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Incredible technological developments in 2020
Most of us will never forget a scene in Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker lost an arm during a fight and a few scenes later we see him moving his fingers again – a robotic arm, responding to his every wish. Such ideas seemed like the remote future back in the 80’s; but today we are closer to seeing even stranger things become a reality. In this article we will review some of the most promising and state-of-the-art developments in medicine.
Researchers are close to making a bionic eye that can be inserted into a human head. They are using the latest 3D printing technology on a glass eye-shaped object. The sensors in the bionic eye convert light into electrical signals that researches hope to attach to nerves so the patient can recover his or her sight.
Researchers in a university in Switzerland have developed special headphones for premature newborn babies. Given the rise of premature babies in most nations, this technology can help these babies develop a healthy brain. The newborns listen to three simple tracks (much simpler than Mozart) that support the baby’s daily rhythm of sleeping, waking and interaction with their environment.
NAO robots are designed to help stroke victims and the elderly to rehabilitate through gentle exercise and stretching. These robots guide people through simple motions at any time of the day, no breaks required! It can also be programmed to give information to residents in elderly homes about meals, the day’s agenda or even the top stories in the news!
Developers in the University of Washington are testing an app that can help diagnose pancreatic cancer by checking the whites in your eyes for signs of jaundice. Take a selfie and the app could detect elevated bilirubin levels, a possible sign of the disease.
As featured on Sloto Magazine Spring 2020
There are millions of millennials that are born in a world full of bright screens. They will grow up confident that smartphones, computers, the internet and AI are the standard way of things. The younger generations will have a hard time believing we had to visit libraries to read encyclopedias in order to find out answers about the world, or buy stamps and write handwritten letters to post in the mail.
Technology is advancing at an incredible pace and with such sudden change there are some reasons to be wary of the future. The very foundation of our modern world is at stake, namely: democracy.
It has only recently become apparent that the way democracy works might not be the most fair. Remember a time when women, indigenous people or slaves had no say in the democratic process? The same exclusion is happening today, but with a different kind of population: the unborn.
Changing governments every 4 to 5 years does not inspire politicians to look at the long-term. They mainly focus at the issues here and now. The last 120 years have seen great development but at a great expense. The biosphere has been decimated: forests cut down, oceans contaminated, mountains of trash scattered through the globe. Now, with the climate crisis, we are reaching the very end point of terribly short-sighted policies that focus on profit and endless economic growth in a planet with finite resources.
Who will have to pay the bills of our wrongdoing? Our children, of course! Democracy must reinvent itself so there are policies and laws in place that defend and protect the interest of future generations.
Democracy is also at risk at another front. The internet has permitted our lives to change so quickly and effortlessly, that most people take it for granted that it is an essential tool in our modern world. But it is a double-edged sword. Through social media, corporations and ill-intended governments can harvest endless information about its population. With this information they can target ads in social media that are in fact forms of propaganda.
The case of Brexit is now infamous, where, through careful targeting, pro-Brexit leaders targeted ads, videos and campaign images to millions of people in the U.K; possibly swinging the vote in their favor.
Another big issue is the power of algorithms used today to determine what content you view in social media and online websites. Which film will you watch next is determined by a computer algorithm based on its criteria of what you’ll like to watch. What person you are going to date next can be influenced by the same AI technology fueling most date apps and sites.
If we are not careful, soon this technology will be responsible for every major decision in your life: where to study, where to live, who to marry and whom to vote for.
We are at a crossroads in human history. Historian Noah Harari has stated quite clearly: we are hackable animals. Powerful corporations and governments can manipulate your life with the new technology available.
It is time to question many of the assumptions of our modern life and begin building a safer world for us and future generations!
Although some people deny it, even the actions of one single person can have an impact on the environment around us. Simple changes to our routine, or also by spreading the word about the good of recycling and choosing to walk instead of using the car, end up having a better impact than just doing nothing.
Get inspired this year and implement these steps to your daily life:
Let’s try and make our world a better place without being so jaded about it. Every revolution begins with one single step. Join in!
