The more complex the technology, the more global the problem. A man is trying to improve life, and she poses ever more complex tasks for him.
Below are the technologies that will help solve modern global problems.
10. Carbon sequestration
According to research conducted in the USA, by 2000, the carbon content in the air reached the highest concentration in the last millennium.
When burning fuel, carbon enters the atmosphere as CO2. The process of conversion to organics will take too much time.
Sequestration will help accelerate it - the transformation of carbon from gas to soil. Using this technology, carbon dioxide can be turned into organic matter.
With a decrease in CO2 in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect will decrease, and replenishment of the soil with carbon will restore the resources necessary for life.
9. Storage of electricity in the network
Mankind has invented power plants, but they often fail. Alternative energy sources have emerged, such as solar panels or wind farms. But they do not work when there is no light or wind.
Installing batteries and redundant power supplies for each power plant is too difficult and costly. Therefore, scientists are developing a network in which to store energy in case of emergency.
8. Universal flu vaccine
Influenza is one of the most common diseases of mankind. Epidemics and pandemics occur infrequently, but they kill millions of people.
A milder type of flu has now appeared, so mortality has decreased. But it is impossible to predict what will happen next time. The virus is rapidly evolving and spreading.
Scientists are developing a universal vaccine against all strains of influenza. This will not only reduce the inconvenience associated with the disease, but also prevent another pandemic.
7. Treatment of senile dementia
Senile dementia refers to many brain diseases that occur in some people after about 65 years. This is the loss of higher brain functions, such as speech, memory, attention, thinking, or coordination. About 2/3 of all diseases that cause dementia are Alzheimer's disease.
The problem of senile dementia is increasingly relevant, as the life expectancy of modern people is increasing. And along with it, cases of the disease also increase.
While dementia is considered almost incurable. Doctors and genetic scientists are finding out the causes of Alzheimer's disease and looking for ways to treat it in order to be prepared for the wave of the disease associated with an aging population.
Also, modern robotic and digital technologies open up new opportunities for improving the lives of patients.
6. Cleaning the oceans
Enterprises produce millions of tons of plastic per year, but no more than 1/10 of the waste is spent on further processing.
To save space for landfills, plastic is dumped into the water. These production wastes fall into the ocean themselves: small particles of undecomposed matter are carried away by a stream of water. From plastic poisoning killed fish, birds, mammals.
Vessels collect large waste brought by the current. To clean the water from tiny particles of plastic, filter pumps were invented. But even this is not enough for complete purification. Technologies for cleaning the oceans from plastic continue to improve.
5. Energy efficient desalination
The content of sea water in the oceans is much higher than fresh. A huge number of people, for example in Africa, do not have access to drinking water. According to forecasts, this fate awaits developed countries.
Desalination technologies have existed for a long time, but their main drawback is the high energy intensity. Israel, for example, built a reverse osmosis system, and now can drink water from the sea. But for the whole world this method is too expensive.
American scientists have developed a cheap way of desalination - electrochemical. Electrodes are immersed in sea water and current is supplied, salts settle on them, and water becomes suitable for drinking. This method requires very little electricity.
4. Safe self-driving car
It is believed that a car that can move without the participation of a driver would reduce the number of accidents on the roads, and its owner could get to the house in any condition.
Now the development of such devices are engaged in Google, Tesla Motors and many other companies.
3. Embodied Artificial Intelligence
So far, there are only “weak” AIs capable of solving only a narrow range of intellectual tasks, such as mopping or playing chess. Developers strive to create a “strong”, universal artificial intelligence that can solve any problem posed.
But do not mystify and be afraid of AI, imagining a robot with human hidden motives. Among them there are very necessary and useful devices for humans.
For example, Watson is a medical computer containing a huge database of diseases and their symptoms. He diagnoses almost everything, including cancer, and does it much more accurately than doctors. Now scientists are aimed at “training” him in the field of oncology.
2. Earthquake prediction
Despite the age of high technology and fairly accurate weather forecasts, people still cannot predict earthquakes. This disaster brings huge losses to countries and takes millions of lives.
Earthquake prediction will prepare for it and protect yourself and your property from destruction.
1. Decoding the brain
Humanity has accumulated a large knowledge base about the brain and its work. But they are sketchy, neuroscientists still do not know how our brain works.
The human psyche remains the biggest mystery. But if we find the answer, we will find out the nature of mental disorders, memory, sleep, the causes of any actions.
Understanding how our brain works will even help connect a person to a computer and technology, if he wants to.