December 1, 2014
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmWorld Changing Ideas 2014
10 problem-solving, planet-improving, lifesaving advances set to drive progress in the years ahead
By Seth Fletcher
Predicting which scientific discoveries will change the world is, arguably, a fool's game. Who knows what the future will bring? Yet every year a handful of developments—say, the arrival of the quickest, cheapest genome-editing tool yet—get us so excited that we cannot help ourselves. This year those breakthroughs include tools for reprogramming living cells and rendering lab animals transparent; ways of powering electronics with sound waves and saliva; smartphone screens that correct for the flaws in your vision; Lego-like atomic structures that could produce major advances in superconductivity research; and others. Read about them now, then pay attention in the coming years to see what they do.
The Gene Genie
Reprogrammable Cells
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Transparent Organisms
Spit-Fired Cells
Vision-Correcting Displays
Atomic-Scale Legos
Ultrahard Recyclable Plastics
Wireless Charging with Sound Waves
Batteries that Capture Low-Grade Waste Heat
Video Cameras for Nanoparticles
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