A diverse range of breakthrough
technologies, including “artificial leaves” that turn CO2 into fuel, and
a technique that harvests water from air, could soon be playing a role
in tackling the world’s most pressing challenges, according to a list
published today by the World Economic Forum. The technologies were
selected by the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network and Global Future
Councils in collaboration with Scientific American and its Board of
Advisors. Each technology was chosen for its potential to improve lives,
transform industries and safeguard the planet.
The experts were also looking for
indications that the technologies have reached a level of maturity that
would enable widespread take-up in the coming 3-5 years. “New
technologies are redefining industries, blurring traditional boundaries
and creating new opportunities on a scale never seen before. Public and
private institutions must develop the correct policies, protocols and
collaborations to allow such innovation to build a better future, while
avoiding the risks that unchecked technological change could pose,” said
Murat Sönmez, Head of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
and Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum.
The top 10 technologies to make this year's list are:
1. Liquid biopsies
Liquid biopsies mark a step forward in the fight against cancer. First,
they are an alternative where traditional tissue-based biopsies are not
possible. Second, they provide a full spectrum of information compared
to tissue samples, which only reflect the information available in the
sample. Lastly, by homing in on circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA), genetic
material that routinely finds its way from cancer cells into the
bloodstream, disease progression or resistance to treatment can be
spotted much faster than otherwise relying on symptoms or imaging.
2. Harvesting clean water from air
The ability to extract clean water from air is not new, however existing
techniques require high moisture levels and a lot of electricity. This
is changing. A team from MIT and University of California, Berkeley has
successfully tested a process using porous crystals that convert the
water using no energy at all. Another approach, by a start-up called
Zero Mass Water from Arizona is able to produce 2-5 litres of water a
day based on an off-grid solar system.
3. Deep learning for visual tasks
Computers are beginning to recognize images better than humans. Thanks
to deep learning, an emerging field of artificial intelligence,
computer-vision technologies are increasingly being used in applications
as diverse as driving autonomous vehicles, medical diagnostics, damage
assessment for insurance claims and monitoring of water levels and crop
yield.
4. Liquid fuels from sunshine
Can we mimic the humble leaf to create an artificial photosynthesis to
generate and store energy? The prospects are looking increasingly
positive. The answer lies in using sunlight-activated catalysts to split
water molecules into water and hydrogen, and then using the same
hydrogen to convert CO2 into hydrocarbons. Such a closed system -
wherein CO2 emitted by combustion is then transformed back into fuel
instead of the atmosphere - could prove to be revolutionary for the
solar and wind industries.
5. The Human Cell Atlas
An international collaboration aimed at deciphering the human body,
called the Human Cell Atlas, was launched in October 2016. The project,
backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative aims to identify every cell
type in every tissue; learn exactly which genes, proteins and other
molecules are active in each type and the processes which control that
activity; determine where the cells are located exactly; how the cells
normally interact with one another, and what happens to the body’s
functioning when genetic or other aspects of a cell undergo change,
among other things. The end product will be an invaluable tool for
improving and personalizing health care.
6. Precision farming
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is providing farmers with a new set of
tools to boost crop yield and quality while reducing water and chemical
use. Sensors, robots, GPS, mapping tools and data-analytics software are
all being used to customize the care that plants need. While the
prospect of using drones to capture plant health in real time may be
some way off for most of the world’s farmers, low-tech techniques are
coming online too. Salah Sukkarieh, of the University of Sydney, for
instance, has demonstrated a streamlined, low-cost monitoring system in
Indonesia that relies on solar power and cell phones.
7. Affordable catalysts for green vehicles
Progress is being made on a promising zero-emission technology, the
hydrogen-fed fuel cell. Progress to date has been stymied by the high
price of catalysts which contain platinum. However, much progress has
been made reducing reliance on this rare and expensive metal, and the
latest developments involve catalysts that include no platinum, or in
some cases no metal at all.
8. Genomic vaccines
Vaccines based on genes are superior to more conventional ones in a
number of ways. They are faster to manufacture for one thing, which is
crucial at times of a violent outbreak. Compared to manufacturing
proteins in cell cultures or eggs, producing genetic material should
also be simpler and less expensive. A genomics-based approach to
vaccines also enables more rapid adaptation in the event of a pathogen
mutating, and finally allows scientists to identify people who are
resistant to a pathogen, isolate the antibodies that provide that
protection, and design a gene sequence that will induce a person’s cells
to produce those antibodies.
9. Sustainable design of communities
Applying green construction to multiple buildings at once has the
potential to revolutionize the amount of energy and water we consume.
Sending locally-generated solar power to a smart microgrid could reduce
electricity consumption by half and reduce carbon emissions to zero if a
project currently under development at the University of California at
Berkeley Goes to plan. Meanwhile, the same project’s plan to re-design
water systems so that waste water from toilets and drains is treated and
re-used on site, with rainwater diverted to toilets and washers, could
cut demand for potable water by 70%.
10. Quantum computing
Quantum computers’ almost limitless potential has only ever been matched
by the difficulty and cost of their construction. Which explains why
today the small ones that have been built have not yet managed to exceed
the power of supercomputers. But progress is being made and in 2016 the
technology firm IBM provided the public access to the first quantum
computer in the cloud. This has already led to more than 20 academic
papers being published using the tool and today more than 50 start-ups
and large corporations worldwide are focused on making quantum computing
a reality. With such progress behind us, the word on people’s lips now
is “Quantum Ready.”
Thanks to Weforum