Over the millennia, mankind slowly but surely made discoveries that made it possible to make a decisive leap forward: the wheel, sails, electricity. Today science and technology almost every year offer us new opportunities in the field of telecommunications, medicine, energy and other areas.
Present to your attention Top 10 most promising technologies of our time according to the research institute McKinsey Global Institute.
10. Renewable energy sources
In 12 years, solar and wind power will account for about 16% of the world's energy supply. Over the past 13 years, energy production from these sources has grown 19 times.
9. Genomics
In the near future, scientists will be able to modify human genes for medical purposes. Changing the genes of animals and plants will increase agricultural productivity. Genetic engineering will even allow the production of fuel based on microorganisms, as well as the cultivation of medicinal herbs with improved performance.
8. Cloud information technology
Ubiquitous network access to data and services will reduce the cost of IT services. The world's leading companies in the business of computers and the Internet are actively developing their cloud operating systems. Google recently launched a range of devices running Google Chrome OS. And Apple is already this fall preparing to launch a new OS, which will be entirely focused on the "cloud".
7. Smart robots
At present, machines are already replacing the labor of workers, and after a while, most likely, they will be able to squeeze out the "white collars". In the next ten years, robots will penetrate the service sector, take the jobs of office workers, teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers and financiers. It is estimated that about 230 million people worldwide are involved in brain work. Some of them may be left without work, others will be forced to compete fiercely with each other, as a result of which labor will become much cheaper.
6. Mobile Internet
In the next 10 years, 3.5 billion people will be connected to the Internet, of which 2 billion will be connected via mobile devices. This is a huge market, the development of which promises considerable profits for those companies that can provide mobile Internet to territories previously not covered by the World Wide Web. In social terms, this will provide free access to information for those people who have never even had a computer.
5. Self-driving cars
Google's self-driving cars have already traveled 500 thousand km in total, and at the same time got into only one accident, and even then not through their own fault. And a new prototype from Volvo can find a free parking space by itself and settle on it without the help of a driver.
4. "Internet of Things"
The sensors and various sensors built into the machines allow you to remotely monitor a wide variety of areas of life, from home to treatment. According to experts, over the past 5 years, the number of devices connected to each other has increased 4 times.An example of this is the remote control of the treatment of various diseases or the “smart home” system.
3. New methods of prospecting and production of oil and gas
In the United States, the production of gas from shale deposits and oil from low-permeability reservoirs has already significantly changed the structure of energy supply and led to a decrease in world gas prices. Although Gazprom analysts say that the shale market is still practically not formed.
2. 3D printing
The technology is based on the layer-by-layer creation of a solid volumetric object. The material can be rubber, gypsum powder or plastic, depending on the technology used. The rapid creation of 3D models will significantly reduce the possibility of aesthetic defects or low-quality products reaching the consumer. The cost of a home 3D printer has decreased 10 times over the past 4 years.
1. Robotics
Our Top 10 is closed by robotics. We are talking, among other things, about various electronic systems, such as exoskeletons, thanks to which it is possible to increase the physical capabilities of a person. This is, of course, not an Iron Man suit, but a significant relief in the lives of people with disabilities.