Science of the Time, formally known as Signs of the Time

For the international Cool City Hunt Tour Science of the Time is doing with Fontys, Carl Rohde lectured in Seoul at the Hongik University. At this page the Coolhunters can find all the information they need to accomplish a good Coolhunt. 

ABOUT COOLHUNTING
The participants have to ‘hunt’ for everything they think is ‘cool’. The definition of Science of the Time’s ‘Cool’ is “attractive and inspiring with future growth potential”. It is not about the gadgets but the mentalities behind it. Coolhunting is simply searching for things, products, services, people etcetera that are attractive and inspiring with future growth potential for you and the ones around you. This could be everything as long as you are able to explain why you think it is cool. Look on the website or especially the Top-15 to get inspired by others. 

COOL MENTALITY TRENDS
To give this research some direction, the Fontys Cool Hunt focusses on FOUR trends:

1. Cool Experience Economy
People are more and more willing to pay extra to get extra (a story, experience or anything else that is connected to the product but is not the essence/character of the product itself). Bring back the example of the coffeebean (as described in Experience Economy by Joe Pine): a simple cup of coffee at home costs you 30 cts max. A cup of coffee in the pub around the corner (another environment and made and served by someone else) is 3 Euro’s. But there is always an extreme: people are greatfull to drink a cup of coffee (that in fact is comparable with the one at home) at Piazza San Marco in Rome and are willing to pay 30 Euro’s to sit and drink at this special place. The valuable loading of this product is what experience economy is all about. We love the marketing of the memorable moment. And we often can pay for it. 

2. Cool Masculinities.
Everyone heard of the metrosexual (term invented and international introduced by Mark Simpson): a male that is not afraid to show his feminin side: he takes good care of himself (or even uses make-up), dares to spoil and bath in luxury and shows his emotions: being vulnerable can be very manly too! At the other side man need their moments to ‘get back to their roots’. They see the good things about it but also ask themselves “Where is the cowboy in me?” Every image, brand, television program that helps them to connect with their Cowboy Inside is appreciated (for example ‘Jack Ass’: that inspired a lot of youngsters to create their own boyish-jackass-moments). Clearly the modern man is in conflict.  


3. Cool Feminities
Females oscillate between Ultimate Barbification and Real Social Empowerment. The emancipation made everything possible for a woman. The ultimate extremes to accentuate or empower your feminity is or by 1: ‘showing off’ your feminity by showing that you are a woman (with a sexual accent or maybe more than a accent) intelligence is not important, it is all about your looks (that can get customised to perfectional by plastic surgery): Ultimate Barbification. Or by 2: using your intelligence and woman-strenght to make a carreer or be socially concerned and caring. Generation X females often say: The Only Way is Up. But I do not want to be a power bitch (all the time.)

4. Cool Relax.
Living in Stress Society: we all are working harder and are making more hours than the yuppie of the 80s. Help Me to De-stress and Give me an energy boost therefore have become desires world wide. In Stress Society these desires are as basic as intense. Especially in times of recession people are re-discovering what is having a chill-night at home is worth. We embrace the Wellness Revolution. 

For all examples and short descriptions of the mentality trends

ASSIGNMENT

Make your own CoolHunt now! 
You have to hunt for something COOL yourself.
Find for each trend (described above) an example (either found/described online or in the real world, out on the streets) that is COOL. Remember, Cool is attractive, inspirational and with future growth potential within the own generation. The COOL examples must illustrate the trend, and you have to write ‘Why it is Cool’. 
This can be a very short alinea, but it always makes clear: 
- What trend are we dealing with 
- Where you found it 
- Why you think it is Cool 
- Why it is a good example of the ‘main theme’ of the trend, or 
- Why it takes the trend a little further. 
- To what other trends can you link this Cool example? 
-Always upload an image
-Always explain what it is and why it is cool
-On behalf of the international character of Science of the Time: Always write in English.

Logging-in Webpage
Special results page Seoul Cool City Hunt

TIMEPATH
One month. Deadline Tuesday 28th of April, 17:00h.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
I don’t know how to post. Read this instructions: how_to_post_tutorial.pdf

I can’t log in or I lost my password:
A) Go to http://www.scienceofthetime.com/scienceofthetime/forgot_password/
B) You will then receive an (1) email to check if you want to reset your password (and yes you do want this), so you click on the link
C) You will receive then an (2) email with your new password.
D) With this pasword and your username you can log-on to the website.
E) Add your Cool Stuff on: http://www.scienceofthetime.com/eekernel
F) Your Cool Stuff will appear on the special Seoul Cool City Hunt page: http://www.scienceofthetime.com/coolhunt_seoul/

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU
1. A great learning experience and a nice thing extra on your cv/portfolio.

2. Worldwide fame if you are really good. We will show your examples on our leading website pages which has many visitors (6000 a month, many decision makers) worldwide. Also the best of the Cool City Hunts will be published in CODE, a cool magazine with Dutch origins that also is distributed in New York and Tokio.

3. Participation in a cool worldwide network. Entrance to the outcomes of the other Cool City Hunt projects (Belo Horizonte, Lisboa, Amsterdam, Eindhoven and more to follow.). At this moment we use the same information as the Cool Hunters of four other Universities. Exciting isn’t it? More groups of students working on almost the same assignment. The only difference is that the work will be posted online at your own special page: http://www.scienceofthetime.com/coolhunt_seoul/
4. Participation in the forthcoming Battle of the Best, in which the best people all over the world who are participating in the Cool City Hunt research will compete against each other. (No details given yet.)

FURTHER QUESTIONS
Contact