Vol. 1, No. 12 | April
16, 2015 | AAI Foresight
Inside Foresight Signals
> Living in a (Smart) Glass House
> Food Regulators Urged to Define “Natural”
> Marketing for a Better World: Report from Timothy C.
Mack
> In Memoriam: Kenneth W. Harris
Living in a (Smart) Glass House
Colder winters and hotter summers are why living and working
in glass-fronted buildings is not smart. These beautiful but energy-inefficient
designs are costly for owners and waste tremendous amounts of energy.
Buildings account for a huge portion of overall energy
consumption—some 40 percent in Germany, for instance. Fraunhofer Institute
researchers in Dresden are now working with students and professors at Weissensee
School of Art in Berlin to develop better materials for use in glass façades.
The team is constructing a demonstration model of thermally
reactive fabric blinds based on a concept by design student Bára Finnsdottir.
The design consists of a matrix of 72 flowerlike fabric components with shape-memory
actuators integrated into them. As sunlight hits the façade, the pieces move
noiselessly to shield the building from heat.
The researchers hope to have a commercially available system
by mid-2017. Looking beyond smarter façades, they envision even better energy
capabilities for the concept.
“It might be possible to store solar thermal energy and then
release it when needed to heat the interior, for instance at night,” says André
Bucht, department head at Fraunhofer IWU. “Another idea is to coat the flower
fabric components with malleable, organic solar cells in order to generate
electricity that can be used within the building.”
Source: Fraunhofer
IWU. Image: © Bára Finnsdóttir,
Weissensee School of Art Berlin.
Signals: architecture,
design, energy
Food Regulators Urged to Define “Natural”
Food producers, consumers, and regulators all want to know
what’s natural, and no one seems to agree. “Artificial” ingredients are a
little easier to understand, such as added colors and flavors, but these additives
cast suspicions on many food products that may actually be harmless.
With more genetically modified organisms creeping into the
food supply, marketers have been put on the defensive to reassure consumers and
regulators. Consumers have resorted to lawsuits to demand complete and accurate
information on the stuff they stuff into their mouths.
“Though natural food lawsuits to date have disappointed, they
encourage marketers to drop the claim of being natural or reformulate their
products to avoid future lawsuits,” writes Ross
D. Petty of Babson College in the Journal
of Public Policy & Marketing. “Perhaps this will persuade the [Food and
Drug Administration] or [Federal Trade Commission] to consider creating,
finally, a definition for the meaning of natural.”
Source: American Marketing Association
Reference: Ross D.
Petty, “‘Natural’ Claims in Food Advertising: Policy Implications of Filling
the Regulatory Void with Consumer Class Action Lawsuits,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (In Press). DOI:10.1509/jppm.14.147
Signals: consumers,
food, GMO, marketing, regulation
Psychology, behavioral economics, and even neuroscience are
coming together with digital technology to change the mechanics of human
decision making. The goal is to use feedback on consumers’ emotional reactions and
to apply conditioning techniques (rewards) to promote the habits of pleasurable
actions. Behavior engineering is flowering in such developments as Nir
Eyal’s Habit Hook, driven by rapid advances in neuroscience and the
emergence of continuous shopping.
But this approach isn’t just about reinforcing habitual
consumption; it could also build habits that are actually good for you, such as
encouraging more physical activity, getting more rest each night, or being more
frugal. Nonprofit organizations could also use such benign behavior building
techniques, benefiting from greater sharing of personal information and higher,
more reactive transmissions speeds worldwide. Read
more.
Timothy C. Mack
is managing principal of AAI Foresight
Inc. This report is adapted from the Foresight Signals blog. Download his Foresight Report “The
Future of Retail Marketing” (Spring 2015).
Signals: addiction,
AI, marketing, neuroscience, psychology
In Memoriam: Kenneth W. Harris
The foresight community was saddened to learn of the death
earlier this year of Ken Harris, who
served the World Future Society and its National Capital chapter for many
years. He was also a field editor on transportation for TechCast Global and a
member of the Association for Professional Futurists and the Lifeboat Foundation,
in addition to his work as a consultant for the Consilience Group.
Ken was an avid sports and fitness fan, enjoying golf,
biking, weight training, and numerous other activities, about which he wrote
eloquently for The Futurist.
“His interests and expertise ranged from transportation to
the sports industry to health, and worked on fundraising and outreach programs,”
said AAI Foresight managing consultant Tim Mack. “He was diligent, reliable and
indefatigable in his support of the interests of the World Future Society, and
he will be greatly missed.”
Ken devoted more than 30 years to federal civil service,
working principally at the Federal Aviation Administration. His work in helping
the FAA navigate the future of aviation and the economy segued to his
post-federal consulting and volunteer work, including leading book discussion
groups.
“Ken Harris was among the most dedicated World Future
Society volunteers relentlessly advocating for and actively supporting the
activities of the futures community,” said former board chair Ken Hunter. “He worked tirelessly to
support the WFS chapters and people around the world developing local groups.
He also served on many special project teams always contributing time, talent
and professionalism to enterprise. It was a pleasure serving with Ken over the
decades.”
Ken lived in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, Carolyn. At the time of this writing, a
date for memorial services had not been set. Condolences may be posted in the
comments here or emailed to AAI Foresight and will be forwarded to Carolyn
Harris.
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© 2015 AAI Foresight
Foresight Signals is a publication of AAI
Foresight
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