Science fiction rarely invents the future by itself. Its deeper value lies in making possible futures visible before science, engineering, policy, capital and public demand align. From satellite communications to personal devices, stories give people a shared language for imagining what technology could mean in everyday life. This article explores how speculative fiction shapes innovation, why resemblance is not the same as causation, and how writers, designers, researchers, educators and policymakers can use speculative practice responsibly.
Monthly Archives: October 2026
6 posts
Could two discrete smartphone screens offer more value than expensive foldables? As Android multitasking matures and the creator economy grows, dual-screen smartphones could make a comeback. This analysis examines their potential for content creators, entrepreneurs and mobile-first professionals across the Global South, exploring hardware design, software readiness, affordability and the business case for a new generation of mobile workstations.
Organisations hire contractors and consultants for specific deliverables, but their wider experience can offer value beyond the original assignment. Equally, consultants learn from the organisations they serve. The Knowledge Dividend explores this two-way exchange, the opportunities often overlooked, and how organisations can make knowledge transfer worthwhile without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
AI has made prototypes cheap. The difficult work remains: turning lawful evidence, user needs and modern architecture into a product that enterprises can trust, support and adopt.
Domestic robots are already useful in narrow roles. The challenge is not building a general household helper, but proving which tasks deserve a physical machine and what support system makes it safe.
Most organisations do not fail because they lack ideas. They fail because they put ideas in the wrong category. A bridge technology gets dismissed as a compromise. A revival candidate gets mistaken for an obsolete asset. A platform gets treated like a product. A product that should end survives because it has internal champions. This article looks at eight real cases, including Kodak, Xerox PARC, ASML, Java, Google Reader, Stadia, RISC-V, Arm and IBM PC, to show how companies decide what to build, spin out, archive, open, license, sell or let die.