⏩ Air-cleaning plants, ending homelessness, 3D-printed zero energy homes, female crash test dummies, and more...
The Future Normal: Fast Forward #30
This week’s edition comes at you from Tel Aviv, where I’m spending a couple of days with a community of futurists and innovators at the La Futura event. It’s been an inspirational whirlwind covering human psychology, space architecture, organs-on-a-chip and more…
But the wider city is a fascinating blend of tech-driven modernity and ancient history, a fusion that resonates deeply because it is the same combination that underpins successful innovation – how can you take advantage of the new, while rooting it in those aspects of human nature that are unchanging?
With that in mind, let’s get to this week’s glimpses of the Future Normal.
What if … we could eat meat, without the guilt? There has been criticism of meat-heavy menus at climate conferences, but that won’t extend to Eat Just’s cultivated chicken, which will be served to dignitaries at COP27 this week. For more context, check out this deep dive into the future of cultivated meat.
What if … we could decarbonize heavy industry? Also at COP27 The First Movers Coalition, a collection of multinationals, committed to spend $12 billion on creating a market for sustainable concrete. Previously the coalition has seen Apple order the first zero-emission aluminum and Volvo purchase fossil-free steel.
What if … we could engineer plants to clean the air around us? Neoplants, a French startup has genetically modified a houseplant to absorb 30x the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and benzene that are commonly found in household paints.
What if … we could end homelessness? Away from all the mind-blowing tech, this is a far more mundane but no-less-exciting story from Finland. The secret? Giving people housing first, before trying to ‘fix’ their other problems.
What if … flying cars serviced the cities of the future? Volocopter, the German eVTOL manufacturer raised a further $182 million to launch its commercial services within the next two years. Most intriguing is that one of the investors is NEOM, the Saudi smart city.
What if … you could print your next home? Mighty Buildings claims to have delivered the world's first 3D-printed Net Zero Energy homes - thanks to its stronger, lighter and lower impact concrete-type material and quick-to-assemble prefabricated parts.
What if … products were designed to protect everyone, not just men? Incredibly, women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in car crashes. One reason is that crash test dummies are typically modeled on men’s bodies. Until now…
What if ... AI becomes our creative partner? It’s hard to single out a single story in the insanely rapidly advancing field of generative AI, so here are two great overviews from investors NFX and Sequoia of what these new platforms might unleash.
Planning for 2023?
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If you can see it, you can be it. The Future Normal explores how we will live, work and thrive in the coming decade by highlighting the breakthroughs and pioneers building our future, today.
Thanks for reading,
I always like to read your newsletter Henry, you inspired me to start one myself. Would be nice if you could share some feedback https://openup.substack.com/p/soulful-speech-stimulating-stories