Each year, the MIT Technology Review compiles its list of 10 innovations that can change the planet and society. This year, they were selected by a special guest: Bill Gates . We find in this list many subjects dear to the philanthropist through his foundation.
" There are two kinds of progress: those which increase the quantity of life and those which increase the quality of life ," wrote Bill Gates in his introduction to MIT Technology Review magazine . In human history, we have first focused on the former. Now that our life expectancy has doubled since 1913, our attention is focused on the second". One does not exclude the other, of course. New drugs can thus save lives as well as improve the quality of life of people. In his list, the billionaire cleverly places many startups in which he has invested himself or that he has helped with his Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. But that's normal: after all, when you invest in a company, you believe that it has the potential to change society.
The new nuclear
Vilified by environmentalists, nuclear power is nevertheless an energy of the future, believes Bill Gates, who also supports several startups in this sector. But not “ old school ” nuclear power like that of EPRs: the billionaire is betting on small modular reactors (SMR), presenting much less financial and ecological risks, like those of NuScale. Research into nuclear fusion may also soon be successful, providing virtually unlimited zero- carbon energy .
For when ?Ten years.
Skillful robots
If today's robots are very good at performing repetitive tasks on an assembly line, they are not very agile at individually manipulating objects according to their shape or context as humans do. By combining visual recognition, deep learning algorithms and robotics , robots will, tomorrow, be able to do as well as them, hopes Bill Gates, who cites the example of Dactyl , a robotic "hand" developed by the OpenAI association.
For when ? Within 3 to 5 years.
The personalized cancer vaccine
With nearly 10 million deaths each year, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular disease, according to the World Health Organization ( WHO ). Among the hundreds of new therapeutic approaches, that of the German startup BioNTech caught the attention of Bill Gates. This young shoot detects mutations in cancer cells and uses patients' own immune systems to develop vaccines to target these mutations.
For when ? Under testing.
The endoscope pill
Haven't you heard of environmental enteropathy (EA)? This disease, which results in inflammation of the intestine and leads to malnutrition, causes retardation of growth and psychomotor development. Detectable only by endoscopy , it could however be better diagnosed thanks to an electronic pill to swallow which will inspect the intestine and perform biopsies . Developed by Guillermo Tearney, biologist and engineer at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, it can also be used to treat other pathologies, such as colon cancer .
For when ?First tests in 2019.
Meat without meat
In 2050, the planet will have 9.8 billion inhabitants who will consume 70% more meat than in 2005. However, the production of a kilogram of beef requires 70 times more surface , eight times more water and emit nine times more gas effect land that producing a kilogram of soya . Cultivated in vitro with stem or plant-based cells , “fake” meat is therefore the subject of great ambitions on the part of startups such as Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, in which Bill Gates has also invested.
For when ? Today for vegetable meat, 2020 for artificial meat.
Toilets without a sewer
Toilets in developing countries are one of Bill Gates' great hobbies. Some 2.3 billion people today still do not have access to clean toilets, said he constantly, which encourages people to defecate in the open air and promotes the spread of disease. In 2011, the philanthropist launched the “ Toilet Challenge ” calling on innovators around the world to create low cost and autonomous toilets . Dozens of prototypes have already been presented. Tech News Global
For when ? Within 1 to 2 years.
ECG connected watches
Last May, Apple proudly announced that its connected watch had saved the lives of two people by detecting an abnormally high heart rate. The latest version of the Apple Watch is indeed equipped with an electrocardiogram (ECG) function analyzing heart impulses. However, current devices with a single sensor cannot detect stroke in real time. This could soon change: the American manufacturer AliveCor presented at the last Congress of the American Association of Cardiology a device with two sensors supposed to detect certain types of attack.
For when ? Right now.
Carbon capture
To prevent global warming , it would take 1,000 billion tonnes of carbon in the twenty th century, according to UN experts. As recently as February 26, Australian researchers presented a method to capture and convert atmospheric CO 2 into storable solid carbon . Bill Gates cites the startups Carbon Engineering (in which he has invested) and Climeworks, which transform atmospheric CO 2 into biofuel or industrial gas. " It is still costly and difficult, but given our inability to reduce our emissions sufficiently , there is no other option. », Explains Bill Gates, fatalist.
For when ? Within 5 to 10 years.
Predict premature births
Fifteen million babies are born prematurely each year, one million of whom will die from complications, according to a report from some 50 organizations and universities. " Tomorrow, a simple blood test will allow to know if a woman risks a premature childbirth ", assures Bill Gates. Stephen Quake , a researcher at Stanford University, has thus developed a test that detects the expression of certain RNA genes circulating (outside cells) associated with a risk of premature birth. Mothers at risk could thus be identified and taken care of World Famous.
For when ? Within 5 years.
Smart voice assistants
Amazon Alexa , Siri, Google Home ... Connected speakers have been massively adopted in the United States, but their capacities remain quite limited for the moment. The deeper understanding of human language combined with the improvement of synthetic voices will soon make it possible to have a real conversation with voice assistants, assures Bill Gates, who notably cites the example of Google Duplex , able to call to make an appointment. you in your place.
For when ? Within 1 to 2 years.