Category: The Future

Amazing Algae – Survival in Space

Earth’s atmosphere is designed for the survival of millions of organisms. Once most of these leave the planet’s protective covering, however, they would perish within minutes, if not seconds. Scientists are always looking for ways that will allow us to survive in the harsh environment of space, to facilitate our universal expansion. As they have discovered many times in the past, sometimes the smallest things provide the biggest answers.

shutterstock_385473715One of the simplest plants in our atmosphere is algae, which has proven its resilience repeatedly due to the extreme earthly environments in which they can exist. As a part of the Biology and Mars Experiment (Biomex), scientists decided to put the plant’s durability to the test. They released algae into the universe next to the International Space Station, located outside of the earth’s perimeter, for a total of 16 months.

Biomex is a project aimed at figuring out the possibility of survival on the surface of one of Earth’s closest neighbours, Mars. Here the temperature is extremely low and there is almost no protective covering from the sun’s harmful UV rays. The conditions that the algae had faced in space would have been impossible to replicate on Earth, and would not have provided the most accurate results.

shutterstock_320049485-1Even though the plants were exposed to extreme temperature changes, and both cosmic and UV radiation, the algae were retrieved alive and many of the strands even thriving. Further tests of the species will be crucial to future space travel, as they will demonstrate some of the conditions that may be faced by astronauts and show possible ways to overcome them. Algae might also be used as a source of food for these explorers, as it can be eaten when grown in large quantities. The plant can be transported to Mars, and many scientists believe it might be the key to breathable air on the planet, as algae survives by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, which is essentially to human and animal life.

The plants survival also supports the theory that organisms can travel around the universe on comets, asteroids and other moving particles. When one of these crashes into a planet that has life on it, organisms become trapped in it and are carried to the particle’s next destination. The theory that life on Earth developed in this way has been proposed and, even though it doesn’t provide conclusive evidence, the algae’s survival shows that this is possible.

The Future of Money – The Basics of Blockchain Technology

Throughout the history of the world there have been thousands of currencies developed, including silver, gold and brass coins as well as paper money. With technology beginning to dominate international growth, and the need for transparency in transactions, there has been a great movement towards producing emoney as well.

shutterstock_349952822The first form of digital currency to be developed was Bitcoin, from an idea proposed by Satoshi Nakamoto. Created and held electronically, this type of money is known as cryptocurrency and is based on blockchain technology. It is produced using software designed to solve mathematical problems. One of the major differences between Bitcoin and paper currency is the fact that it can’t be decentralised, meaning that no single institution would be able to control the network. The currency is created digitally by a group of people that anybody can join, and a limit has been placed on the number of Bitcoins that can be ‘mined’ in this controlled online environment. To encourage transparency, the mathematical formula which is used for Bitcoin production is available for everybody to view online.

Bitcoin’s success has inspired the creation of other forms of emoney, most notably in several African countries. After Tunisia launched their blockchain technology based currency, Senegal quickly followed suit and announced that they will be using online currency alongside their paper one. Even though created from blockchain technology, it will still be controlled and distributed by the government and central banking system. This means that the amount that is in circulation will be easily monitored and regulated. Senegal’s e-currency, known as eCFA, has already passed the emoney regulations which have been set by the West African Economic and Monetary Union and is expected to be introduced into the system shortly.

shutterstock_461973784These currencies have set Africa apart as the pioneers of a new era of financial stability. The security and transparency of the blockchain technology, means that the system cannot be tampered with and the economy will be allowed to thrive. After being introduced into circulation in Senegal the eCFA will be introduced in other countries that currently use the West African franc including: Ivory Coast, Benin and Niger.

Other forms of emoney is also being explored and developed on an international level and countries are adapting the technology to suit their specific requirements including China, Singapore and Sweden. Many banks have already started using blockchain technology to record and handle transactions, and other industries which require high levels of security and monitoring are researching ways of moulding it to suit their needs.

An Increase in Artificial Intelligence – Autonomous Drones

Manual labor is decreasing drastically, with artificial intelligence taking over many jobs that were previously done by humans. One of the groups that is capitalizing on this is drone technology which is now being used by companies, such as Amazon, on an ever increasing scale. There are many advantages to the use of drones, including their speed and ability to go to places where it may be difficult for humans to get to. For these reasons they now play a major part in saving lives, by transporting necessary medicine to the scenes of accidents and emergencies, as well as to areas which may previously have been inaccessible during storms and other adverse weather conditions. Another large advantage to the use of drones is the fact that they can eliminate, or significantly reduce, the need for human control in certain situations.

59d7bb_de5b8d93359949ceab3cdcd41ff6cf8b-mv2_d_4318_3192_s_4_2Technological mastermind, Airmada, has developed a storage system for drones which is capable of supporting missions without the need for human intervention. The storage box releases the drone once it has been activated, by opening up to become a launch pad facilitating its take off. Once its mission has been completed the drone will fly back, land on the launch pad and the storage box then closes up in order for the battery to be charged. All of this is done automatically without the need for a drone operator.

In its initial stages the product has been aimed at minimizing danger to members of security teams, under certain circumstances. Once an alarm has been triggered the drone will be released, responding quickly and capturing data in order to assess possible danger before security personnel access the scene. Airmada believe that the launching pad technology increases the potential for these drones to be used on international scales, not just for commercial use, but also to enhance military and widespread operations.

Due to the fact that the drone stations eliminate the need for manual labor, there are significantly less operation costs.  In addition, the storage system has been designed to protect the drone, reducing required maintenance and product damage. Overall the system focuses on both reliability and safety, both for the drone and any people which may become involved. As commercial drone use continues to develop, Airmada is confident that the use of these drones will expand becoming very popular, very quickly.

Quantum Computers – The Future of Technology

Many life changing inventions surfaced during the 20th century, and one of the most important was the classic computer.  Most of the technology that we currently use is based on this, in one way or another. The fundamental building block of the computer is the bit, which can only exist in two states ‘0’ and ‘1.’ Algorithms which can be manipulated using either of these states are the basis on which computers currently solve problems. This creates limitations to the issues that a classical computer can address. In order to expand computing and our technological capabilities, researchers have turned to the development of the quantum computer.

In a quantum computer the building blocks, called qubits, can exist in the ‘0’ and ‘1’ states as well as any combination of both. This means that instead of being able to register one solution to a problem at a time, qubits would allow the computer to focus on all possible solutions at the same time! This theory is called quantum parallelism, and when applied to computing will create more effective and faster computers than classical ones. New algorithms are being created to apply to this technology, in order to enable quantum computers to solve some of the world’s hardest problems.

shutterstock_485654209One of the areas that is greatly affected by any technological advancement is the medical field. Through the breaking down of DNA, medical research has proven that treatment which has been modified for each individual tends to be more effective. Even though they have identified that our genes are made up of protein molecules, medical researchers do not have technology that is currently able to analyse these proteins. Quantum computers will be able to map these in the same way that we are currently able to map DNA will a classic computer. This will be a tremendous leap in treating hereditary and deadly diseases, quickly and efficiently, based on an individual’s genetic makeup.

One of the differences between humans and computers is our ability to follow our instincts, and may be what determines life and death for many. Classic computers are currently used to try and pinpoint where and when terrorists may strike. Their ability to identify a target is based exclusively on facts. Quantum computers will be able to expand on this knowledge creating possibilities without having a definitive reason for doing so. In other words, using their intuition!

D-wave is a company that has taken the research into quantum computing to advanced levels. The processors that they have developed use ‘quantum annealing’ to solve problems. This means that they ‘tune’ qubits to return the set of answers which will provide the best possible solution, as well as a list of other options. Using this system D-Wave has developed their flagship product the 1000-cubit D-Wave 2X quantum computer, which is the most advanced in the world. With large companies such as Google, NASA, and the CIA’s In-Q-Tel investing in D-Wave’s technology, it will be no surprise if this is the beginning of an artificial intelligence to rival human capabilities.

Out-of-this-World Holidays – Commercial Space Flight

Most of us would love to be able to explore the far reaching corners of space, and shed some light on the mysteries of the universe. This dream of jumping into a space taxi and taking a trip to the moon is shared by Virgin Galactic, which has put together a team of rocket scientists, engineers and designers in order to ensure the possibility of this happening in the near future. The company believes that everybody should have the opportunity to explore space, and have set out to make this happen.

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Steve Mann / Shutterstock.com

Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic has had several setbacks during testing; including one which resulted in the unfortunate death of a test pilot. Recently they have made a giant leap forward in their research, however, with a successful solo glide test of their second VSS Unity.  Designed to be the first private airline into the vast unknown, the vessel was launched along with its carrier aircraft White Knight Two from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. VSS Unity was piloted by Mark Stucky and Dave Mackay, who were flying light and slow. After separating from the carrier the aircraft was able to glide back to the runway from an altitude of 50,000 feet, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 0.6 during the descent.

The vessel’s performance went extremely well and researchers are pleased with the results. The company’s representatives have stated that this is only the first of many glide flights from which they intend to collect and analyse data, in order to determine how the VSS Unity will be able to perform in a variety of real-world flight conditions. After an extensive amount of observation and calculation, Virgin Galactic plan to move on to the rocket powered phase of their test flight program.

An outspoken supporter of the work being done by Virgin Galactic, Stephen Hawking plans to be one of its first passengers. While safety is always the most important part of any program which needs to be taken into consideration, the company does have to move quickly if it is going to become the first to privatize space travel as there are several others that have similar missions. These include: Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which aims at making life multi-planetary, Blue Origin, which plans to be able to have humanity at the edge of space in as little as a year from now, and Bigelow Aerospace that is already drafting their design for a commercial space station. The race into space has certainly taken on a new meaning, and we all look forward to experiencing the results.

Bioprinting – The Future of Organ Donations

The idea of being able to make functional human organs, instead of waiting for uncertain donations, is not a new one. The demand for organs has always been higher than the supply, and there is the additional obstacle of the receiver’s body rejecting it even when a perfect match has been found. Research has facilitated the beginning of the production of useable organs, which still needs to be refined before functionality will be possible. This would solve two major problems currently involved with organ transplant: the lack of available organs and the possibility of rejection, as each is custom made from the patient’s own cells.

shutterstock_526170505Bioprinting is the name given to this process, and is basically the 3D printing of human tissue. It begins with creating an ink from living human cells, and layering them together to form the tissue. Most bioprinting is currently undertaken by independent laboratories, under carefully monitored conditions. This means that those who would be using the organs do not have the actual facilities to make them. The Queensland University of Technology and the Metro North Hospital and Health Service have formed a partnership in order to change this. This collaboration has set out to establish a ‘biofabrication institute,’ which will be able to undertake all the steps needed to print the patient’s tissue and use it in one place.

The ultimate goal is to be able to produce organs which are transplantable, and having all the experts working in one place will significantly increase the rate of progression. There are three main steps that need to be taken in order to produce an end result: scanning, making a 3D model and engineering human tissue. Opening in 2017, the institute will be located at the Herston Health Precinct and will be able to do all three. It will also contain learning centres and an innovation hub. Bringing together the most knowledgeable persons in the field is essential in producing the best results for patients.

shutterstock_406842811The cost of a transplant would also decrease over time, as the organ is unlikely to be rejected by the body. This means that there will be much less aftercare needed, and the use of antibiotics and metallic implants practically eliminated. The 3D printing of organs is just the beginning, as engineers are hoping to progress to 3D printing of bones and customized prosthetics. The specifics also mean that drugs can be tailored to each patient’s needs. Bioprinting continues to be a source of hope for many, as the need for organs increases daily, and the creation of the institute has given a new lease on life to those that continue waiting.