Written by: Aleksandr Iurev, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
For the past 30 years, each year has brought us more and more astonishing technological and scientific breakthroughs. It’s hard to narrow down which ones are the most important, especially since the full impact of these breakthroughs are often not felt for years to come.
Below is my list of the top 7 technological and scientific breakthroughs of 2022. I made my decision based on two main criteria — 1) the incredible technical obstacles that were overcome to make this development possible; and 2) The ability of this development to radically disrupt and change our lives in coming years and decades.
1. CO2 removal machine
The effort at direct air capture (DAC) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has grown tremendously in recent years. With the impact of climate change accelerating across the globe, the CO2 removal company Climeworks raised $650 million in April and has launched its first plant in Iceland, which will annually capture and store 36,000 metric tons of CO2. Climeworks also broke ground on a second such facility in Iceland. The company’s goals are ambitious: to remove millions of tons of CO2 annually by 2030, and nearly 1 billion annually by 2050. However, there’s much work to be done — humans emitted more than 36 billion tons of CO2 last year.
2. Nuclear fusion
Thanks to advances in AI, nuclear fusion, which is the energy process that powers the Sun, is no longer a physics problem but primarily an engineering one. Currently, about 30 startups are working on developing nuclear fusion, but in early December scientists at the U.S. Energy Department’s National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California produced the world’s nuclear fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain. This is a major step in a half-century effort to create an infinite source of clean energy that could end dependence on fossil fuels.
3. Malaria vaccine
This is one of the leading breakthroughs in medicine in decades. A malaria vaccine, the world’s first vaccine for a parasitic infection, has been approved by the World Health Organization, and it will save thousands of lives in tropical areas. The vaccine, known as “RTS, S/AS01” and marketed as “Mosquirix”, took 30 years to develop. At the moment, the shot’s efficacy is modest — about 50% in the first year. Research shows that if the vaccine will be rolled out in countries with the highest number of malaria cases, then it could annually prevent 5.3 million cases and 24,000 deaths in young children.
4. Artificial embryos
This is by far the most significant reproductive services innovation since the pill was created for women. Researchers have made embryo-like structures from stem cells alone, without using egg or sperm cells. This will allow scientists to better understand how life comes into existence. But this will put the power for the creation of life in the hands of laboratory researchers, and it could make it possible to create life from a stem cell taken from another embryo; without sperm or eggs. However, it also raises vital ethical and even philosophical problems. Should labs and eventually private companies be able to sell these artificial embryos and create new humans?
5. Sensor-based cities
In Canada, in the waterfront district of Toronto, the parent company of Google (Alphabet) is setting up a system of sensors and analytics that will allow us to rethink how cities are built and managed, and how humans live in them. The project’s goal is to integrate urban design with highly innovative technology in order to make “smart cities” more affordable, safer, more livable and more environmentally sustainable. Although it won’t be completed for a few years, this project is the start of full-fledged smart cities that will be cleaner and safer for all of us.
6. Real-time translation earbuds
These earbuds use instant online translation technology and are a revolution in international communication. They allow humans to understand each other while speaking in different languages, in almost real-time. Pixel buds make translation easier by using a Pixel or Android 6.0+ phone. When you want to follow along and understand what’s being said, the transcribe mode lets you hear the spoken language translated in your ear, along with one on your phone. While these earbuds are still at an early stage, anyone can access the underlying technology through Google’s voice-activated translation services on computers and mobile devices.
7. Dueling Neural Networks
The concept of Dueling Neural Networks is a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that allows AI to create images of things it has never seen before. In essence, this gives AI a sense of imagination. The work going on at Google Brain, Deep Mind and Nvidia is focused on enabling systems that create ultra-realistic, computer-generated images or sounds that are beyond what’s now possible. This breakthrough will empower AI systems, allowing them in effect to spar with each other. However, there are risks — it creates the possibility for AI to be used as an effective tool for generating digital fakes and committing fraud.
In conclusion, from the above we can see that the year 2022 has provided the world with tremendous scientific and technological breakthroughs that will impact our lives in the near future, as well as in the coming years and decades.
I can only wonder what new breakthroughs 2023 will bring us! I am full of excitement! Happy New Year!
Aleksandr Iurev, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Aleksandr Iurev is a serial entrepreneur, with many years of experience in launching startups. His most recent is Pocketfied, which will radically disrupt the mobile app development industry with its highly innovative technology and service. Overall, Mr. Iurev has 20 years of experience in the IT sector, as well as in DevOps, and Information Security. He cut his teeth in Tech working in IT security for the largest banks in Russia, as well as for top IT companies. That experience protecting clients from hacker attacks is one reason why he attaches top priority to building secure systems so that users can be certain they're protected.
