#Mindcandy are scenario prompts to help companies formulate strategy. Also see https://www.ronimmink.com/strategy-development/.
Scenario prompts 9 May 2025
The prompt for today is abundance.
If we can pluck water out of thin air, maybe business models based on scarcity are no longer valid. Where is your added value then. Two reading tips for the weekend:
The other prompts are indigenous AI, the chief resilience officer, writing. synthetic customer focus groups, wearable haptics, collapse, artificial biomolecular nanotubes, and spider silk.
If you want more details and the other prompts, you can visit my website or subscribe to my substack.
Smart sponge smaller than a paper clip pulls water from air with 94% efficiency
https://interestingengineering.com/science/spongy-device-captures-water-from-air
The innovative water-from-air device uses a sponge-like material made from modified balsa wood – the lightest and softest commercial hardwood timber – enhanced with salts, nanoparticles, and a carbon nanotube layer.
Walking in two worlds: how an Indigenous computer scientist is using AI to preserve threatened languages
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01354-y
Artificial-intelligence initiatives to revive lost languages and empower Indigenous people.
The CEO as chief resilience officer
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-ceo-as-chief-resilience-officer
McKinsey research suggests that many leaders and organizations aren’t spending enough time building that resilience. A full 84 percent of leaders report feeling underprepared for future disruptions, and 60 percent of board members say their companies are not ready for the next major event.
Why Writing Is the Best Tool for Personal Growth
https://nesslabs.com/writing-personal-growth
Building a writing habit is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself as a maker. Also see https://www.marbellachauffeurtours.com/book-retreat/
AI Focus Groups—And Soon AI Copywriters—Will Make Ads Superhuman
95% of what marketers use agencies, strategists, and creative professionals for today will be handled by AI—and the AI will likely be able to test the creative against real or synthetic customer focus groups.
Wearable haptics get thinner: A flexible haptic patch lets you feel the virtual world
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-wearable-haptics-thinner-flexible-haptic.html
They developed a flexible haptic patch incorporating a dense array of nine actuators within a small fingerpad-sized area. Fabricated on a thin, flexible printed circuit board (PCB), the entire patch weighs only 0.3 g and can comfortably conform to the contours of the skin without hindering natural hand movements.
Grappling With Systems Collapse: How Social Sector Leaders Can Respond
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/grappling-with-systems-collapse
Also read https://www.ronimmink.com/collapse-is-an-option/
Nanotubes Growth by Self-Assembly of DNA Strands at Room Temperature
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.4c17516
Artificial biomolecular nanotubes are a promising approach to building materials mimicking the capacity of the cellular cytoskeleton to grow and self-organize dynamically.
Spider Silk Stretches for Strength
https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/spider-silk-stretches-for-strength
Laboratories focused on bio-inspired materials have long been interested in trying to mimic the natural properties of spider silk. Web threads may be thin, but they have remarkable strength and toughness—not to mention boast significant stretching capabilities.
