Scan Monthly No. 049March 2007 |
 |
<< Other Issues of Scan Monthly |
 Download this Scan Monthly (PDF) |
Signals of Change
Attitude Interventions
SoC225
Social scientists have always agreed that worldview and self-perception play an important role in individual behavior, economic and otherwise. Recent research in several arenas indicates, however, that the relationship between attitude and behavioral outcomes is even more profound than most social scientists have imagined.
The Personal-Values Chain
SoC226
An increasing number of consumers are imposing their personal values onto the supply-chain practices of companies. These consumers not only make companies more accountable for their business practices but, through their purchase decisions, indicate that they are willing to pay a premium for products that meet certain standards in their manner of production.
Upscale Foods
SoC227
The market for upscale foods is experiencing continuing growth. Food producers and associated companies face a challenge in identifying appropriate new markets and developing the brands, products, and production processes necessary to meet evolving demand.
The Personal Factory Redux
SoC228
Futurists have long speculated about systems that allow the average consumer to print a physical object using affordable and easy-to-use computer-aideddesign software, laser scanners, and cheap materials. The technologies to enable such capabilities now appear to be coming together in ways that might be even more interesting and compelling than the experts imagined.
Neuroengineering Breakthroughs
SoC229
Among the most interesting recent developments in the field of neuroscience are advances in the domain of neuroengineering. Neuroengineering research explores interventions to improve or repair brain-body mechanics. Many of the developments will have far-reaching implications for health, medicine, human-machine interfaces, and human-augmentation technologies.
Nanoscale Self-Assembly
SoC230
Scientists and researchers are increasingly looking to biological processes in which molecular components self-assemble into larger structures as models for engineering new self-assembly manufacturing processes. DNA turns out to be a very useful tool for tasks other than controlling genetic processes.
Insights
| Emerging Tools and Techniques for Sustainability | View full summary |
| D07-2546 | Download this Insight |
|
Sustainability is the measure of a process or product's ability to meet people's needs currently without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. General use of the term sustainability now covers a large number of various kinds of resources and initiatives: from natural resources to genetic diversity; from recycling to architecture; from cultural diversity to personal health. The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University focuses on the ways in which private enterprise can achieve financial success through the solution of the world's social and environmental problems, proving that commerce itself is amenable to sustainability principles. This study identifies many of the data points that the Scan process has surfaced in the past six months relating to sustainability tools, techniques, and technologies. The data points in the Scan database indicate signals of change, so this study provides a survey of recent signals of change relating to sustainability issues in a variety of domains rather than a comprehensive review of sustainability issues and policies. Author: Kermit M. Patton. 11 pages. |
|
| Scan Meeting Digest: 21 February 2007 Meeting | View full summary |
| D07-2547 | Download this Insight |
|
This document is a digest of the Scan abstract clusters that participants in the 21 February 2007 Scan meeting identified. The digest includes a description of the Scan process for people who have never attended a Scan meeting, a list of the clusters that meeting participants identified, and a one-page description of each cluster's premise and supporting abstracts. The document has active links that allow the reader to access the supporting abstracts for each cluster in Scan's online abstract database. The document also has links to previously published Scan documents relating to the particular cluster. Clusters of abstracts for this February meeting include monoculture issues; new energy-storage technologies; music DRM breakdown; the blurring of virtual and real; attitude interventions; national green plans; toward a cyborg world; new ways of influencing influencers; rebuilt, better; green streets; down but not out; next-gen vice; and love hurts. Compiler: Thomas M. McKenna. 36 pages. |
|
Calendar
Scan Abstract Meetings
Scan abstract meetings (in which SRIC-BI [now SBI] staff participate in a free-form discussion of current Scan abstracts) are open for client observation/participation on:
- 23 May 2007 at 9:00 am
- 18 July 2007 at 9:00 am
- 19 September 2007 at 9:00 am
- 17 October 2007 at 9:00 am
- 23 January 2008 at 9:00 am
- 19 March 2008 at 9:00 am.