Five Interesting Things: Today’s Scan Hits
Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today.
- Steve Waldman hypothesizes that the moribund economies of World 1 have fallen prey to a technology-driven resource curse. Elite access to finance capital and technology is becoming increasingly monopolized, impeding the re-distribution of economic resources to non-elites.
- According to Packaging World, waste-to-energy processes, which have a good track record in Europe and Asia, are now “becoming a more viable end-of-life option for flexible packaging materials in North America,” as municipal incinerator technology has been improved to reduce potential emissions.
- Writing on io9, George Dvorsky offers an interesting — if contestable — list of seven spots that could trigger major future wars.
- A tiny sponge camouflaged as a red blood cell could soak up toxins ranging from anthrax to snake venom, new research suggests.
- The revisionist assessments of the Bush 44 years begin: Donna Brazile praises his commitments to Katrina rebuilding. Keith Hennessy makes the case for Bush’s keen intellect.