Need to Know
01 : 10 : 19

London – Memory Palace charts momentous events from the first cave markings to Greta Thunberg’s climate strike.

Created by artist and set designer Es Devlin for the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in London, the installation is an 18-metre-wide topographical model of a landscape, which maps iconic events in history in chronological order. Such events include the discovery of homo sapiens' first cave markings in Africa, the first heliocentric map of the universe, and the location where Greta Thunberg began her school strike in 2018.

The installation takes inspiration from a mnemonic technique originating in ancient Greece that uses visualisation of physical locations in order to activate memories and recall information. The memories chosen by Devlin are from the past 75,000 years, with the piece designed to ‘invoke our collective memories’ and inspire debate.

Working to shed light on the possibilities of the human species, Devlin is examining how we live in a Dislocated World, encouraging visitors to re-evaluate the history of humanity.

New York – Cerebelly offers science-based baby food that supports early childhood brain development.

Co-founded by neurosurgeon Dr Teresa Purzner, Cerebelly is setting a new standard for baby food that nourishes brain and body. The range of organic, plant-based pouches include nutrients from superfoods like chlorella, squash seeds, algal oil, kelp and maitake mushrooms to target specific regions of the brain.

Launching direct-to-consumer and at Whole Foods Market in the US, parents can log their baby’s age and track developmental milestones online. Every two weeks, Cerebelly ships a suitable selection of products to provide the appropriate nutrition for that window of brain development. ‘I was inspired to start this brand after turning to my local grocer for healthy options for my kids, only to discover the startling lack of genuine nutrition in many products on the shelves,’ explains Purzner, co-founder and chief science officer at Cerebelly.

For more on how parents are seeking nutritious, convenient options to feed their children, read our Bold Baby Food microtrend.

Voice assistants are gaining traction with Generation Alpha. Young consumers in the UK and US show an openness towards voice assistants, according to Wunderman Thompson. Usage is already relatively high among children between the ages of six and 16, with nearly 22% having used Amazon Alexa or another voice assistant.

In future, 41% intend to use the technology to make purchases, presenting retailers, marketplaces and brands with an opportunity to think about how this generation will shop as they get older. In terms of age groups, interactions with such devices is most pronounced among six- to nine-year-olds (47%), followed by 10 to 12-year-olds (43%) and 13 to 16-year-olds (32%).

In our Subconscious Commerce macrotrend, we explore how Internet of Things technology is creating immersive touchpoints for consumers, who are deferring choice in favour of convenience.