In this issue: RULES FOR ROBOTS EGO-INFLATION 2008 TRENDS ECO-EATING SOLAR POWERED BIKINIS JELLY And much, much more... ------------------------------------------------------------ ____ ____ ___ _____ ____ ______ ______ * / __ )/ __ \/ | / _/ | / / |/ / | / _/ / / __ / /_/ / /| | / // |/ / /|_/ / /| | / // / / /_/ / _ _/ ___ |_/ // /| / / / / ___ |_/ // /___ /_____/_/ |_/_/ |_/___/_/ |_/_/ /_/_/ |_/___/_____/ *Feeding hungry minds since 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------ Brainmail email issue 35 - January 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ > Top trends for 2008 What's hot for 2008? According to a plethora of prediction pundits the top trends for 2008 include; P2P lending, sleep retail, N11 countries, bicycle rental, micro-blogging, reverse migration, food inflation, eco-exhaustion, intimacy, low-tech products and back to basics experiences. Ref: Various > Rules for robots South Korea (which aims to have a robot in every home by the year 2013) is developing a code of conduct for robots based upon Isaac Asimov's 'Three laws of robotics'. Ref: Harper's (US) > Ego-inflation A study called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory has found that there has been an increase in narcissism among US students since 1982. The 40-question survey had 16,475 respondents and found that more individuals are agreeing with statements like 'I think I am a special person'. One explanation put forward by researchers to explain this increased focus on the self is that sites like Facebook and YouTube are making people more 'self-focused'. The full name of the study is 'Ego Inflating Over Time: A Test of Two Generational Theories of Narcissism Using Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis'. And I thought I was the only person that worried about narcissism. Ref: The Atlantic (US) > Back to basics According to research conducted by D-Code/Headlight Vision (UK) there is a backlash building up against the always-on nature of modern communications. Young people are under so much pressure to be always available online that they are suffering from multi-media meltdown. As a result some people are shifting their attention to low-tech products or are embracing retro design and experiences. An example is the Notting Hill Arts Club in London, which hosts a weekly crafts night where people drink tea, listen to music and knit. Ref: The Independent (UK) > Solar-powered bikinis If an exhibition of future fashions is to be believed, your clothes will soon be re-charging your mobile phone or displaying the album cover of the song you are listening to on your iPod. The exhibition (in San Diego) also highlighted a bikini with solar panels and clothing that adjusts its size according to the wearer. Ref: The Guardian (UK) > Items facing extinction What won't be around in ten years time? According to Entrepreneur.com the list includes; specialist record stores, camera film manufacturing, physical newspapers, payphones, used bookstores, piggy banks, telemarketing and coin-operated arcades. Ref: MSNBC.com (US) > The future is ... jelly Leading chefs and confectioners across Europe are rediscovering jelly. Apparently this is due to its relatively natural nature and the fact that it is an ideal end to a meal due to its lightness and ease of preparation. Given the ageing trend, one would think that jelly-based products would also appeal to older people without their own teeth. Ref: Financial Times (UK) > Blood pressure and happiness A US study has found an inverse correlation between reported rates of happiness and blood pressure. The study, by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that European countries with the highest rates of happiness (Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands) also had the lowest rates of hypertension. In contrast, countries that reported the lowest levels of happiness (Germany, Italy, Portugal and Greece) had the highest levels of blood pressure. Ref: The Atlantic (US) > Word detective: Life-casting Can't be bothered to wait to audition for Big Brother on TV? Then exercise your inner extrovert by setting up a 24-hour live stream (or life-cast) of your life. Ref: The Times (UK) > High-tech helmet An R&D team from Lebanon has created a high-tech helmet that records head impacts and wirelessly sends information to a data recorder. The first commercial use of the invention is for American football players but the idea could theoretically be used for motorcycle crash helmets with the data then sent to any local hospital. Ref: Time (US) > Word detective: 3-D printing 3-D printing has been talked about for ages. However, what was once just a sci-fi dream is fast becoming a science fact. How does it work? Just buy a printer (for anything from US$40,000 to $425,000), pour in some powder, press print and the image on your computer screen becomes a three-dimensional object right in front of your eyes. Ref: The Times (UK) > Eco-eating 'Cookshop' in New York's Chelsea district is a modern take on an old idea - a private house where food is cooked and served to local residents. The food and the restaurant are sustainable in the sense that ingredients are both local and seasonal. Food waste is composted on site and used cooking oil is collected and converted into bio-fuel. There are even plans to install an on-site water bottling system so as to dispense with the need for environmentally unfriendly imported mineral waters. Is this a fad or a trend? Ref: Financial Times magazine (UK) > Wake up, sleepy head A designer has created a concept for a pillow embedded with LEDs to help wake you up. More at www.embryo.ie Ref: Time (US) > The next big thing ... tiny hotel rooms It started in space-starved Japan and it's spreading across the UK, Europe and the US. Capsule hotels such as Yotel (UK), Qbic (Netherlands) and iPod (US) represent what Jennifer Fiorentino of Jupiter Research calls an 'era of experimentation' for hotels. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Voluntourism trend A company called Gap Year For Grown-Ups is giving adults in the UK the chance to have a career break and give something back by volunteering for various life changing experiences in Africa, Asia and South America. Ref: The Independent (UK) > Quirky research Research by John Trinkaus at City University New York has found that female van drivers are among the most dishonest and anti-social of all the demographic segments that he has studied over the past 25 years. For example, around 80% of supermarket lane cheats (people who stand in line at the '10 items or less' checkout with more than 10 items) are female van drivers. But why? One explanation is that these women have an unconscious need to outdo male behaviour. Another reason could be that this group are indicative of society's moral decline in general. Ref: New Scientist (UK) ------------------------------------------------------------ : BOOK OF THE MONTH Lost Worlds: What Have We Lost & Where Did It Go? Michael Bywater ------------------------------------------------------------ : STATSHOTS In Algeria, 70% of lawyers and 60% of judges are women. Ref: New York Times (US) 97% of the world's baked beans are eaten in Britain. Ref: The Times (UK) Murder is the leading cause of death among pregnant women in the US. Ref: Washington Post (US) There are now 3.3 mobile phone accounts globally, a figure roughly equal to half the world's population. (N.B. a more widely quoted figure is 2.8 billion). Ref: Businessweek (US) Sharks kill around 10 people each year. Failing coconuts kill approximately 150. Ref: George Burgess, University of Florida (US). There are 300 'World Trade Centres' in the world, including one in Hull (UK). Ref: Financial Times (UK) Oxfam (the charity) is the largest seller of second-hand books in Europe. Ref: Prospect (UK) 90% of the world's rubies come from Burma. Ref: Sunday Times (UK) According to Boston College's Centre of Wealth and Philanthropy (US), ageing Americans will transfer something in the region of US $41 trillion to their descendants by the year 2050. Ref: Intelligent Life (UK) 25% of A-Level students in the UK get three A grades. Ref: Sunday Times (UK) It is estimated that financial services companies hold around 30% of all office space in London. Ref: The Economist (UK) Of the 35 million registered vehicles in Britain, 1.3% are defined as 'historic'. Ref: Sunday Telegraph (UK). According to a Pew Research Centre (US) study, 25% of Americans with annual incomes under US$30,000 describe themselves as 'very happy'. For those with incomes over US$100,000 the figure jumps to 50%. Ref: Intelligent Life (UK) ------------------------------------------------------------ : QUOTE OF THE MONTH 'The fundamental things apply, as time goes by' Herman Hupfeld (Casablanca) ------------------------------------------------------------ : AND FINALLY ... What's next in 2008? 2008+ is a look at ten emerging trends that will shape our lives in 2008 and beyond. The hard copy publication also includes sections on sector trends and a new version of the now legendary 'trend blend' map (this year based on the Shanghai subway). A free sample can be found online at http://www.nowandnext.com/?action=misc&subaction=2008_plus ------------------------------------------------------------ : 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? 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