Introduction
New inventions and technology are being introduced. Our lives today are vastly different from those of our forefathers and mothers only a few decades ago. What technologies are now being created that will have the greatest impact on future society? Because I'll be writing a piece about six incredible technologies that will alter the planet.
1. LI-FI
Li-fi is a technology that practically all of us are already familiar with and reliant on, but there may be an option that becomes just as vital in the future years. Simply said, Li-fi is a wireless communication technology that employs light instead of radio waves to convey data between devices, and it has a variety of applications.
In theory, Li-fi devices might use ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light spectrums, as well as flashes that are faster than the human eye can see to convey information to a receiver. It is capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second. While a system like this would not be able to work through physical things like walls, it may be quite useful in other environments. For instance, Li-fi could be safe to use in settings where electromagnetic interference is a worry, such as aircraft cabins, hospitals, and military bases, but one of the more intriguing uses could be with the future of travel.
For example, lighting fixtures along highways could be used to continuously transmit data to receivers on cars on the road, providing them with real-time updates on the positions of other vehicles and hazards in their path, greatly improving the safety and functionality of autonomous driving systems.
2. DIRECT AIR CAPTURE
One strategy to reduce the quantity of carbon released into the atmosphere and limit the harm to the global ecosystem is to employ green energy, but another option could be to actively try to remove the carbon that is already there. This is known as direct air capture, and it can either make carbon that can be stored and removed permanently, or it can create virtually free carbon fuel, with the hypothesis being that its subsequent use and release will have a net-zero effect because it was already in the atmosphere.
Direct air capture technologies are currently prohibitively expensive, but as more money is invested in them, costs have begun to decline, and experts in the area believe it will be practicable within the next ten years. It can be accomplished in one of two ways. The first method involves using big fans to force air through filters that have been treated with a liquid solvent such as sodium hydroxide. This combines with carbon in the air to form carbonate, which can then be removed.
Another method has recently been discovered, which entails constructing an artificial tree-like structure that retains the solvent but relies on air flowing by and interacting with it rather than requiring energy to actively force the air through. Various other approaches are also being investigated, and it is believed that if they prove to be successful, direct air capture could help undo some of the harm that has already been done
3. QUANTUM SENSING
We're used to seeing sci-fi movies in which the crew of a spaceship uses sensors to scan planets or regions in space to see what's there, and while this may appear to be nothing more than a convenient plot device at first, systems like these could surprisingly become commonplace within the next few decades.
To quantify the existence of microgravity and the behavior of photons and electromagnetic fields, a quantum sensor employs quantum physics principles such as quantum entanglement, quantum interference, and quantum state squeezing. This allows for the inference of the existence of objects, including light, and has a wide range of potential uses. Darpa, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is already looking into the technology's potential to replace GPS in places without coverage or as a sort of active radar that can detect submarines, subterranean structures, vehicles, and even the existence of nuclear material.
Self-driving car manufacturers are also exploring the possibility of using quantum sensors to actively scan around vehicles. The hope is that they will be able to scan further ahead and detect other vehicles or hazards around corners that are beyond the line of sight that human drivers will be able to see.
4. ITER
With our reliance on technology only expected to grow in the coming decades, as well as a desire to move away from fossil fuels in favor of greener alternatives, every country on the planet is grappling with how to create enough electricity to meet demand.
Realistically, there are only so many wind or solar farms that can be created, and many nations are looking to nuclear power to properly tackle the impending energy crisis. Current nuclear power plants employ nuclear fission to generate heat, which is subsequently transformed into electricity, but harnessing nuclear fusion, which occurs at the sun's core, would be a really revolutionary advance.
Surprisingly, the ability to do so may be much closer than you think, as a facility called ItEr is currently being built in France to demonstrate that it can be used to generate electricity, paving the way for the construction of a nuclear fusion power plant to be operational within the next few decades. If everything goes according to plan, this may completely transform global energy output and put an end to our dependency on coal, gas, and oil.
5. SPIN LAUNCH
The capacity to put satellites into Earth's orbit has greatly enhanced the capabilities of a wide range of businesses, from communication to transportation and logistics, but there are many more who could gain if the cost of launching them were not so unreasonably high.
The devices themselves can be rather costly, but the most expensive part is hiring a rocket to transport the massive amounts of fuel required to lift them through the atmosphere. The smaller rockets will fire once the rocket has reached an altitude of 200,000 feet (61,000 meters), assisting it in reaching an orbital velocity of around seventeen and a half thousand miles per hour, or twenty-eight thousand two hundred kilometers per hour. The cost of a launch is predicted to be cut by a factor of twenty as a result of this, and it will be achievable for less than half a million dollars. But it isn't without its difficulties.
During the launch, the projectile will be subjected to a force of roughly 10,000 g, which implies that any components going to space must be built to survive that force. This means that sending human beings beyond our atmosphere will never be a viable option.
6. FLOATING FARMS
Larger expanses of land are being dedicated to farming around the world than ever before, which is causing two major concerns. The first is that it is destroying natural ecosystems, and the second is that it is producing food far away from where it is actually required, which necessitates the use of enormous transportation networks that pollute the environment and cause traffic congestion. A recent study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is demonstrating that this does not have to be the case and that by utilizing areas that would otherwise be left unused on rivers or possibly ocean technologies, farmers can now produce immediately within the market where it will be sold.
These floating farms can be customized to meet specific local requirements. The floating platform used in the Rotterdam trial was designed to hold a herd of 32 cows and was kept in place by concrete pontoons driven into the seabed. The entire structure rises and falls with the tide, with robots providing food for the animals and removing all waste. Other animals, such as sheep or goats, could be utilized in other variants. There are already floating farms dedicated to growing crops in various locations. Floating versions of farms could become a feasible option to remove huge forests for new farms in the future.
Conclusion
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