Fwd: Abundance Insider: October 27 Edition

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On Oct 27, 2017, at 1:19 PM, Peter Diamandis <peter@diamandis.com> wrote:

In this week's Abundance Insider: Rice that grows in seawater, AI weather forecasting systems, and the next trillion-dollar industry.

In this week's Abundance Insider: Rice that grows in seawater, AI weather forecasting systems, and the next trillion-dollar industry. Cheers, Peter, Marissa, Kelley, Greg, Sydney, AJ, Bri and Jason P.S. Send any tips to our team by clicking here, and send your friends and family to this link to subscribe to Abundance Insider. Rice that grows in seawater, AI weather forecasting systems, and the next trillion-dollar industry. What it is: The FDA has recently cleared Senhance, a robotically assisted surgical device (RASD), for use in minimally invasive surgeries. Millions of such surgeries are performed each year, which absolutely speeds recovery and enhances outcomes, but surgeons' tools are still manual and limited. Developed by TransEnterix, Senhance enhances surgeon's capabilities through a cockpit with a 3D HD view of the surgical field, where, as Futurism describes, they "remotely control three separate arms, each equipped with surgical instruments." Why it's important: Senhance should increase surgical accuracy and reduce complications, and open the door to broader application of robotic procedures throughout medicine. At a macro level, it reminds us that robotics and AI are likely to augment human professionals' capabilities rather than obliterate all jobs overnight.  Share on Facebook Spotted by Marissa Brassfield  / Written by Jason Goodwin  Chinese Scientists Create Rice That Grows in Salt Water What it is: Chinese scientists have created several types of rice that can grow in saline-alkali soil -- and for the first time ever, these grains are commercially viable. Some wild rice can naturally grow in seawater, with a yield of 1.125 to 2.25 metric tons per hectare. In a recent test, four types of rice yielded 6.5 to 9.3 metric tons per hectare, outperforming the scientists' expected output of 4.5 metric tons per hectare. Why it's important: Another promising example of using technology to transform scarcity into abundance. China has 1 million square kilometers of saline-alkali soil, and up to 20 percent of this land is suitable for cultivation with this saline-tolerant rice — which would yield enough to feed over 80 million more people.  Share on Facebook Spotted by Marissa Brassfield / Written by Marissa Brassfield  Singapore Will Stop Increasing Car Numbers From February 2018 What it is: The Singapore government has announced plans to drop the annual growth rate for cars and motorcycles from 0.25 percent to zero starting in February 2018. "In view of land constraints and competing needs, there is limited scope for further expansion of the road network," said Land Transport Authority officials in a statement. The government will also invest an additional S$28 billion (about $21 billion USD) on rail and bus transportation in the next five years. Why it's important: One more global signal of the coming extinction of traditional car ownership. Singapore has a mandatory permit system for car ownership, which enables them to limit supply. Bloomberg reports that these 10-year permits are auctioned monthly, and at last week's auction, a permit cost S$41,617. As mass transportation and "car-as-a-service" proliferate, automakers that still depend on households purchasing multiple cars will be in trouble.  Share on Facebook Spotted by Marissa Brassfield  / Written by Marissa Brassfield  IBM's AI Shrinks Wave Forecasting System to Run on a Raspberry Pi What it is: IBM has developed a deep-learning network capable of generating wave forecasts up to 12,000 percent faster than current systems, a feat which also allows the system to run on hardware as small as a Raspberry Pi. Also worth noting, Fearghal O'Donncha and team used a combination of Weather Channel data to feed a conventional physics simulation to train the model, which is unique and could be applied elsewhere. Why it's important: While the current system has only proved accurate on waves at Monterey Bay, California, this illustrates the power of deep learning networks to not only solve previously impossible problems, but also to shrink the computational requirements in doing so. This brings us much closer to AI-enabled systems at the edge, and should lay to rest any question about IBM's acquisition of The Weather Channel. Share on Facebook Spotted by Clyde Dennis / Written by Jason Goodwin Morgan Stanley: Space Industry Will Triple in Size What it is: Morgan Stanley analysts predict that the space industry will grow into a $1.1 trillion economy by 2040. The firm recently revealed its "Space 20" list of stocks that are optimally positioned to benefit from industry growth. The list includes brands you might expect in this space — Alphabet, Boeing, Lockheed Martin — and some you might not expect, like Shopify and Intuit. Why it's important: As exponential technologies create paradigm shifts and enable new business models, we'll create jobs — and the next generation of unicorns — that have previously never existed. One of the most promising areas Morgan Stanley highlighted in this report involves bringing the Rising Billion online. "We estimate a $400 billion incremental revenue opportunity from providing Internet access to under- or unserved parts of the world," the team wrote. Share on Facebook Spotted by Cody Rapp / Written by Marissa Brassfield  FDA Approves New Clinical Trial Using Stem Cells to Treat Non-Healing Wounds What it is: The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the second-ever trial to use adipose-derived stem cells to treat non-healing leg ulcers, a common complication of diabetes. The trials began in September at Samford Health, where stem cells were also previously tested for the treatment of shoulder injuries. Why it's important: This is a great example of how we can use exponential technology advances to tackle large-scale problems -- like the 2 to 5 million people living with chronic wounds in the United States alone -- which serves to fund a larger vision, refine the technical details, and explore adjacent applications.  Share on Facebook Spotted by Marissa Brassfield  / Written by Jason Goodwin  What is Abundance Insider? This email is a briefing of the week's most compelling, abundance-enabling tech developments, curated by Marissa Brassfield in preparation for Abundance 360. Read more about A360 below. Want more conversations like this? At Abundance 360, Peter's 250-person executive mastermind, we teach the metatrends, implications and unfair advantages for entrepreneurs enabled by breakthroughs like those featured above. We're looking for CEOs and entrepreneurs who want to change the world. The program is highly selective. If you'd like to be considered, apply here.  Know someone who would benefit from getting Abundance Insider? Send them to this link to sign up. PHD Ventures   800 Corporate Pointe  Suite 350  Culver City,  California   90230   United States You received this email because you are subscribed to Abundance Insider from PHD Ventures. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.  Unsubscribe from all future emails