The wheel is one of the biggest technological inventions in human history. It made it easier to travel and helped people stay connected. Technology like solar, wind power and batteries are healthier for humans and the planet than fossil fuels and nuclear energy. They are also less expensive. They can replace traditional machines with cleaner alternatives.
1. Electricity
Electricity is one of the most important technologies that many people take for granted. Without it, candles, whale oil, and kerosene would be needed to provide light; ice boxes would be used to keep food cold; and coal-burning or wood-burning stoves would be used to produce heat.
Several inventors worked to develop electricity, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. However, it was Tesla who perfected the alternating current that made long-distance electricity flow more affordable. This is what makes our smartphones, Furbys, and cars possible.
2. Lasers
Lasers emit high-energy light in a tight beam that does not expand as it travels from the source. This property makes lasers useful for applications that require high coherence such as optical fiber-optic communications or holography.
Originally developed to study atomic physics and chemistry, lasers now play a crucial role in almost every aspect of modern life. LASIK eye surgery and the CD player are among the most visible consumer applications of lasers.
Scientists have also used lasers to cool and trap atoms in strange new states of matter. Their “optical tweezers” can even manipulate red blood cells and microorganisms.
3. Facial Recognition
Facial recognition is a biometric technology that uses distinguishable facial features to identify people. It’s used to unlock your phone, go through security at the airport and even help you buy products in stores.
In addition, banks and financial institutions use face recognition to verify customers’ identities when they log in to their mobile banking apps. The technology can also be used to prevent fraud by identifying potential thieves.
Many Americans support using the technology in these ways, but some object to it being used to track their whereabouts or those of their family members.
4. Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that provides immersive experiences. It has many different applications that impact diverse populations. VR is often associated with entertainment but it also has a significant impact on industries such as education, healthcare and medicine.
One such application is the use of VR to train surgeons for surgeries when cadavers are unavailable. Another is the use of VR to decrease patient anxiety and pain before surgery. Purdue University is developing technology that could allow humans to shift from interacting with technology through a screen or voice commands to directly collaborating with it.
5. Robotics
Robots make dangerous jobs safer for humans by eliminating the need for employees to work with toxic chemicals or in tight spaces. They also don’t get tired or need breaks, boosting productivity and saving companies money.
Large programmable robots are employed in manufacturing and warehouse settings to automate repetitive tasks. Medical robots assist surgeons during operations, resulting in less invasive procedures and quicker recovery times. Chatbots use AI to respond to customer inquiries and questions. And finally, augmented robots, such as prosthetic limbs, help injured or disabled people regain motor function.
6. Artificial Intelligence
In addition to improving productivity, AI technology allows companies to make sense of data at a scale beyond what any human could ever achieve.
There are several types of AI, but most commonly used today are reactive machines with limited memory. This type of AI is often used in customer service and medical diagnostics.
Experts predict that AI will soon be able to perform all jobs. This has led to concerns about technological unemployment, as well as debates on universal basic income. In the future, this technology may even be wired directly to the brain.
7. Biometrics
Biometrics is a form of identification that uses a unique physical feature to verify an individual’s identity. It includes features such as fingerprints, iris scans, DNA, facial images, vein patterns, hand geometry, and digital signatures.
Unlike a password, badge, or keycard that can be lost or stolen, a person’s biometric characteristics are unique and unchanging. Some examples include fingerprint scanners on smartphones, iris recognition on passports, and facial recognition at airports.
New technologies are also helping hospitals with quick and secure patient identification. For example, a device that reads brain signals can help doctors determine whether a patient is unconscious.
8. Genetics
Almost every human trait and disease has a genetic component. Scientists have studied the genetics of plants and animals since ancient times – Babylonian tablets more than 6,000 years old show pedigrees of horses and dates of cross-pollination of palm trees, for example.
Genetics as a field of science is one of the most exciting and promising for humanity. DNA chip technology allows researchers to identify mutations in genes or survey the expression of tens of thousands of genes at once. This is an exciting development for future health care.
9. Robotics
The field of robotics involves the conception, design and manufacture of robots. It also encompasses the programming and application of these intelligent machines.
For example, the domestic robot Zenbo from Asus is an entertainer and social companion for home owners. It can recognise who is ringing the doorbell and can send images to family members so they know someone is coming.
One of the most fascinating developments in robotics is necrobotics, which aims to turn dead animals into robots. It may sound creepy, but it’s actually useful—a team at Rice University has already turned a dead spider into a gripper.
10. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is used in a wide range of applications today, from Google Translate and Netflix’s recommendation engines to self-driving cars. These systems make complex decisions like determining the best way to play chess or drive a car, and they also use natural language processing to understand human speech.
One of the most exciting recent developments in AI is generative AI, which creates new content and innovations similar to, but not identical to, existing artifacts. This technology could revolutionize the worlds of film, music and product design.