, much more... ------------------------------------------------------------ ____ ____ ___ _____ ____ ______ ______ * / __ )/ __ \/ | / _/ | / / |/ / | / _/ / / __ / /_/ / /| | / // |/ / /|_/ / /| | / // / / /_/ / _ _/ ___ |_/ // /| / / / / ___ |_/ // /___ /_____/_/ |_/_/ |_/___/_/ |_/_/ /_/_/ |_/___/_____/ *Feeding hungry minds since 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------ Brainmail email issue 32 - October 2007 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ > Work/Life balance St George Bank in Australia allows its 8,500 staff to 'buy' an additional four weeks annual leave. Staff can also choose to be paid 80% of their salary for four years and then take the fifth year off on 80% pay. The bank also offers grandparents leave for older staff. Ref: The Australian (Aus) > Countryside hedge The World Bank has given goat herders in Mongolia the chance to hedge against the risk of a large number of goats dying unexpectantly. Ref: The New Yorker (US) > When the face fits Scientists in the US have discovered that when a person's name matches their expected physical features the person is more memorable to other people. For example, people called Bob are expected to be big while people called Tim are expected to be thin. In other words, we have an inbuilt idea of what someone's name should be simply by looking at him or her. Ref: The Times (UK) > Collective memory Do different countries have different collective memories? It would appear that the answer maybe yes. Swiss researchers studying memory formation have found that the gene, which encodes memory, comes in two types, with one being much better than the other when it comes to the formation of memory. Moreover, it appears that the 'good memory' gene is more common in some populations than others, so certain countries are theoretically better at remembering than others. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Constant connectedness Research conducted by Prof. Gayle Porter at Rutgers University Business School (US) says that 50% of Blackberry users would be "concerned" if they were parted from their electronic device and 10% would be "devastated". The study, co-authored by Prof. Nada Kakabadse at the University of Nottingham (UK), suggests that a day may come when employees sue employers who insist that they are connected to the office 24/7. Citing the example of tobacco, the researchers note how the law evolves to "find harm", so if employers create a work culture of constant connectedness, responsibility may shift from the individual to the organisation. Ref: The Times (UK) > Geek Games How do you hire the best? In Google's case one way is the Google Games. This is part job fair, part technology lecture and part cocktail party - with a pizza party, puzzle hunt and Lego building competition thrown in for good measure. Ref: International Herald Tribune (US) > Picture perfect Sony has launched a digital camera that will only take a portrait if the subject is smiling. The camera features face detection technology that can identify three types of smile from a slight chuckle to a belly laugh. Presumably passport agencies will soon feature some 'serious technology' that does the complete opposite. Ref: Epoch Times (Aus) > Retail relaxation. Stressed by shopping for vegetables? Then get yourself along to Wholefoods Market in Dallas (US). Not only does one of the stores offer personal grocery shopping for US$20/hour, it also features a full service in-store spa and relaxation space. Ref: Trend Hunter (Canada) > Limits on luxury In June of this year, the major of Beijing called for the regulation of advertisements selling luxury goods on the basis that they promote a culture of self-indulgence. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Body armour - for kids Paranoid parents in the UK are buying body armour for their kids following a handful of high profile stabbings and shootings. This looks like a case of media induced hype, but the hype is happening in the US too, where parents can now buy bullet-proof backpacks for their kids. Ref: The Times (UK) > Sampling bars Department stores have offered customers samples of products, especially cosmetics, for years. But these samples usually come with one added ingredient - a high-pressure sales pitch. So here's a new idea. Club-c is a sampling salon in Tokyo. The 'bar' enables shoppers to try a wide variety of products, but without any hard sell. Ref: Springwise (Netherlands) > Word Detective: Hyper aggregation What happens when a trend like Too Much Information meets another like Time Famine? One answer is hyper aggregation. If YouTube and Flickr aggregate content then aggregating the aggregators is hyper aggregation. Examples include Doggdot, Original Signal, Popurls and VodPod. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) > Networked books If an online encyclopaedia can be written by hundreds of thousands of people why not a text book? This is precisely what's happening over at wikibooks.org. Now Pearson publishing has joined in by joining up with MIT's Sloan School of Management and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to create a collaboratively written business book. So What's next - novels and screen plays? Perhaps, although the wiki trend will almost certainly impact on how publishers acquire and distribute content in the future. Ref: The Times (UK) > Word Detective: Urban spam In 1970 people were subjected to around 2,000 commercial messages per day. Now the figure is said to exceed 5,000 and commercial messages are being scattered everywhere. Consequence? Urban Spam. In the future most flat surfaces will probably carry commercial messages whether we like it or not. For example, at the moment trays into which you put your laptop for security screening in airports don't carry ads. But how long will that last? Ref: New York Times (US) > Only in Japan? A company called Kanebo Foods in Japan has created a type of chewing gum that turns body odour into a scent reminiscent of roses. Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) > ID verification Scientists in Japan have developed a technique to identify farm animals using nose prints. The company, Atomsystem, thinks the technology has a wide number of potential applications, including the identification of lost domestic pets. Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) > Wire cutters Between September 2006 and April 2007, the number of US homes that were 'cellphone only' exceeded that of 'landline only' homes for the first time ever. Ref: New York Times (US) > Job of the Future: Disease Mapper In the 18th century, 'medical geographers' drew maps to show disease-infected regions. Fast forward to the 21st century and Google Earth is allowing researchers to map disease outbreaks and predict future outbreaks. The maps combine satellite images against variables such as vegetation type, rainfall and population density. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) ------------------------------------------------------------ : STATSHOTS Between 1997 and 2005 e-mail traffic grew by a multiple of 215. Ref: McKinsey (US) If predictions are correct, the melting of Greenland's land-based ice- cap will eventually raise sea levels worldwide by 23 feet. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) Over the last 50 years South Australia has lost 20% of its annual rainfall. Ref: New Scientist (UK) By 2048 the number of commercially caught fish species could decline to under 10% of 1950 levels. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) Shoppers spent £29.3 billion on 'ethical' goods in the UK in 2006. Ref: Times (UK) 25 years ago only 3% of staph bacteria were resistant to antibiotics. Today nearly 60% are thought to be resistant. Ref: Business 2.0 (US) By the year 2020, 50% of the UKs millionaires will be women. Ref: The Economist (UK) Since 1965, the average noise level underneath our oceans has increased by 300% Ref: Harpers (US) By the end of 2008, there will be 1 billion PCs in use around the world. By 2013 this number is predicted to hit 2 billion. Ref: New Scientist (UK) Between 2001 and 2005, China accounted for 50% of all global economic growth. Ref: The Sunday Times (UK) The increase in the world's population between now and 2050 will be roughly the same as the entire world's population in 1950. Ref: Guardian (UK) 40% of US households now bank online compared to around 20% in 2002. The Economist (UK) Almost 300 companies have opened 775 DIY 'meal assembly' stores in the US since 2002. Ref: Washington Times (US) 50% of visitors to Disney World are adults without children. Ref: USA Today (US) Of the 2,500 largest companies in the world, 383 lost their CEOs in 2005. Almost 50% of this number were fired. Ref: Booz Allen Hamilton (US) ------------------------------------------------------------ : BOOK OF THE MONTH The Dragon and the Elephant: China, India and The New World Order David Smith. ------------------------------------------------------------ : QUOTE OF THE MONTH " Before 2020, every new born child in industralialsed countries will be implanted with an RFID or similar chip. Ostensibly providing important personal and medical data, these may also be used for tracking and surveillance." Michael Dahan. ------------------------------------------------------------ : 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. ------------------------------------------------------------