Five Interesting Things: Today’s Scan Hits
Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today.
- A scholar at Brookings Institution discusses how the emerging markets of Asia might avoid the “middle-income trap” that could keep them from becoming wealthy.
- A new study found that “Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults.” Direct interactions with others (as opposed to online interactions) “did not predict these negative outcomes.”
- Researchers from the University of Washington have created a wireless device that can send and receive data without the use of on-board battery or other power source. The devices scavenge the power they need from ambient radio or television signals. Current prototypes have a range of 2.5 feet, but with some basic upgrades this could be boosted to 20 feet.
- Activists destroyed a field trial of “golden rice” in the Philippines. The genetically modified rice expresses a precursor of vitamin A and is intended to help alleviate vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Scientists are now protesting the protest.
- Coca-Cola has announced that is creating start-up accelerators in nine cities around the world to spur innovation development. Centers in Sydney and San Francisco have already opened, with the Mexico City branch reportedly close to coming on-line. Other locales being developed are Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Bangalore, Singapore and Istanbul.