FoodTech, nuclear, robots, vaccines, pills… Bill Gates, very popular in Israel, talks to us about the future. – The Valley of Israel
Every year, MIT Technology Review compiles a list of 10 innovations that could change the planet and society. Obviously, many innovations come from Israel.
According to (1): “This year they were chosen by a special guest: Bill Gates. We find in this list many subjects dear to the philanthropist through his foundation.
” There are two types of progress: that which increases the quantity of life and that which increases the quality of life.Bill Gates writes in his journal entry MIT Technology Review. Throughout human history, we have focused primarily on the former. Today is ours life expectancy It has doubled since 1913 the door in the second “. One does not exclude the other, of course. So new drugs can save people’s lives and improve people’s quality of life. In his list, the billionaire wisely places many start-ups in which he invested or helped the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. But this is quite it’s normal: when you bet on any company, it’s because you believe it has the potential to change society.
New core.
Nuclear power, reviled by environmentalists, is still a energy The future, believes Bill Gates, who also supports several startups in this sector. But not nuclear old school Like EPRs: the billionaire is betting on small modular reactors (SMRs) like NuScale, which present fewer financial and environmental risks. Nuclear fusion research may also soon yield results and provide zero energy carbon almost unlimited.
- For when? Ten years.
Skillful robots
If robots they are very adept at performing repetitive tasks on an assembly line, not as flexible as humans at manipulating objects individually based on their shape or context. Visual recognition, combining algorithms deep learning and roboticsCiting the robotic “hand” Dactyl developed by the OpenAI association, Bill Gates hopes tomorrow’s robots will be able to do the same.
- For when? Within 3-5 years.
Personalized cancer vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular diseases, with nearly 10 million deaths each year.WHO). Among hundreds of new therapeutic approaches, the German startup BioNTech caught the attention of Bill Gates. This young shoot detects mutations in cancer cells and uses its own immune system patients should develop vaccines that target these mutations.
- For when? Under test.
Endoscope pill.
Have you heard of environmental enteropathy (EE)? This disease, which results in inflammation of the intestine and causes malnutrition, causes retardation of growth and psychomotor development. Can only be detected by endoscopybut it can be better diagnosed thanks to an absorbed electronic pill that will examine and exercise the intestine. biopsies. Developed by biologist and engineer Guillermo Tearney Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, it can also be used to treat other pathologies, e.g Colon cancer.
- For when? First tests in 2019.
Meat without meat.
In 2050, the planet will have 9.8 billion people and they will consume 70% more meat than in 2005. kilogram beef requires 70 times more surface area, eight times more water and emits nine times more gas The soil effect produced by one kilogram soy. cultivated in vitro with stem cells or plant-based “fake” meat is therefore the subject of great ambitions for startups such as Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, in which Bill Gates also invested.
- For when? Today for plant meat, 2020 for artificial meat.
Toilets without sewage.
Toilets in developing countries are one of Bill Gates’ biggest hobbies. Today, some 2.3 billion people still lack access to clean sanitation facilities, he constantly reminds us, which encourages people to defecate in the open. weather and helps spread disease. In 2011, the philanthropist ” Toilet Challenge » calls on innovators around the world to create toilets low cost and autonomous. Dozens of prototypes have already been presented.
- For when? Within 1-2 years.
Hours associated with ECG.
Last May, Apple proudly announced that its connected watch had saved two lives by detecting an abnormally high heart rate. The latest version of the Apple Watch is indeed equipped with a feature electrocardiogram (ECG) analyzes heart impulses. But only with existing devices sensor cannot detect a hit in real time. This may soon change: the American manufacturer AliveCor presented a device with two sensors that should detect certain types of attacks at the last Congress of the American Cardiology Association.
- For when? Right now.
Carbon sequestration.
to avoid Global WarmingIt will be necessary to remove 1000 billion tons of carbon during the 21st yeare century, according to UN experts. On February 26, Australian researchers presented a method to capture and convert CO2 atmospheric carbon firm storable. Bill Gates cites CO-transforming startups Carbon Engineering (in which he invested) and Climeworks.2 in the atmosphere biofuel or industrial gas. ” It is still expensive and difficult, but given our inability to reduce our emissions enough, there is no other option. “, fatalist Bill Gates explains.
- For when? Within 5-10 years.
Predict early births.
According to a report by about 50 organizations and universities, fifteen million babies are born prematurely every year, and one million of them will die from complications. ” A simple blood test tomorrow will show if a woman is at risk birth early “Bill Gates says. Stanford University researcher Stephen Quake has developed a test that detects the expression of certain genes.RNA circulating (outside cells) associated with risk of preterm birth. Thus, at-risk mothers can be identified and cared for.
- For when? within 5 years.
Smart voice assistants.
Amazon AlexaSiri, Google Home… connected speakers It has been widely adopted in the United States, but their capabilities currently remain quite limited. A deeper understanding of human language combined with improvements in synthetic voices will soon make it possible to have real conversations with voice assistants, Bill Gates assures, citing in particular Google Duplex, which can make phone calls to make appointments. in your place.
- For when? Within 1-2 years.
(1) futura-sciences.com
