World changing technologies
Four emerging technologies
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Convergence of emerging technologies
There is a set of worldwide problems at once so daunting and yet so pressing that solutions simply can’t wait. We must accelerate the process of discovery to address this class of systemic challenges.
Today, the convergence of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and computing power is enabling us to consider a wider range of questions once thought out of reach.
Bio-Plastics For A Circular Economy
Transforming woody wastes into better plastics
Advanced Solvents and Enzymes are transforming woody wastes into better biodegradable plastics .
Many hurdles must be overcome before the new plastics can be widely used. One is cost. Another is minimizing the amount of land and water used to produce them-even if the lignin comes only from waste, water is needed to convert it into plastic. As with any major challenge, the solutions will require a combination of measures, from regulations to voluntary changes in the ways society uses and disposes of plastics. Still, the emerging methods for producing biodegradable plastic offer a perfect example of how greener solvents and more effective bio-catalysts can contribute to generating a circular economy in a major industry…
Social Robots for Human Beings
Droid friends and assistants to our lives
Droid assistants are penetrating deeper into our lives.
Worldwide sales of consumer robots reached an estimated $5.6 billion in 2018, and the market is expected to grow to $19 billion by the end of 2025, with more than 65 million robots sold a year. This trend may seem surprising given that multiple well-funded consumer robot companies, a wave of robots is lining up to take the place of defunct robots, including a big-eyed mobile device that plays games in addition to acting as a personal assistant and providing home automation and security…
Collaborative Telepresence
Real feeling in connected life
Participants in virtual gatherings will feel like they are physically together.
Although collaborative telepresence is still very much emerging, all the pieces are in place for it to become transformative within three to five years. A lot of tech companies are already investing in technologies that are expected to underpin a multibillion dollar industry by 2025. And some has launched the $10-million prize competition to kick-start technologies that will transport a human’s sense, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world. As the parts are knitted together, expect to see changes in daily life and work that are as dramatic as those sparked by the widespread adoption of smartphones.
DNA Data Storage
An alternative to hard drives, DNA
Life’s Information Storage System is being adapted to Handle Massive Amounts of Information.
Among the challenges to making DNA data storage commonplace are the costs and speed of reading and writing DNA, which need to drop even further if the approach is to compete with electronic storage. Even if DNA does not become a ubiquitous storage material, it will almost certainly be used for generating information at entirely new scales and preserving certain types of data over the long term.
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