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Future Pages: The bookmark collection... frequently updated links to other websites on trends, innovation and the future.
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Signs of the Future: The news archive... past postings of items from world media on emerging trends.
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SCIENCE
Top Stories:
Creating Life from Scratch Moves One Step Closer - [San Jose Mercury News] Gene pioneer Craig Venter has unveiled the world's first man-made genome, setting the stage for a profound milestone: the creation of life from scratch. The feat, described in the journal Science, was accomplished by making DNA fragments from lab chemicals and then assembling them inside a cell.
Gene Discovery Made Easier With Powerful New Networking Technique - [Physorg] Gene networks are models of the connections between all of the genes within an organism, and Edward Marcotte uses them like an online social network. He learns what new genes do by the genes’ connections to others in the network, much like people use online social networking systems to connect with friends and others with similar interests.
TECHNOLOGY
Top Stories:
A Circuit for the Eye - [CBC] U.S. engineers have successfully implanted an electric circuit into a contact lens, a technology that might eventually let users see data while leaving their regular vision unchanged.
Smart Sticky Notes Organize Themselves - [Discovery Channel] Sticky note addicts can attest to their usefulness, but their inevitable abundance can sometimes make life even more confusing. Now researchers have developed electronic sticky notes, called Quickies, that can be searched for digitally and can send reminders and messages via e-mail or a mobile device.
BUSINESS
Top Stories:
Cell Phones and Virtual Worlds Morphing Shopper Ways - [Reuters]
Virtual worlds, mobile coupons and bar-code readers on cell phones are the next technology wave that U.S. chain stores must ride if they hope to stay competitive in the fast-changing world of global retail.
The Global Auto Industry: New Cars, Old Problems - [Knowledge@Wharton] America's auto industry is in trouble -- along with the rest of the economy. How hard are the auto makers being hit and what should the Big Three do to stem the damage? Meanwhile, the global auto industry has seen some interesting developments, including the introduction in India of Tata Motors' Nano and the arrival of five Chinese auto manufacturers at the Detroit auto show earlier this month. Will China and India be big players in the global market for cars? And what is the current state of Europe's auto industry?
SOCIETY
Top Stories:
Hackers Have Attacked Foreign Utilities, CIA Analyst Says - [Washington Post]
In a rare public warning to the power and utility industry, a CIA analyst this week said cyber attackers have hacked into the computer systems of utility companies outside the United States and made demands, in at least one case causing a power outage that affected multiple cities.
Smart Badges Track Human Behavior - [Technology Review] In the corporate and academic worlds, conferences and networking events are necessary. But while some people trade business cards with aplomb, others clump with coworkers, rarely venturing beyond the safety of their pre-existing social circle. New research from MIT's Media Lab has shown that a sensor-laden conference badge might be able to help people venture out, form new connections, and gain insight into how they interact with others at such events.
GLOBAL POLITICS
Top Stories:
Bypassing the Blockage of Nations - [BBC]
Solving the world's environmental ills may mean re-thinking the role of nations and national governments, says our environment correspondent Richard Black in this week's Green Room. The current system, he argues, is a recipe for stasis.
Weak Dollar Fuels China's Buying Spree Of U.S. Firms - [Washington Post] In 2007, acquisitions in the United States by foreign ventures hit $407 billion, up 93 percent from the previous year, according to Thomson Financial. The top countries investing were Canada, Britain and Germany; the Middle East and Asia -- especially China -- are quickly catching up. The biggest deals in recent months have involved Wall Street firms hit by losses from exposure to mortgage-related investment vehicles.
ENVIRONMENT
Top Stories:
China Drought Underlines Hydropower Reliance Risks - [Planet Ark] A major drought has squeezed electricity output at big dams across southwest China, highlighting the risks of Beijing's massive hydropower expansion plans on coal and oil markets in a warmer, drier world.
Abu Dhabi Plots Hydrogen Future - [BBC] The government of Abu Dhabi has announced a $15bn (£7.5bn) initiative to develop clean energy technologies. The Gulf state describes the five-year initiative as "the most ambitious sustainability project ever launched by a government."
THE FUTURE
Top Stories:
Going Global -- Is the Future Bright? - [PhysOrg] The global economy is entering a dramatic, virtual phase of development claims a new book, Going Global, published this month following a collaboration between the independent charity the Tomorrow Project and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
The Choice Between Food and Fuel - [Free Internet Press] All it takes for Hans Dietrich Driftmann, a businessman from Germany's northern Holstein region, to explain the way the world works is a package of muesli -- or at least to explain the way his world, the world of agricultural markets, works.
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