These are our Ten Breakthrough Technologies of 2019, chosen by Bill Gates

Post date: Feb 28, 2019 5:14:23 PM

Every year, MIT Technology Review produces a list of Ten Breakthrough Technologies. This year’s selection is a bit different: it was picked by Bill Gates, our first guest curator in 18 years.

Here are the top ten—and why they matter:

• Robot dexterity. Robots are teaching themselves to handle the physical world. Why it matters: If robots could learn to deal with the messiness of the real world, they could do many more tasks.

  • New-wave nuclear power. Advanced fusion and fission reactors are edging closer to reality. Why it matters: It could make this power source safer and cheaper.

  • Predicting preemies. A simple blood test can predict if a pregnant woman is at risk of giving birth prematurely. Why it matters: 15 million babies are born prematurely every year; it’s the leading cause of death for children under age five. 

  • Gut probe in a pill. A small, swallowable device captures detailed images of the gut without anesthesia, even in infants and children. Why it matters: The device makes it easier to screen for and study gut diseases, including one that keeps millions of children in poor countries from growing properly.

  • Custom cancer vaccines. The body’s natural defenses can be incited to destroy only cancer cells by identifying mutations unique to each tumor,. Why it matters: Conventional chemotherapies take a heavy toll on healthy cells and aren’t always effective against tumors.

  • The cow-free burger. Both lab-grown and plant-based alternatives approximate the taste and nutritional value of real meat without environmental devastation. Why it matters: Livestock production causes catastrophic deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse-gas emissions. 

  • Carbon dioxide catcher. Practical and affordable ways to capture carbon dioxide from the air can soak up excess greenhouse-gas emissions. Why it matters: Removing CO2 from the atmosphere might be one of the last viable ways to stop catastrophic climate change. 

  • An ECG on your wrist. It’s now easier for people to continuously monitor their hearts with wearable devices. Why it matters: They could turn wearables into serious medical devices, for example helping to detect heart attacks. 

  • Sanitation without sewers. Energy-efficient toilets can operate without a sewer system and treat waste on the spot. Why it matters: 2.3 billion people lack safe sanitation, and many die as a result.

  • Smooth-talking AI assistants. New techniques that capture semantic relationships between words are making machines better at understanding natural language. Why it matters: AI assistants can now book restaurant reservations or coordinate package drop-offs rather than just obey simple commands.

The full list is here to read.