The Ten Technology Breakthroughs 2013 announced by MIT

Think of problems that are intractable, or just plain boring. Now think about what technology can do to fix them. That's what MIT has just done, through its technologyreview.com magazine, by selecting a dozen breakthrough technologies. A selection of technologies that will expand the scope of human possibilities. 

Their definition of an innovation is simple: an advance that gives people powerful new ways to use technology. It could be an intuitive design that provides a useful interface ("smart watches") or experimental devices that could allow people who have suffered brain damage to obtain new memory ("memory implants"). Some could be the key to sustainable economic growth ("Additive Manufacturing" and "Supergrids"), while others could change the way we communicate ("Temporary Social Media") or think about the unborn child ("Prenatal DNA Sequencing"). Some are brilliant engineering feats ("Baxter"). Others are the result of attempts to rethink long-standing problems in their field ("Deep Learning" and "Ultra-Efficient Solar Energy" ). Overall, the purpose of this list is not only to learn about these new technologies, but also to celebrate the creativity that produced them.

Photo: Baxter Autonomous Robot

– Global learning This concept integrates new computer capabilities, machine translation, object recognition and artificial intelligence. With huge amounts of computing power, machines can now recognize objects and translate voice in real time. Artificial intelligence is becoming intelligent.
When Ray Kurzweil met Google CEO Larry Page last July, he wasn't looking for a job. This respected inventor, known for his intelligent foresight projects, just wanted to discuss his next book. "How to create a mind". He wanted to start a company to develop his ideas. In January 2013, he still joined Google as Director of Engineering: "This is the culmination of 50 years of research on artificial intelligence," he says.  Read more.

– Social media "one-offs"This is a new type of message intended for a particular user, which disappears as soon as the user becomes aware of it, leaving no trace. Messages can quickly self-destruct, which would improve the privacy of online communications and make people more spontaneous. Read more.

- Prenatal genetic sequencingThis technique could make it possible to know, even before the birth of a child, its genetic risks of predisposition to certain diseases. The reading of fetal DNA is the next frontier in the genome revolution. Do you really want to know the genetic fate of your unborn child? Read more.

- 3D production It is the set of techniques that allow to directly produce a complex object by 3D printing. General Electric is preparing to produce certain aircraft parts using this revolutionary method. Read more.

- The autonomous robot* : it's a new type of robot like the "Blue Collar"This is the first time that a new, innovative and innovative technology has been developed by NASA, capable of adapting to a complex environment and dealing with a new situation, not foreseen in its programming. Read more.

- Neuro Implants We now know how to "lure" the memory in rats and implant certain artificial memories in them. Some scientists believe that within a few years it will be possible to "implant" certain memories into the brains of people with conditions that affect long-term memory. Read more.

- The smart watch All the giants of computing and electronics are working on this type of watch, which will become a sort of "Swiss army knife" with multiple functions: telephone, dictaphone, Internet access, voice consultation of e-mails, GPS, monitoring of biological parameters, etc. Read more.

– Flexible solar panels with very high efficiency The new generation of solar cells: Advances in materials physics and nanotechnology now make it possible to envisage the industrial production of flexible, lightweight solar cells with very high conversion efficiency. These types of cells, which would be applicable everywhere (walls, clothing, digital devices), could revolutionise the energy sector. Read more.

– High social value" dataWe now know how to collect and analyse, based on the use of their phones and tablets, a multitude of data of great collective interest concerning the modes of travel, consumption habits and even the state of health of the population. Collecting and analyzing information from simple cell phones can shed surprising light on how people travel and behave. Read more.

– The Supergrids network. Smart grids: these are smart grids for the production and distribution of energy, integrating multiple energy sources and multiple levels of production (local, intermediate and global), making it possible to adjust energy supply and demand in real time at the level of a country or even a continent. Read more.

(Source : Technology review.com - April 2013)

* Namely that the first robot taxis have already arrived in Japan

{Jacuzzi on}