You can’t predict the future. You can build the fitness to respond to it. Mind candy — fuel for strategic conversation about what’s next.
A Startup Says It Grew Human Sperm in a Lab—and Used It to Make Embryos
A startup says it has successfully grown functional human sperm in a lab and used the sperm to make visibly healthy-looking embryos. The technique could eventually help men with certain types of infertility have biological children.
https://www.wired.com/story/startup-says-it-grew-human-sperm-in-a-lab-and-used-it-to-make-embryos
When a breakthrough moves from “impossible” to “plausible” in a single announcement, how fast can your organisation update its assumptions?
The other prompts
12 free books on strategy, innovation, intrapreneurship, AI, future trends and leadership. Each one distils the best thinking from dozens of business books into a single, actionable read. Every book is also available as a BookBuzz session, board briefing or keynote.
No infantry: For first time, Ukraine captured Russian position using only drones and robots
Ukrainian forces have, for the first time since the start of the full-scale war, captured a Russian position using only drones and unmanned ground robotic systems (UGVs).
Physical Intelligence, a hot robotics startup, says its new robot brain can figure out tasks it was never taught
The new model, called π0.7, represents what the company describes as an early but meaningful step toward the long-sought goal of a general-purpose robot brain: one that can be pointed at an unfamiliar task, coached through it in plain language, and actually pull it off
UK shoppers weigh CEO behaviour in purchasing decisions
The line between corporate reputation and personal conduct is blurring. New findings suggest that leadership behaviour is now a critical driver of consumer trust and a growing source of commercial risk
https://www.raconteur.net/leadership/uk-shoppers-weigh-ceo-behaviour-in-purchasing-decisions
Nanobody repairs misfolded CFTR inside cells, boosting function in cystic fibrosis
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in developing a so-called nanobody that penetrates directly into human cells and can repair the chloride channel most commonly affected in cystic fibrosis.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanobody-misfolded-cftr-cells-boosting.html
AI and the Meaningless Gap
The gap between AI and human intelligence is real, vast, and easy to feel. But the comparison itself may be a fundamental mistake from the start. Neither side can truly fathom the other, and that’s not a problem to solve.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-digital-self/202604/ai-and-the-meaningless-gap
Nuclear in space: US plans mid-power reactor with lunar fission surface power
NASA will also prioritize integrated designs for mid-power fission surface power (FSP) and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP).
https://interestingengineering.com/space/nuclear-reactors-in-space-moon-us
Scientists Revive Failing Cells With Mitochondria Transplants
Researchers are shuttling healthy mitochondria into cells—essentially transplanting them to restore energy production and reboot metabolism.
https://singularityhub.com/2026/04/21/scientists-revive-failing-cells-with-mitochondria-transplants/
Could humans become “Sun-eaters” in the future?
A growing movement is trying to turn energy directly into food — reviving an old dream of escaping the violence and inefficiency of eating
https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/p/everything-you-eat-is-sunlight-scientists
5 infrastructure shifts to notice
Attention is the new constraint, friction is a defining issue, infrastructure is hidden, reliability is a form of innovation, and sustainability is a structural decision.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91531568/5-infrastructure-shifts-to-notice
