It feels like there is always another update for our phones, or another “new and improved” version of our phone altogether. It’s difficult to keep up with all the new devices being released by Apple, the changes made to social media platforms, and the latest piece of health technology that will help you lose weight.
Sure, it seems that new technology is coming out every day. But is any of it very useful in the grand scheme of things? Much of it is gimmicky, meant to be a quick fix until they figure out the bugs and release a new version of the same thing a few months later.
Never fear, though, there are people out there who are working hard on technologies that have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of people all over the world. These pieces of tech haven’t been perfected yet, but they are well on their way to one day being able to make the world a better place.
1. Artificial Leaf
A team of researchers from the University of Illinois-Chicago have developed an artificial leaf, which is meant to mimic the process of photosynthesis. Except their version will convert carbon dioxide into a solid fuel for electric power plants.
Not only would this provide humans with an alternate form of energy to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, it would help decrease the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
This concept is called negative emissions, something many scientists are trying to develop technologies to achieve. Unfortunately, this technology in particular wouldn’t be able to completely replace fossil fuels in cars because it relies on the availability of solar energy.
This sounds like a real start toward undoing some of the damage we have already done to our environment and having more sustainable practices.
2. Using Nanoparticles to Treat Cancer
Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method of treating cancer that destroys it from within. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment can often cause more problems for cancer patients as it affects the entire body, not just the cancer itself.
However, this treatment would be effective in targeting the cancer alone.
The method involves injecting nanoparticles directly into the cancer tumor, then heating them up from the outside with lasers. The heated particles then damage or kill the cancer cells.
So far the method has been tested on mice with great success. Eventually they want to be able to release the nanoparticles into the bloodstream where they will end up in tumors.
3. 3D Printing
Doctors at a medical center in Salt Lake City have already used a 3D kidney to help save a patient’s organ during a surgery to remove a tumor. The 3D printed version of the kidney allowed doctors to carefully study the organ and the tumor within it before the procedure. They also brought the model into the surgery room to reference during the procedure.
This is just one example of how 3D printing technology is already helping to improve patient care. They can also be used to manufacture more effective prosthetics at a fraction of the cost, thus allowing more people to have access to the prosthetic they need.
It can also be used to give countries that don’t have access to medical supplies the ability to print tools and devices as they are needed. The printers are also useful for printing custom implants, such as those for the spine.
4. Online Trawler Tracking Tool
Overfishing is a major issue in our world today, but technology will hopefully soon make commercial fishing trawlers more accountable for their actions.
In the very near future a Global Fishing Tracker will be released that will allow the public to monitor what fishing boats are doing and keep an eye on coastlines and marine conservation areas. The program is a joint project between Oceana, an international conservation organization, Skytruth, a non-profit group that uses aerial and satellite images to track changes in the landscape, and Google.
While this will help the public be more informed, it also provides better tools to areas that aren’t able to effectively patrol their coastlines. Hopefully this will help deal with overfishing while ensuring that the millions of people who rely on fish in their diets are still getting the nourishment the need.
5. Water Harvesting
With many parts of the world lacking access to clean water and undergoing long periods of drought, water is in high demand. A solution that’s been in the minds of scientists for a while is to harvest water from the air.
Up until this point, however, this has required a lot of energy, making it difficult to justify. Now, though, scientists are one step closer, having developed a system that takes less energy and even produces higher quality water.
Apparently, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is equivalent to the amount of surface and underground freshwater on the planet. This means the atmospheric water is a huge untapped resource that could have world-changing effects if made accessible.
The new system they have developed is pretty complicated, but we are definitely on the way to being able to harness the potential of the vapor in the air.
6. Artificial Meat
Sure, it doesn’t sound appetizing, but scientists are working on making sure this artificial meat tastes exactly like an actual beef burger. Why is this world-changing? The agricultural industry has a big environmental impact, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and requiring vast amounts of grain that could be otherwise used to feed humans.
Being able to manufacture meat in a lab would mean lessening our reliance on farm animals. Right now, however, the beef burger they have managed to produce isn’t fatty enough (meaning it doesn’t taste quite like a normal burger) and also doesn’t have a very high iron content.
Without iron, the meat lacks the nutritional value of a normal burger and also contributes to the dissimilarity in flavour.
7. Germ Killing Light Bulbs
Sounds like an idea a little kid would have, right? A totally awesome idea.
This technology will have the ability to kill bacteria in a matter of seconds. It works by emitting a frequency of light that kills bacteria – technology that could revolutionize sanitation in hospitals.
They key is the indigo color of the light. The bacteria absorb this light, causing a chemical reaction to occur that kills the organism from the inside out.
8. Robotic Surgery
There are still some major improvements that need to be made to the current technologies that have been developed for this purpose, but we are well on our way to a future where robots can perform important surgeries under the supervision and guidance of doctors.
Developers are still looking into ways to make these robots cheaper to make as well as more nimble in their movements. But already doctors are noticing that using these robots have allowed them to be more precise and reduced their fatigue.
Currently such robots are used for hernia repair, bariatric surgery, hysterectomies and prostate removals.
Another issue, though, is that using robots to perform the procedures takes more time than if a doctor were to do it on their own.
There are definite obstacles that still need to be addressed, but things look promising in the interest of creating more precise healthcare.
courtesy of thedailyeight.com
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