Mankind has always evolved, progressing from lighting fires and building arrows to developing smartphone applications and autonomous robots in a very short period of time. Even now, technological advancements will likely continue to affect the way we work, live, and survive. The planet has seen the rise of social media, self-driving automobiles, cellphones, and autonomous flying aircraft since the turn of the millennium. In addition, there have been significant advancements in artificial intelligence, energy storage, as well as medical science. The human genome has been mapped, and men and women are debating the implications of biotechnology and gene editing.
We are now dealing with major concerns such as global warming and food shortages. And although humans have helped create many of the crises we face, it is also up to mankind to solve these problems. From innovations such as E-cigarettes and 22Bet online casino to online streaming services and multi-use rockets, these are a few of the grandest technological advancements.
Contents
1. Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) has been around for quite a while—this is where digital images are superimposed over the live film to transmit information in real-time. But, the technology has only lately taken off, with the introduction of more advanced computing hardware and the release of an open-source video tracking software package known as ARToolKit. Remember the Pokemon Go game? This is an example of AR apps. Do you use Snapchat filters? Yet another example. Industries like healthcare, manufacturing, fashion, tourism and education are all embracing this technology.
2. Blockchain
You don’t have to understand what blockchain is to know how popular it has become. This technology is an incorruptible means to document transactions between parties, a peer-to-peer ledger that parties may only contribute to. One of the things that blockchain is becoming well-known for is its transparency. The technology was initially used to build Bitcoin, the first decentralized cryptocurrency, in 2008. However, it has since been used by the financial sector and other businesses for a variety of applications such as money transactions, supply chain monitoring, and others.
3. Online Streaming
Without the confluence of universal high-speed internet access and cloud-based data centers being used to store content and direct web traffic, online streaming would not be achievable. Even though live streaming has been around practically since the internet’s widespread adoption in the 1990s, it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that the internet was capable of delivering streaming video to big audiences. Now, current methods of distributing media entertainment like cable TV and movie theaters are facing an existential threat from online streaming.
4. 3D Printing
The majority of inventions are the outcome of earlier notions and ideas, and 3D printing is no exception. The layering approach utilized by today’s 3D printers was first used in the late 19th century throughout the production of topographical maps. The 3D printing we are now familiar with was initiated in the early 1980s. However, in recent years, the confluence of cheaper manufacturing processes with open-source software has resulted in a 3D printing revolution. Today, the technique is being utilized to make anything from cheaper auto parts to less painful ballet shoes—it is even being examined for artificial organs.
5. Gene Editing
In 2012, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and a separate team from Harvard and the Broad Institute independently made a colossal discovery. According to their study, a bacterial immune system known as CRISPR could be used to make detailed changes to any organism’s DNA. This breakthrough signaled the beginning of a new age in biotechnology. The discovery has the possibility to eradicate illnesses by modifying the genomes of mice and mosquitoes to battle the spread of Lyme disease and malaria. However, it also raises ethical concerns, particularly when it comes to human gene editing for reproductive purposes.
6. Digital Assistants
“Alexa, play Despacito.” Smart home technology—which can now be found in ordinary consumer goods such as door locks and kitchen appliances—has become one of the greatest important technological developments. This has all been possible due to digital assistants. In 2011, Apple became the first big tech firm to release Siri, a virtual assistant for iOS that most of us cannot imagine living without. Since then, several digital assistants have entered the market including Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa. When tech firms developed smart speakers, the popularity of personal assistants skyrocketed. Google Home and Amazon’s Echo, for example, are already in millions of households and have an ever-expanding spectrum of applications.
Leave a Reply