The history of humanity is full of things scientific breakthroughs which have marked our evolution, like the invention of the wheel, the Gutenberg press, the telephone, penicillin…Some of these discoveries were the result of the accumulation of knowledge and others were pure serendipity, but the truth is that each of these innovations changed our world forever.
Today, the exponential growth of these discoveries is almost frightening. According to scientist Ray Kurzweil, at this rate, the next advances of the 21st century will appear to go from painting the walls that adorn the caves of Altamira to walking on the Moon in a single generation. A frantic pace of which we highlight these 8 scientific and technological advances this may be the key.
In this article, you will learn about the following developments:
- Artificial intelligence
- Big Data
- Quantum computing
- Smart cities
- Nanotechnology
- CRISPR and gene editing
- Metamaterials
- Space conquest
Artificial intelligence: a human paradigm shift
AI illustrates how a series of quantitative scientific changes can lead to greater scientific advances. Although the concept of artificial intelligence has been used since the mid-20th century, it was not until the second decade of the 21st century that it truly gained momentum. Tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney have perfectly integrated into users’ daily liveslike the widespread adoption of the Internet as a mass communications system in the 1990s.
However, the most significant developments are on the horizon. The increase in multimodal artificial intelligence will allow the interchangeable interpretation of texts, images and videos. It will also prove to be an essential ally in the field of robotics, promoting the creation of autonomous machines. Here are some of the most promising applications:
- Manufacturing industry: The use of AI robots in factories or their application in logistics will multiply industrial productivity.
- Health: AI will be able to assist specialist doctors in analyzing images to detect diseases.
- Agriculture: The predictive capabilities of AI will help prevent pests and optimize the use of water resources and fertilizers.
- Energy: The application of artificial intelligence to smart grids will lead to more efficient allocation of energy resources.
- Archeology: AI will be able to analyze satellite images to detect patterns of human activity and ancient settlements.
- Environmental protection: AI is a great tool for generating climate models and monitoring pollution levels.
Big data: overview of information
While artificial intelligence has achieved the aforementioned remarkable trajectory, much of its success can be attributed to the dominance of Big Data. This refers to the existence of large amounts of structured and unstructured data, growing exponentially, which can be analyzed to identify patterns and predict events. Currently, governments and businesses are harnessing the power of Big Data to improve services for citizens and consumers, ensuring more effective outcomes. Here are some notable examples:
- Navigation and mapping systems: Provide accurate directions and real-time estimates.
- Personalized medicine: Help analyze genomic data for personalized treatments.
- Smart cities: Optimize traffic, waste management and safety using urban data.
- Industry and manufacturing: Monitor machines to prevent breakdowns and optimize production.
- E-commerce: Analyze shopping data to provide recommendations and predict trends on platforms like Amazon.
Quantum computing: a leap to the heart of matter
In March 2023, Intel and the Betty Moore Foundation declared the end of Moore's Law. Conceived in 1965, the law provided for a doubling of the number of transistors on a chip every two years. However, miniaturization constraints, now reaching two nanometers, require alternative approaches to further improve computing power.
The transition from bits, which represent the current binary systems of zeros and ones, to qubits, integrating an indeterminate state based on the principles of quantum physics, appears to be a medium-term solution. The progression of this technology seems incessant, highlighted by the announcement by Atom Computing in 2023 of the first computer to exceed 1000 qubits. These computers will have unprecedented power, allowing them to perform tasks such as:
- Simulations for the development of new drugs.
- Artificial intelligence process improvement.
- Route optimization and logistics.
- Secure encryption.
- More accurate weather forecasts.
Smart cities: rethinking where we live
The evolution of the Internet of Things ushered in the era of smart homes, enabling the automation of parameters such as temperature and humidity, all managed conveniently via a smartphone. However, cities themselves are becoming increasingly smarter with interconnected sensors communicating seamlessly. Smart cities are aptly named for their ability to optimize processes through the Internet of Things.
Notable examples include efficient water management implemented in cities like Burgos. The future holds the promise of buses capable of fluid orientation, of energy systems supervised by Virtual power plantsand a plethora of technological applications geared towards creating more sustainable and efficient urban landscapes.
Nanotechnology: The essential is invisible to the naked eye
Nanotechnology is essentially ability to shape the behavior of atoms and molecules and develop microscopic-scale devices, called nanorobots. The pioneer of this new approach was Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman, who in 1959 proposed the possibility of writing the twenty-four volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the head of a needle. This required working at the nanoscale, or a billionth of a meter. For example, the helical structure of DNA is two nanometers thick. A nanometer could contain seven oxygen atoms.
Today, nanotechnologies open the door to scientific advances such as:
- Nanorobots in medicine
- Energy (high efficiency photovoltaic panels)
- New textile fibers
- Purifying membranes
- Ultra-sensitive sensors
- New materials like graphene
CRISPR: the era of gene editing
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Charpentier and Doudna for developing the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique. While nanotechnology is the ability to create new materials and devices at the atomic scale, CRISPR offers something similar in genetics: the ability to clone, modify or disable genetic chains at will.
This technique makes it possible to locate DNA fragments in a cell and modify them at low cost. The acronym CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. And here are four of its most interesting applications:
- Gene editing: Editing genes to correct genetic mutations or insert specific genes to treat inherited diseases.
- Agriculture: Improvement of crops, making them more resistant to disease or adverse environmental conditions.
- Biological research: Analysis of genes and cellular functions, allowing the study of how specific genes affect organisms and biological processes.
- Antiviral therapy: Fights viruses by modifying cells to be resistant to viral infections.
Today, the creation of artificial materials, whether through new alloys or nanotechnology, is helping to revolutionize our world. The production of ultra-light aerogels or nitinol, an alloy of nickel and titanium which has the memory of returning to its original shape. These are two examples from an almost infinite field.
That said, one of the most promising scientific advances is the creation of metamaterials, or what amounts to the same thing: an artificial material with microscopic structures designed to control the movement of light, sound, and other waves. As a result, they offer exceptional properties, like bending light around objects or changing the direction of sound in ways that would seem impossible. Here are some of their most interesting applications:
- Advanced optics: Creating goals with unprecedented capabilities.
- Sound engineering: Noise suppression or acoustic improvement systems.
- Solar energy : Development of more efficient solar cells.
- Electromagnetism : Creation of magnetic shields.
Space conquest
Since the historic Apollo XI mission landed humans on the Moon in 1969, during the space race era, the pursuit of sending humans to the Moon or other planets has faded in the background. Until the beginning of the 21st century, efforts were mainly directed towards the International Space Station (ISS) and uncrewed missions, including satellites and the exploration of Mars and the Moon.
However, the landscape is changing with the entry of private companies into the field of space exploration and the efforts of new players like India and China. The prospect of establishing human colonies on the Moon or even Mars is now on the agenda. Notably, 2025 should mark the first participation of a woman in a lunar mission. At the same time, the launch of the James Webb space telescope, presented as the most advanced in history, continues to raise concerns. pushing the limits of our understanding of the cosmos. Here are some of the most ambitious space projects happening today:
- Study of the composition of the asteroid Psyche by NASA space probe.
- from NASA Artemis II The mission is to take humans to the Moon again.
- JUICE European Union project for the study of Jupiter.
- SpaceX Launch Spatialship
- Venus Life Finder (VLF) mission to detect life in the atmosphere of Venus.
- from NASA VIPER mission to search for water on the moon.
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