I have found an interesting article in the Italian magazine “Le Scienze” no. 01/2018. The article is relevant to ten emerging technologies that can give important results in the next few years. The original research has been done by Scientific American together with the Expert Network of the WEP (World Economnic Forum)
- Obtaining drinkable water, even in a desert area, through a proper material that can absorb atmospheric water and condensate it, the power is obtained by means of solar panels during the day and batteries during the night. For the time being, each unity costs 3700.00$ e can produce 2 to 5 litres of water a day.
- Artificial photosynthesis, through an inorganic solar technology to decompose water together with engineered bacteria, aiming at producing fuel as well as fertilizers.
- Artificial intelligence with human-like vision, that could be used, in automatically driven cars, security systems, controlling irrigation in agriculture, etc.
- Precision farming, that could allow a huge increase of production.
- Cellular mapping, to fully understand how the human body is working and the origin of diseases.
- Liquid biopsies, to identify the cancer from blood analysis.
- Economically affordable fuel cell, by substitution of the platinum catalyzers with a new catalyzer that will be probably based on a carbonium sponge. This technology will make sense only in case similar results are obtained in production, distribution and storage of hydrogen.
- Genomic vaccines, made by RNA or DNA.
- Green communities, through the extension of the criteria already used for “green buildings2 to whole residential areas.
- Quantic computers, that will be able to solve problems that classic computer are not able to manage.
Gianluca di Castri (IdeaConsult) 