The MIT Technology Review for 2018 showcased ten of the best upcoming technologies for 2018. But what deems a technology as a “breakthrough”. Ultimately it comes down to something that will have overwhelming benefits for our lives.
There are many different types of technology out there that does benefit our lives in some way but these will have the greatest impact. Here’s a list of some of the best breakthrough technologies that we can expect in 2018.
3D printing metal
Over the past couple of years we’ve become very familiar with 3D printing and the possibilities that it brought. The ease of production has brought a new avenue for production and prototypes for many different products.
With the advancement of technology being able to print metal objects is closely becoming a reality. Imagine instead of waiting for a spare pat for your car to arrive it can be printed on the spot. The possibilities are limitless with what we could do with that kind of technology.
Babel-Fish Earbuds
The sci-fi dream of having an automatic language translator is becoming a reality. Google has come up with a transitional solution which is their real time translation device.
It works by having one person wearing the pixel ear buds and the other holds and speaks into the phone. The device that Google has developed is able to translate the detected language into another language of the user’s choice.
There are apps on the market at the moment that act similarly but have downfalls due to background noise and being unable to detect when a person has stopped talking. Google has overcome these limitations by implementing a push to talk button feature that is released once you are done talking. Their impressive engineering on their products also allows them to cancel out any background noise.
Genetic report cards
The increase in genetic studies has made genetic fortune telling obtainable in the future. The reports will offer predictions on the chances of individuals suffering from cancer, heart attacks, if they are prone to being addicted to tobacco and even their intelligence.
It works as common diseases and behaviours including intelligence are the result of many different genes working together. The million person study can help pharmaceutical companies choose those who are prone to certain diseases for tests.
As they are only guesses the technology is long from perfect and still needs time to be perfected.
The quantum leap for materials
The quantum computer designed by IBM has the capabilities to complete a simulation of a simple molecule which it was successful in doing. Quantum computers can be used to make new types of materials that are tailored to specific traits and properties.
This technology opens the door to more efficient solar cells and even proteins that can be far more effective than common drugs that we are currently using.
