Three Emerging Technologies that Will Change the World
By Paul
McGillivary,ScienceRelief Contributor
I was speaking with a friend the other night about his great
grandfather. His great grandfather was born in 1875. He lived until 1965. Can
you imagine the technology that this man saw come online? Let me name a few:
the typewriter, the electric dental drill, the telephone, the phonograph, the
incandescent light bulb, the hearing aid, the electric fan, the dishwasher, the
escalator, the airplane, the Model T automobile, the air conditioner, the
defibrillator, the atomic bomb, the electric guitar, the nuclear submarine,
nylon, the polio vaccine, and the laser. He died right when the first
minicomputer was coming to fruition. All of that in the span of his lifetime.
Which leads me to the topic of this article. Technology has completely changed
the way we live. And technological advances have accelerated at unbelievable
speeds. Technology is converging in ways no one could have foreseen. I want to
highlight some of the most interesting technologies out there. These are
technologies that will change the world, for good and bad.
1.Nano Technology
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Probably the most interesting and frightening of the emerging
technologies is nano technology. Nano technology is a cross disciplinary field
that deals with building and synthesizing materials at scales of 100nm or less.
Nano technology usually works in one of two ways. It either pulls smaller parts
together to build or it breaks bigger parts down. The parts are then used to
form smaller, new materials. But why is nano technology so important?
Nano technology is important because it will have massive
effects across every area of life. As I write this, researchers are working on
a nano particle to target cancer cells in lungs. In 2004, Rice University
tested gold nano particle cancer treatment. In this treatment, these 150 nanometer
gold particles were injected into the blood stream of cancerous mice. Gold
particles at this size pass into tumors, but not healthy tissue. The
researchers then passed infrared through the mice. The tumorous cells absorbed
the infrared, heated up, and were destroyed. They are also working on quantum
dots that allow doctors to easily identify multiple diseases quickly and
accurately. But the uses don't stop there. Nanotechnology will drive down the
scale of electronics. This will lead incredibly small devices. The applications
are limitless. And you can bet that the military will be clamoring for nano
technology. The military is looking to have numerous nanotechnologies online by
the year 2015. Such advances include performance enhancing nanotechnology that
aids bodily functions. These will include response times, oxygen use, and
heightened senses. But nanotechnology can also be used for reconnaissance and
combat. Nanobots could scout areas without being seen. They could also enter
into enemies for espionage. They could kill targets from within the host's
body. The possibilities are frightening.
2.Alternative Fuels And Energy
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When gas prices skyrocketed this past year, many people suddenly
took an interest in alternative energy and fuels. And because demand rose,
companies suddenly found themselves forced to take interest. Most of the common
arguments for alternative energy and fuels center around issues of pollution,
cost, dependence, and jobs.
What most people don't realize is that alternative energy and
fuels always have environmental effects. This can be in the form of heat
generation, air pollutants, waste by-products, land usage, extraction, etc.
Instead, we have to talk about pros and cons around each type of energy and
fuel. There is no silver bullet. Costs, dependence, and jobs also vary
depending on the energy type.
There are a host of alternative energies being tested. Wind
powered energy plants are already in place in many parts of the world. Solar
energy production has taken huge steps forward with the help of nano
technology. One such company is Nanosolar. Nanosolar is producing solar cells
that are 100 times thinner than conventional cells. Not only are the cells
cheaper to produce, but they also convert the solar energy much more
efficiently. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature
differences in the ocean layers to produce energy. And OTEC can utilize this
colder water (36 degree F cooler) in other things like on shore agriculture and
refrigeration. And the list goes on.
Massive interest was generated in alternative fuels this past
year when gas prices hit record levels. New developments in battery technology
could help. One such development is Millennium Cell's hydrogen battery
technology. This technology differs greatly from traditional rechargeable
batteries in that it's instantly rechargeable. It also has a much great
efficiency for energy conversion, so it is much smaller and lighter. There is
also greater reuse efficiency since you don't need to replace the entire
battery. You only need to replace the energy module. Developments are
continuing in biodiesel, electric, hydrogen, methanol, etc. I think there could
be some serious future synergy between nano technology and alternative energy.
2."Bionetics"
This is my name for the incorporation of technology into the
body. The dermal display is a great indication of things to come. Though I have
yet to find a working demo version of this concept, I have no doubt that it
will become a reality. The display would be driven by millions of nanobots.
These nanobots would display light when touched. This would print a display
onto your hand, or wherever the nanobot display would be housed. And this is
where it gets really interesting. The display nanobots would be connected to
millions of other fixed and mobile nanobots throughout the patient's body. This
would give instant readings on hundreds of vital statistics. Again,
nanotechnology plays a strong role here.
The bionics revolution is already underway. There have been four
major cases of robotic limbs recently, the latest being a woman. The robotic
limbs take advantage of the functional nerve endings in the limb stump. These
nerve endings are used to actuate the robotic limb and to provide feedback to
the brain. More money is being poured into robotic limbs every year.
"Functional bionetics" are implants that enhance our
lives. And you may be surprised to know that people are actively doing this as
I write. People are inserting tiny electronics in their bodies that will unlock
their front doors and their cars. The same technology is being used to unlock
computers. But it doesn't stop there. There is talk of implanting devices that
will carry health information. You could be carted into a hospital totally
unconscious and they would be able to access all of your past medical history.
Most of this is done through RFID technology.
"Bionetic networks" will be networks of connected
bionetic devices. This would allow people to share sensation, feelings, and
communication. If this sounds completely fictional, I invite you to consider
the work of Kevin Warwick, Professor of Cybernetics at the University of
Reading, England. He has implanted an extra-sensory device that interfaces with
one put in his wife. They were implanted in their arms. The first experiments
are aimed at exchanging sensory inputs, like pain. The hope is to extend that
to other, more complicated neurological processes like thoughts and emotion.
Obviously, that would drastically change relationships and indeed the world.
Forget about your teens text messaging, maybe they will be brain linking in the
future. Now that's really scary!
What will we be able to say came online in our lifetimes? I'm
sure we could already list a lot of important technologies. But keep your eyes
out for these emerging technologies. They are set to change the rules of our
world. These technologies will upset economies, change military tactics,
empower people, and be used to control others. Keep an eye on them.
Paul McGillivary has been a technologist for 15 years. In that
time, Paul has experienced thousands of technology problems, challenges, and
products. He brings this experience to bear in the articles that he presents.
For more great emerging technology information, visit us at
Emerging Technology [http://www.gopaultech.com/category/emerging-technology].
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on Friday, January 11, 2013.
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