The Future Is Now - 8 Breakthrough Technologies Of 2024

Every year, there are new technologies that make a difference in the world. 2024 is turning out to be amazing for new inventions. This year, technology is changing the way we do almost everything, and it’s exciting to see what’s next.

By the end of this post, you will discover 8 breakthrough technologies.

Let’s dive right in.

Number 1: Highly effective solar panels

Solar power is spreading fast worldwide, helping cut down on pollution. But most sunlight hitting solar panels doesn’t get turned into electricity. By adding a layer of tiny crystals, we could make solar panels work better.

In November 2023, a new solar technology set another efficiency record. The previous record only lasted about five months, and it’s likely to keep changing quickly. This amazing improvement comes from a new kind of solar tech called perovskite tandem solar cells. These cells add special materials with a unique crystal structure on top of the usual silicon. Over the past ten years, scientists have been improving perovskite solar technology, constantly setting new records for how efficiently it turns sunlight into electricity. Perovskites absorb light in different ways than silicon cells, which are widely used in solar panels today.

When you combine silicon and perovskites in tandem solar cells, they can use more types of sunlight, making each cell produce more electricity. If we start using these tandem cells a lot, they could make more electricity than traditional solar cells and cost less, too.

Number 2: Chiplets

Making transistors smaller, which has been driving computer progress for a long time, is getting tough. This trend, known as Moore’s law, is slowing down. So engineers need to find new ways to make computers faster and better. One important part of building computers is packaging the way all the parts are put together. Companies are figuring out how to do this for the next generation of machines.

For years, making transistors smaller and fitting more onto chips has made computers better. But now it’s expensive and difficult to shrink transistors even more. And to make the complicated chips that today’s tech industries need. To solve this problem, companies are using smaller modular chiplets that each do specific jobs, like storing data or processing signals.

These chiplets can be connected to make a whole system. They’re like little chips that work together to do what a regular chip does. But even more, smaller chips are better because they’re less likely to have mistakes during manufacturing, which saves money.

But until now, there hasn’t been a set of rules for how to put these chiplets together. Now, though, the industry is agreeing on a set of rules called universal Chiplet Interconnect Express. This should make it easier to mix and match chiplets from different companies. And that could let chipmakers try new things in fast moving fields like AI, aerospace, and making cars.

Number 3: Enhanced geothermal systems

Geothermal energy is super clean and never runs out, but we’re just starting to figure out how awesome it is because it’s tricky to work with. Now they’re using new ways to dig deeper into the ground and reach places we couldn’t before. This helps us tap into more of the earths heat to make clean energy. Geothermal is a great option instead of burning coal or oil because it doesn’t depend on the weather or time of day. But to make it work, we need specific types of rocks with water underneath the ground. Geothermal energy makes up less than 1% of all the renewable energy we use worldwide.

But there’s this new technology that could help us use even more of the earth’s heat. It’s called enhanced geothermal systems, and people have been working on it since the 1970s. Recent improvements suggest that it could boost how much renewable energy we can make.

Fervo Energy tested one of these systems in Nevada last year and showed that it could work and make money. Now theyre working on another project in Utah, aiming to provide steady, clean power by 2026. With enhanced geothermal. Companies can tap into geothermal heat in places they couldn’t before.

Number 4: Apple Vision Pro

This year, Apple is launching its first mixed reality headset called the Vision Pro. It has an amazing feature, the best display quality ever seen in such a device. Will it have a standout app? It’s still early to say, but Apple is betting big that it will. The Vision Pro, set to be released later this year, is Apple’s first step into mixed reality. Its success is uncertain, but it’s a groundbreaking device with a display that’s way better than anything seen before. Apple introduced the headset, which it calls a spatial computer, in June at its annual developers event. They say it’s a better way to watch movies, view photos, connect with others, and even read and create.

Mixed reality is different from virtual reality because it mixes digital stuff with what’s around you in the real world. The headset has cameras and sensors that see what’s around you and display it on screens in front of your eyes. Then it adds digital stuff you’ve chosen, like a video right in front of you.

But what will people use it for? Apple has some apps ready, but will it mainly be for watching videos? Also, will people wear it? Apple put virtual eyes on the front, but we haven’t seen how they’ll look in real life. And at $3,499 it’s a lot more expensive than other headsets.

Number 5: Exascale computers

The world’s fastest supercomputers, can now do more than a quintillion calculations per second. These new machines will help scientists do more advanced simulations of things like climate, nuclear reactions, and turbulence. In May 2022, a supercomputer called Hewlett Packard Enterprise Frontier shook up the global rankings. It’s now the fastest in the world, performing over a quintillion calculations per second. Also known as an exaflop, it can do as many calculations in 1 second as 100,000 laptops. This marks the start of the exascale computing era. More supercomputers like Frontier will be coming soon.

Europe’s first exascale supercomputer, Jupiter, is coming in late 2024. China also has exascale machines, but hasn’t shared results from standard tests. Supercomputers have been getting ten times faster every four years for the past 30 years. Now, engineers are planning even faster ones. Oak Ridge is working on a supercomputer that will be three to five times faster than frontier, likely in the next decade.

Number 6: Gene editing technology

A groundbreaking gene editing treatment has been approved in both the UK and the US to cure sickle cell disease, a deadly illness. Patients are calling it life changing. Just eleven years ago, scientists created CRiSpr, a powerful tool for editing DNA.

Now, they’ve used CRISPR to develop a treatment that fixes the symptoms of sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is caused by inheriting two faulty copies of a gene that makes hemoglobin, leading to severe pain episodes and a shorter life expectancy. This treatment targets bone marrow cells, restoring the body’s ability to produce healthy hemoglobin.

In 2022, Vertex pharmaceuticals in Boston was the first to submit a CRISPR treatment for approval, specifically for sickle cell disease. The treatment successfully relieved pain for nearly all patients in the trial after editing their bone marrow. However, the treatment is expected to cost 2 to $3 million, and vertex doesn’t plan to offer it in Africa, where sickle cell disease is most common and deadly among children.

The company says the treatment is too complex, involving hospitalization, bone marrow removal, editing, and transplantation, so simpler and cheaper ways to use CRISPR might be developed in the future.

Number 7: Heat pumps

Heat pumps are electric devices that can cool or heat buildings. They’re getting more popular worldwide, and in the US, they’re outselling gas furnaces. New types of heat pumps can even help clean up industries. Heat pumps use electricity to cool or heat buildings which can cut down on emissions. Many buildings still use fossil fuels, like natural gas for heating. But switching to electric heat pumps, especially those powered by renewable energy, could help reduce emissions from homes, offices and factories. Heat pumps have been around since the mid 20th century, but they’re becoming more popular now. Global sales grew by 11% in 2022, the second year of double digit growth. However, the growth rate might have slowed in 2023.

In Europe, there’s been a big increase in heat pump installations, up 40% through 2022. This was mostly because of the energy crisis caused by the Russia Ukraine war and efforts to move away from natural gas. China leads in installing heat pumps, with Japan close behind.

They’ve filed most new patents on heat pump technology since 2010. New methods allow heat pumps to work at higher temperatures, potentially helping clean up industries like food processing and paper making. If we install enough heat pumps, we could cut global emissions by 500 million tons by 2030. Like removing all cars in Europe, we’d need about 600 million heat pumps by then, covering about 20% of global building heating needs.

Number 8: Weight loss drugs

Obesity is a big problem globally. According to the World Health Organization, drugs like Monjaro and Wegovi are helping patients and doctors fight it. They may also lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. About one third of adults in the US are obese, which raises their chances of heart disease, diabetes or cancer. Now these medications help people lose weight by curbing their appetite. Most were initially made for type two diabetes.

But in June 2021, Wegovi became the first drug approved specifically for weight loss since 2014. The main ingredient in both Wegovi and Ozempic, a diabetes drug sometimes used for weight loss, mimics a hormone released by the intestine after eating, making you feel full. Patients inject the drugs at home once a week and can lose about 12% to 15% of their body weight. These treatments could make millions of people healthier. Some studies even suggest they help with heart failure symptoms. Many companies are now working on new versions of these weight loss drugs, including some that can be taken as pills.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the technological landscape of 2024 promises to be both exciting and transformative. From AI-powered innovations to sustainable energy solutions, these eight breakthrough technologies have the potential to reshape industries, improve our daily lives, and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

As we embrace these advancements, it’s crucial to consider their ethical implications and ensure that they benefit society as a whole. The future is bright, and these technologies are just the beginning of what promises to be a decade of unprecedented innovation and progress.