Swine Fever - Urgent - "Lancet" on Global Threat
Here
is the full press release on Swine Flu from the Lancet medical
journal. It highlights the vital role that governments need to take,
and also how important it is that people with flu-like symptoms in
affected countries stay at home and away from other people. Those in the poorest nations will be most vulnerable. Need to do all we can to slow spread even if pandemic looks inevitable in future, to win time to create a vaccine (6 months)
Swine Flu – Global Pandemic Threat - loss of life and business disruption
Governments teams are meeting in emergency sessions around the world to plan urgent responses to Swine Flu Virus (H1N1) after over 1,600 cases were reported in less than 48 hours in Mexico with others reported or suspected in the US, Canada and the UK. By early 27th April 2009 over 1600 cases had already been reported in Mexico with over 100 deaths – up from zero reported cases in just 48 hours. John McCaulay from the National Institute of Medical Research in the UK has said that the death toll could be as high as that from Spanish Flu in 1918-1919 which is thought to have killed 30 million people – out of a much smaller world population – less than half the number of people in the world today.
Even if the spread of Swine Flu Virus is as well contained as Sars was in 2003, it is clear that huge potential exists for business disruption around the world. Sars only infected 8600 people of which 862 died, but wiped billions of dollars from stock markets in South East Asia and caused major challenges for international travel, as well as social chaos in places like Hong Kong where people feared for weeks to gather in public places. This mutant version of Swine Flu has jumped from pigs to humans, combining it seems elements of bird flu, swine flu, and human flu. People who have had human flu in the past are unlikely to be protected, nor those recently vaccinated against human flu.
Dr Patrick Dixon, Chairman of Global Change Ltd said: "We are in a race against time to prevent a global pandemic. We must also remember that even if the spread of Swine Flu Virus is as well contained as Sars was in 2003, there could still be huge business disruption around the world. Sars only infected 8600 people in 2003 of which 862 died, but wiped billions of dollars from stock markets in South East Asia and caused major challenges for international travel, as well as social chaos in places like Hong Kong where people feared for weeks to gather in public places. Sars only infected 8,600 before being contained, but this Swine Flu Virus has probably already infected well over 1,600."
* Dr Patrick Dixon is a Futurist, physician, author of The Truth about AIDS, Futurewise and The Genetic Revolution. He consults to a wide range of multinationals on health-related trends. Press / media contact: MEDIA
Read more: Swine Flu – Global Pandemic Threat - loss of life and business disruption
Technology Innovation: Future Trends
How future consumers will behave, the impact of the current global crisis, and how combinations of new technologies will fuse together to create a new world. It is easy to focus on clever engineering, or new product developments, and lose sight of what the future will actually be like. The truth is that our future is being shaped by technology or innovation, but will be driven by emotion. How customers feel, how they want to live, what excites them and what worries they have.Activists: How passion will change our world and impact of terrorism.
Radical political forces, activism, terrorism and single issues. Carbon trading? Global warming? Environment? Discrimination and social justice? Democracy what kind of system is best? Are other systems of government more appropriate in some emerging economies? Different systems of democracy. How democracy could work for a global government based loosely around the UN / United Nations. Should the majority global population have power to alter how the global village is run on ...
Read more: Activists: How passion will change our world and impact of terrorism.
Human brain: fuse with PC chips biodigital brain
Biodigital brains and rebuilding eyes in people who are blind using adults stem cells. Growing brain cells onto computer chips to extend memory and processing power of human brain. How to fuse brain and computer power together. Brain control of machines, and computers. Remote robotic control by thought alone. RFID devices. Ethical issues in robot engineering using brain tissue. Digital enhancement of human brain function. Innovation, divergence and convergence in mobile phone devices, personal organisers, bandwidth and global positioning systems. Consumer and customer changes. Why benchmarking kills innovation. Lecture by physician and futurist keynote conference speaker Patrick Dixon for 2008 Stein Am Rhein leadership summit - facilitated by Professor Prabhu Guptara.
Newspapers Future - online threat? Futurist Q&A
Q via http://www.twitter.com/patrickdixon on future of newspapers, magazines and traditional print media. Impact of online news channels, Twitter and other web media on newspaper readership, circulation, subscription and advertising revenues. Growth of newspaper readership in India and other emerging economies with fall in developed economies. Niche markets for magazines. Comment by keynote conference speaker and Futurist Patrick Dixon in response to questions via Twitter.
Mobile devices - and laptops - trends - FUTURIST Q&A
Questions to www.twitter.com/patrickdixon on future of mobile computing. Confusion in manufacturers and consumer choices. Mobile phones and web browsers still limited and always will be by screen size and data entry. Expect convergence of features and divergence in device sizes - great variety and most people in management to own and use many devices of varying size and function.Read more: Mobile devices - and laptops - trends - FUTURIST Q&A
Mobile devices - and laptops - trends - FUTURIST Q&A
Questions to www.twitter.com/patrickdixon on future of mobile computing. Divergence and convergence. Mobile phones and web browsers still limited and always will be by screen size and data entry. Expect convergence of features and divergence in device sizes. Comment by Futurist Patrick Dixon
Questions to www.twitter.com/patrickdixon on future of mobile computing. Divergence and convergence. Mobile phones and web browsers still limited and always will be by screen size and data entry. Expect convergence of features and divergence in device sizes. Comment by Futurist Patrick Dixon
Future of Newspapers – advertising and readership
Crisis in newspaper circulations - deserted by readers and advertisers in favour of online news channels. What is the future of traditional print media? Pressures on newspaper sales in America and Europe compared to huge growth in newspaper circulations in India and some other emerging markets. Impact of online news services and problems monetarising them. Demographic split of newspaper and magazine readers. Crisis in newspaper circulations - deserted by readers and advertisers in favour of online news channels. What is the future of traditional print media? Pressures on newspaper sales in America and Europe compared to huge growth in newspaper circulations in India and some other emerging markets. Impact of online news services and problems monetarising them. Demographic split of newspaper and magazine readers. Impact of online advertising on traditional advertising and marketing budgets. Futurist keynote conference speaker Patrick Dixon at Stein Am Rhein Leadership Summit – questions and answers facilitated by Professor Prabhu Guptara.
Do social networks kill “real” relationships?
Do social networks damages "normal social relationships"? Impact of virtual communication on social gatherings. FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Bebo, YouTube are mainly communities of people who know each other. Why many people are physically present but mentally and emotionally absent. Influence of social networks on partner selection and family life.
Virtual relationships, video, videoconferencing, Skype, dating and Second Life. How relationships are changing in the online world.More Articles...
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