Penny Black’s Social Diary: Zurich’s sci-fi future; ITC’s macarons

Space elevator pitch

When most insurance companies want to talk about the future, they commission a white paper or host a webinar. Zurich Insurance has gone a slightly different route: they’ve published a science fiction story.

Meet Tomorrow, a collaboration between futurologist Tom Cheesewright and award-winning sci-fi author Dr Alastair Reynolds, explores what life might look like by 2050. 

The story follows Amaka, an interior designer tasked with curating the interior of the world’s first space elevator, as she navigates bioprinted organs, robot roommates, and the eternal question of whether to compromise on quality for a big contract.

Insects becoming common protein sources was by far the most shocking prediction (32% of UK adults claim they’d be willing to eat them, though I suspect that number drops sharply when you put a plate of it in front of them).

It’s an ambitious way to drum up conversation about the role of insurance in backing bold ideas. Though I do wonder if commissioning a short story about a space elevator is Zurich’s way of saying they are now looking to insure things that are out of this world.

Penny’s Lunch Box

ITC London’s event featured a selection of macarons that looked almost too perfect to eat. Almost.

It’s the kind of catering that makes you feel fancy just being in the same room. I can confirm they tasted as good as they looked, though I did have that slightly anxious moment of wondering if I was supposed to eat them with my hands or somehow more elegantly. Five stars for making me feel momentarily sophisticated.