Homo augeretis
What’s trending? Would you allow genetic embryo editing if you could guarantee that your child would be born without a certain disease? Homo augeretis refers to augmented human beings. We possess the technical ability to alter DNA through in vitro gene selection. Scientists are already using gene therapy to prevent certain illnesses or abnormalities but […]
Saving South Africa – Radical ideas for a hopeful future
South Africa stands at the edge of a precipice. Almost thirty years after its first democratic election, poor policy and rampant corruption have left the country standing on the brink of becoming a failed state. In this thought-provoking book, Bronwyn Williams interviews a diverse group of public intellectuals, business leaders, and political mavericks to discuss […]
Commoditisation of care
What’s trending? We are starting to see an increased number of situations where care is being monetised. There’s a demand for services that one previously did oneself – and without a price-tag. One service on offer in the US is rent-a-mom, where parents hire surrogate mothers for their children who are away at college. For […]
Hidden fees
This observation is a follow-on from Hide-and-seek Pricing. What’s trending? Retailers have not fully recovered financially from the pandemic so there are efforts to maximise profits without raising the prices of goods and services. Some of them achieve this through hidden costs, where the advertised costs are not what the consumer ends up paying. Hotels […]
Why Your Business Needs a Doula Right Now?
A Flux Trends briefing by Dion Chang Death, be it of a dream, a career or a business, is one of the most traumatic things we face as a species. They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Irrespective of your background, social or economic status – you will, at some point, […]
A Roadmap to Rescue Our Republic : Radical collaborative ideas for a hopeful future
SPECIAL LAUNCH OFFER : Book this Trend Briefing in Keynote or Salon format and get 50 FREE copies of the Rescuing Our Republic book, autographed by Bronwyn, perfect as a year-end corporate gift for your team and clients. South Africa stands at the edge of a precipice. Almost thirty years after its first democratic election, […]
Great Expectations
Our expectations, that is, our beliefs, shape our thoughts, which in turn direct our actions and shape our reality. In a very literal sense, we get what we believe. Or, to put it another way, we are responsible for the consequences of the beliefs we instil in others. In this Flux Trends briefing, we look at […]
Restrictions on Cultural and Religious Diversity
What’s trending? Some governments are banning citizens or employees from wearing items of clothing that they deem to be inappropriate. Over the past decade, France has imposed limitations on the religious dress of some French people. In 2004, Muslim headscarves were banned at French public schools. Burkinis (full-body swimsuits) were banned from beaches in 2016 […]
Community-centric retail
What’s trending? Encouraging a sense of community is emerging as an increasingly important part of a successful physical retail strategy. The pandemic precipitated a large-scale adoption of ecommerce which led to a sharp decline in foot traffic at brick and mortar shops. Since then, consumers have been returning to stores. A key element of this […]
Ethical Hacking
What’s trending? In ethical hacking, hackers are authorised to test the robustness of a company’s IT system. It’s been around for a while but a new type of hacking has emerged whereby the hackers use textual prompts instead of code to try to manipulate generative AI chatbots into inappropriate behaviour. In August, thousands of hackers […]