Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024 (According to Science)

Summary

The video explores the top 10 transformative technologies of 2024, each poised to redefine our future. From xenotransplantation offering hope to organ waitlists with pig hearts for humans, to innovative feeds from food waste for sustainable livestock, and carbon-capturing microbes combating climate change. Elastocaloric materials promise more efficient cooling, while immersive tech and ISAC enhance construction and connectivity. High-altitude platforms aim to bridge the digital divide, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces could revolutionize signal management. Privacy-enhancing technologies and AI in scientific discovery round off the list, tackling data protection and accelerating research. These advancements, while groundbreaking, also present ethical and practical challenges that will shape their impact.

Takeaways

• 🐷 Genomics for transplants: The first human recipient of a genetically modified pig heart in 2024 signifies a breakthrough in xenotransplantation, aiming to alleviate the organ shortage crisis.
• 🌱 Alternative livestock feeds: Utilizing food waste and insects to create sustainable animal feed, addressing both food scarcity and waste management issues.
• 🌿 Carbon capturing microbes: Engineered bacteria and algae that can efficiently convert CO2 into useful products, potentially mitigating climate change.
• 🔄 Elastocaloric materials: Materials that change temperature upon stretching or compressing, offering a more efficient way to heat and cool our environment.
• 🏙️ Immersive technology: AR and digital twins are transforming urban planning and construction, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors.
• 📡 Integrated sensing and communication: ISAC technology can turn wireless infrastructure into a sensing system, with applications in smart cities and healthcare.
• 🌐 High altitude platform stations: HAPS aim to provide internet connectivity to remote areas, bridging the digital divide and aiding in disaster response.
• 📶 Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces: RIS can dynamically alter electromagnetic properties to enhance network capacity and improve indoor positioning.
• 🔒 Privacy enhancing technologies: PETs like homomorphic encryption and federated learning are designed to protect personal data while enabling new forms of data sharing.
• 🧠 AI for scientific discovery: AI is revolutionizing drug discovery, material science, and theoretical physics, offering new insights but also raising concerns about bias and access.

Q & A

What is the significance of the xenotransplantation breakthrough mentioned in the script?

The xenotransplantation breakthrough, where a genetically modified pig heart was transplanted into a human, signifies a potential solution to the shortage of organ transplants, offering hope to many on waiting lists.

What are the ethical concerns associated with xenotransplantation?

Xenotransplantation raises ethical concerns regarding animal rights and the potential risk of zoonotic diseases being transmitted to humans.

How can food waste be repurposed to address food scarcity and waste management?

Food waste can be repurposed by using black soldier fly larvae to break it down into protein-rich material for animal feed, or by converting it into single cell proteins from bacteria, yeast, or algae.

What is the potential impact of engineered microbes on climate change?

Engineered microbes can consume CO2 more efficiently and convert it into useful products, potentially sequestering large amounts of CO2 and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

How do elastocaloric materials work, and how could they improve energy efficiency?

Elastocaloric materials change temperature when stretched or compressed and return to their original temperature upon release, absorbing heat in the process. They could be 20 to 30% more efficient than traditional vapor compression systems.

What is the role of immersive technology in the built environment?

Immersive technology, such as digital twins and augmented reality, is changing how we design, construct, and interact with our surroundings, optimizing everything from traffic flow to energy consumption.

How does ISAC technology enhance wireless infrastructure?

ISAC technology uses radio waves to transmit data and gather environmental information, creating detailed maps and detecting movement, which can increase network capacity and enable new applications.

What are high altitude platform stations (HAPS) and their potential benefits?

HAPS are essentially flying cell towers that provide internet connectivity to areas with limited infrastructure, offering educational resources, telemedicine, and economic opportunities.

How do reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) improve network connectivity?

RIS are smart panels that can dynamically alter their electromagnetic properties to redirect signals, enhancing signal strength and creating interference-free zones, potentially increasing network capacity by up to 10 times.

What are privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and how do they protect personal information?

PETs include advanced encryption methods and synthetic data generation, allowing computations on encrypted data and AI model training on distributed data sets without compromising privacy.

How is AI transforming scientific discovery and what are the potential risks?

AI is accelerating drug discovery, predicting material properties, and making breakthroughs in theoretical physics. However, concerns include the blackbox nature of AI systems, potential biases in training data, and ensuring equitable access to these technologies.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Top 10 Technologies Shaping Our Future

The script discusses groundbreaking technologies poised to redefine our lives. It highlights advancements in genomics for organ transplants, such as xenotransplantation, which could alleviate the organ shortage crisis. It also addresses ethical concerns like animal rights and zoonotic diseases. The script then shifts to innovative approaches in livestock feed, including using food waste and single-cell proteins, aiming for a more sustainable animal agriculture. It touches on carbon-capturing microbes that could help combat climate change by converting CO2 into useful products. Elastocaloric materials are introduced as a potential game-changer in temperature regulation, promising higher efficiency and environmental friendliness compared to traditional systems. Lastly, immersive technology is explored for its potential in optimizing urban planning and construction, although it raises privacy and digital divide concerns.

05:01

📡 Innovative Wireless Technologies and Their Impact

This section delves into the evolution of wireless technology with Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), which enhances network capacity and enables environmental monitoring. High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) are introduced as a solution to provide internet access in remote areas, emphasizing their role in disaster response and economic development. The script also discusses Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), which can dynamically manipulate wireless signals to improve network coverage and energy efficiency, with applications in various industries. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) are highlighted for their role in safeguarding data privacy, particularly in healthcare and AI, through methods like homomorphic encryption and federated learning. The potential of AI in scientific discovery is underscored, with examples of its application in drug development, material science, and theoretical physics, while acknowledging the challenges of AI's 'black box' nature and bias in data.

10:02

🌐 Balancing Technological Advancements with Ethical Considerations

The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of ethical development and application of the top 10 technologies of 2024. It stresses the need for equitable access to ensure no scientific divide and discusses the implications of these technologies on society. The script concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts and explore more topics, highlighting the interactive nature of the discussion around these innovations.

Keywords

💡Xenotransplantation

Xenotransplantation refers to the process of transplanting organs, tissues, or cells from one species to another. In the context of the video, it is highlighted by the case of David Bennett, who received a genetically modified pig heart in January 2024. This breakthrough offers hope for addressing the shortage of organs for human transplants by making pig organs more compatible with human bodies. The video emphasizes the potential of xenotransplantation to save lives but also raises ethical concerns, such as the treatment of animals and the risk of zoonotic diseases.

💡Genomics

Genomics is the study of all the genes in an organism, including their functions and interactions. In the video, genomics is crucial for the development of xenotransplantation, as it involves genetically modifying pig organs to be more compatible with human bodies. This field is key to creating an unlimited supply of transplantable organs and revolutionizing organ transplantation, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Food Waste

Food waste refers to the discarding or loss of food, which is a significant global issue. The video discusses how scientists are exploring alternative livestock feeds derived from food waste, such as using black soldier fly larvae to break down waste into protein-rich insects for animal feed. This approach not only addresses food scarcity but also waste management, showcasing an innovative solution to a pressing environmental and agricultural challenge.

💡Single Cell Proteins

Single cell proteins are proteins derived from microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, or algae. In the video, these proteins are mentioned as an innovative source of livestock feed, grown on industrial byproducts. This concept is part of the video's exploration of sustainable agriculture, where single cell proteins can turn waste into valuable nutrients, contributing to a circular economy in food production.

💡Carbon Capturing Microbes

Carbon capturing microbes are genetically engineered bacteria or algae that can consume carbon dioxide (CO2) more efficiently and convert it into useful products like biofuels or biodegradable plastics. The video highlights the potential of these microbes to sequester gigatons of CO2 annually, thereby mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. This concept is integral to the video's discussion on innovative solutions to combat climate change.

💡Elastocaloric

Elastocaloric materials are substances that change temperature when stretched or compressed and can be used for heating and cooling applications. The video suggests that these materials could revolutionize HVAC systems by being 20 to 30% more efficient than traditional vapor compression systems. This keyword is central to the video's theme of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

💡Immersive Technology

Immersive technology refers to digital technologies that create a sense of being physically present in a non-physical environment. The video discusses how this technology is being used in construction and city planning, such as with digital twins and augmented reality (AR), to optimize processes and reduce errors. This keyword is tied to the video's exploration of how technology is reshaping our built environment and interaction with it.

💡ISAC Technology

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology is a wireless technology that uses radio waves for both data transmission and environmental sensing. The video mentions how ISAC could create detailed maps, detect movement, and monitor air quality, with applications in smart cities and healthcare. This keyword is central to the video's discussion on the convergence of communication and sensing technologies for enhanced urban living.

💡High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS)

High Altitude Platform Stations are essentially flying cell towers that operate at high altitudes to provide internet connectivity to remote areas. The video discusses how HAPS could bring internet access to over 2.6 billion people who currently lack it, emphasizing the potential of this technology to bridge the digital divide and provide educational and economic opportunities.

💡Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS)

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) are smart panels that can dynamically alter their electromagnetic properties to redirect signals, improving network coverage and capacity. The video highlights how RIS could enhance connectivity in urban environments and enable precise indoor positioning. This keyword is part of the video's narrative on the future of wireless communication and its potential to revolutionize various industries.

💡Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)

Privacy Enhancing Technologies are systems designed to protect personal information in a data-driven world. The video mentions technologies like homomorphic encryption and federated learning, which allow for data analysis and AI model training without compromising privacy. This keyword is integral to the video's discussion on balancing technological advancement with the protection of personal data and privacy.

💡AI for Scientific Discovery

AI for Scientific Discovery refers to the use of artificial intelligence in various scientific fields to accelerate research and discovery. The video provides examples such as AI-designed drugs entering clinical trials and AI systems predicting material properties for solar cells. This keyword is central to the video's exploration of how AI is transforming scientific research and the potential ethical and accessibility concerns that arise.

Highlights

The next wave of technology promises to make current innovations look like child's play, tackling humanity's most pressing challenges.

AI is revolutionizing scientific discovery and advancing breakthroughs in organ transplantation, reshaping our lives.

In January 2024, David Bennett Sr. became the first human to receive a genetically modified pig heart, offering hope for organ transplant shortages.

Xenotransplantation has the potential to save countless lives, but raises ethical concerns about the boundaries between human and animal biology.

Repurposing food waste, such as using black soldier fly larvae, could provide a sustainable source of livestock feed, addressing both food scarcity and waste management.

Engineered microbes are showing promise in carbon capture, converting CO2 into useful products like biofuels and biodegradable plastics.

Elastocaloric materials could revolutionize heating and cooling systems, offering 20–30% greater efficiency and reducing harmful refrigerant use.

Immersive technology, such as augmented reality (AR) and digital twins, is transforming urban planning and construction, enhancing precision and reducing errors.

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology could turn wireless networks into environmental monitoring systems, boosting network capacity by up to 50%.

High-altitude platform stations (HAPS) aim to provide internet access to remote areas, improving global connectivity, especially in underdeveloped regions.

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) could dramatically enhance wireless signal strength while reducing energy consumption in dense urban environments.

Privacy-enhancing technologies, such as homomorphic encryption and federated learning, are protecting personal data while enabling more secure AI-driven analysis.

AI is accelerating drug discovery, with the first AI-designed drug entering human clinical trials in 2023, reducing development time and costs.

AI is also being used in material science to predict new compounds for more efficient solar cells, potentially speeding up the transition to renewable energy.

Concerns about AI include the 'black box' nature of some systems and the risk of perpetuating biases from training data, which could skew scientific research.

Transcripts

the coming technology will make the

current technology which we have right

now look like child play science is

pushing the boundaries of what's

possible tackling Humanity's most

pressing challenges from AI

revolutionizing scientific discovery to

breakthroughs in organ

transplantation these Innovations

promise to reshape Our Lives let's

explore the top 10 technologies that

could Define our future uncovering their

potential and the ethical dilemmas they

present 10 genomics for transplants a

pig's heart in a human chest in January

2024 David Bennett senior became the

first human to receive a genetically

modified pig heart this breakthrough in

xenotransplantation offers hope to over

100,000 Americans on organ transplant

waiting lists by genetically modifying

Pig organs to be more compatible with

human bodies scientists aim to create an

unlimited supply of transplantable

organs however this technology faces

ethical concerns from animal rights

activists and risks of zoonotic diseases

despite these challenges the potential

to save countless lives is enormous but

it raises profound questions about the

boundaries between human and animal nine

alternative livestock feeds from waste

to nourishment with global population

growth straining Food Systems scientists

are turning to unexpected sources for

livestock feed globally we produce over

1.3 billion tons of food waste annually

repurposing this waste could address

both food scarcity and waste management

one approach uses black soldier fly

larvey to break down food waste these

protein Rich insects can be processed

into animal feed in Trials chickens fed

insect-based diets showed comparable

growth rates to those on conventional

feeds another Innovative source is

single cell proteins from bacteria yeast

or algae these microorganisms can be

grown on Industrial byproducts turning

we into valuable nutrients challenges

include scaling up production ensuring

consistent quality and navigating

regulatory hurdles consumer acceptance

of meat from animals fed these novel

diets remains uncertain however these

Alternatives offer a path towards more

sustainable animal agriculture eight

carbon capturing microbes engineered

microbes are emerging as unlikely heroes

in the battle against climate change

scientists have modified certain

bacteria and algae to consume CO2 more

efficiently converting it into useful

products like biofuels or biodegradable

Plastics one such microb cacus elongatus

has been engineered to produce ethanol

from CO2 with efficiency surpassing many

plants at scale these microbes could

potentially sequester gigatons of CO2

annually significantly mitigating

greenhouse gas emissions however

ensuring the stability and safety of

these engineered organisms in open

environments is crucial concerns about

about potential ecological disruptions

and the energy requirements for

maintaining optimal conditions at an

industrial scale present significant

hurdles seven elastocaloric the cool new

way to heat and cool elastocaloric

materials could revolutionize how we

heat and cool our world when stretched

or compressed these materials change

temperature upon release they return to

their original temperature absorbing

heat in the process elastocaloric

systems could be 20 to 30% more

efficient than traditional Vapor

compression systems used in most

refrigerators and air conditioners given

that cooling accounts for about 10% of

global electricity consumption this

Improvement is significant moreover

these systems don't require harmful

refrigerants like hydrofluorocarbons

hfc's which are potent greenhouse gases

however current elastocaloric materials

often nickel titanium Alloys are

expensive and can degrade over time

scientists are exploring more abundant

and eco friendly options like natural

rubber but these are still in early

stages of development six immersive

technology for the built World immersive

technology is blurring the line between

digital and physical worlds changing how

we design construct and interact with

our surroundings cities like Helsinki

are using digital twins to simulate and

optimize everything from traffic flow to

energy consumption allowing planners to

test scenarios before implementing

changes in construct ction augmented

reality AR is revolutionizing building

processes workers can use AR glasses to

see 3D blueprints overlaid on physical

space reducing Errors By up to 90%

according to one study however this

technology raises privacy concerns as

our built environments become more

connected and datadriven there's also

the risk of deepening the digital divide

as access to these Technologies may not

be Equitable five integrated sensing and

communication

integrated sensing and communication

ISAC technology could turn our wireless

infrastructure into a vast sensing

system ISAC uses radio waves not just to

transmit data but also to gather

information about the environment

creating detailed maps of surroundings

detecting movement and even monitoring

air quality applications range from

real-time traffic monitoring in smart

cities to non-invasive patient

monitoring in healthcare for autonom

Vehicles it could offer an additional

layer of environmental awareness early

tests suggest ISAC could increase

network capacity by up to 50% however it

raises significant privacy concerns as a

system that can detect movement through

walls could easily be misused for

surveillance four high altitude platform

stations bringing the internet to new

heights high altitude platform stations

haps are essentially flying cell towers

operating at altitudes of about 20 km

they aim to provide internet

connectivity to areas where traditional

infrastructure is Impractical or

impossible as of 2023 over 2.6 billion

people in 100 countries still lack

internet access haps could change that

bringing educational resources tele

medicine and economic opportunities to

previously unconnected communities haps

can be deployed quickly in response to

natural disasters restoring

communication when it's needed most

there ALS o more cost effective than

building traditional cell towers in

sparsely populated areas however keeping

these platforms aoft for extended

periods requires Advanced Materials and

energy systems navigating complex

International airspace regulations and

addressing potential environmental

impacts are ongoing challenges three

reconfigurable intelligent surfaces

reconfigurable intelligent surfaces RIS

are smart panels that can dynamically

alter their electromagnetic properties

redirecting signals to areas with poor

coverage enhancing signal strength or

creating interference free zones early

studies suggest RIS could increase

network capacity by up to 10 times while

significantly reducing energy

consumption in dense Urban environments

RIS could dramatically improve

connectivity without additional base

stations Beyond improving phone signals

RIS could enable precise indoor

positioning accurate to within a

centimeter Revolution solutionizing

industries from Healthcare to

manufacturing however creating surfaces

that can effectively manipulate signals

across a wide range of frequencies is

technically complex and potentially

expensive privacy concerns have also

been raised as the ability to precisely

control wireless signals could

potentially be used for targeted

surveillance two privacy enhancing

Technologies privacy enhancing

Technologies pets are designed to

protect personal information in our

datadriven World they include Advanced

encryption methods and synthetic data

generation homomorphic encryption allows

computations on encrypted data without

decrypting it first potentially

revolutionizing Fields like healthcare

by enabling analysis of sensitive

medical data without compromising

patient privacy Federated learning

allows AI models to be trained on

distributed data sets without

centralizing data already used by

companies like Google to improve

keyboard predictions without accessing

users personal messages pets could

enable new forms of collaboration and

data sharing unlocking previously

inaccessible insights due to privacy

concerns however many of these

Technologies are computationally

intensive potentially slowing down

systems or increasing costs one AI for

scientific discovery unleashing the

power of machine Minds AI is

fundamentally changing how we explore

and understand our world in drug

Discovery the first AI design drug

entered human clinical trials in 2023

developed in just 12 months at a

fraction of the usual cost this could

open up possibilities for treating rare

diseases previously considered

economically unfeasible in Material

Science AI is predicting properties of

new compounds before they're synthesized

one AI system recently identified a new

material for more efficient solar cells

potentially accelerating our transition

to renewable energy even in theoretical

physics AI is making breakthrough

in 2023 an AI model solved a decades old

problem in nuclear fusion identifying

optimal magnetic field configurations

overlooked by human scientists AI can

identify patterns in vast data sets

impossible for human researchers to spot

leading to new hypotheses across fields

from astronomy to Neuroscience however

concerns about the blackbox nature of

some AI systems rais questions about

reproducibility and scientific

understanding

there's also a risk of AI perpetuating

biases present in training data

potentially skewing research ensuring

Equitable access to these Technologies

is crucial to prevent a scientific

divide between those with and without

access to Advanced AI systems as we

venture into this Aid driven scientific

Frontier we must balance the immense

potential with careful consideration of

its implications these top 10

Technologies of 2024 promise to reshape

our world but they're true impact will

depend on how we choose to develop and

apply them if you have made it this far

let us know what you think in the

comments section below for more

interesting topics make sure you watch

the recommended video that you see on

the screen right now thanks for watching