Humans have the gift of vivid imagination and we love to think of what the future would be like. We like to envision how life would be ten, fifteen or even fifty years from the present. Some of the most fascinating predictions form the 20th century have got to be a future with flying cars, time travel and teleportation. Be it comics, fiction or movies, there has been a mention/reflection of a futuristic world with revolutionary technology. However, while the world by 2020-40 was imagined to be extremely technologically advanced, I wonder, have we somewhere fallen short?
The 1900s saw many breakthroughs and ground breaking inventions such as the radio and television, the airplane, robots, insulin, talkies in the movies, nuclear reactor, computer, mobile phone, manned missions to the Moon and the set up of the international space station. However, the last big disruptor for me was PCs and the internet at the turn of the century. While there have been forays and technological advancements, there has been a lack of big breakthroughs like we had imagined in the 21st century so far. Perhaps humans became so caught up in fine tuning existing technology such as mobile to smart phones, computers to laptops and tablets, rockets to space flights, advances in AI and VR and shift from fuel powered to electric cars, that our imagination became somewhat limited.
This does not mean that I want to undermine defining work done over the past two decades, be it in medicine such as the development of mRNA vaccines being used to fight COVID 19 pandemic or consumer tech innovations such as voice assistants and smart wearable devices or advances in use of Internet of things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). We have seen some amazing advances in home tech that have made our lives comfortable – be it putting on the AC before you reach home or operating lights and electronics through your smartphone or commanding voice assistants to pull out a recipe and play your jam. We also saw the development of self-driving cars, 3D printing and augmented reality. Work in space exploration saw inroads such as Mars exploration with landing of the Curiosity rover, invention of reusable rockets and private space flights.
But, where do we go from here and what kind of innovations will we see in the coming years? Let’s do some future gazing. I believe sectors that will see big innovation over the coming decades will be health tech and climate change.
Health Tech
The last year-and-a-half has put in focus health and medical infrastructure across the globe. As per a study by the Oxford University, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought life expectancy down by the largest amount since World War II. So it’s immanent to see an increased role of technology in healthcare as it evolves to enable a longer average lifespan.
Automated and remote surgery
With an adoption of 5G networks, advancements in AI solutions and the after effects of pandemic-driven e-medicine mandate, the future will see robotic surgery tools capable of assisting doctors in lifesaving efforts. These will be carried out with the doctor being remotely placed, as the robots complete the task with minimal oversight and human error.
Artificial organs for implants
We are already seeing groundbreaking work with the creation of an artificial kidney that will free people from dialysis. The device has been engineered to sustainably support a culture of human kidney cells without provoking an immune response. Over next few decades we will see other organs too available for transplant, making the rush for donors a thing of the past.
Disease tracking apps
Future of medicine might be in your smartphone. Applications that help prevent, treat, and monitor chronic conditions, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease with data alerts will bring all care onto one platform. Already smartphones are being used to take blood-pressure readings or even do an electrocardiogram in the US. Over the next few years we might be able to monitor sugar, BP and other vital signs with wearable technology such as smart watches.
Infectious-disease surveillance systems
Given how the pandemic took the world by surprise, infectious disease surveillance systems will help stay a step ahead of fast-moving epidemics and to prevent future pandemics. In the age of big data, it seems only logical to create a new surveillance system that can achieve rapid, flexible, and local tracking of infectious diseases, especially for emerging pathogens. With more epidemiological data available, research with improved analytical methods will surely lead to breakthrough studies
Climate Change
Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our times and with each passing year we are experiencing global warming across the globe. If not checked, there is fear of places like Maldives and south Mumbai getting submerged with rising seas. Here are some innovations to watch out for to prevent and control climate change:
Blocking the sun
Also called solar geo-engineering, the technology essentially reflects more of the sun’s energy back. It uses a technique that injects aerosols into the atmosphere and can be used to cool the planet and ward off the worst consequences of climate change. If implemented, this will help limit the potential for extreme weather and reduce global temperature.
Satellites to spot Methane leaks
Around the world, leaks from fracking and other activities can emit staggering amounts of methane for months before being detected. Methane traps up to 80 times as much heat as carbon. There is a team of scientists that are working on sending a satellite into space to pinpoint when and where methane leaks take place so they can be plugged in time.
Drones planting trees
Forests across the world are under threat due to deforestation and climate change. The future of reforestation technology is the use of drones with advanced camera, radar imaging and AI to select ideal sites for seeding. Drones will soon be able to carry out assessment of soil types, gradients, and vegetation to ensure seeds are dropped where they are most likely to take root.
Smart cities
With advances in AI, IoT and smart sensors, smart cities are being designed to help keep emissions down and lungs healthy. While smog towers are being used to reduce pollution, the future might see large vacuums that suck out Co2 from the atmosphere. The smart city of the future will have no emission electric vehicles and futuristic solar panels that harvest energy from raindrops or as a team of researchers at Michigan State University believe, use windows and cell phone screens to cultivate the sun’s energy.
I am no Nostradamus but I hope for a future where we are sustainable, the climate is protected and cities, countries and continents are secured with state-of-the-art technology. However, secretly I still hope to own a flying car, don’t we all? 🙂