As a remedy for all the bad news out there, let us prescribe you a small dose of feel-good science. Each issue, we’ll give you a rundown of the latest breakthroughs that aim to solve humanity’s biggest problems. From cars that capture carbon to batteries made from trees, here you’ll find many reasons to feel hopeful for our future…
Years to go: 25-20
Carbon capture car
A new electric passenger car designed by a team of students captures more CO2 than it puts out. While driving, air moves through built-in filters where the CO2 is captured and stored. In the future, the team will look at how to convert this CO2 into usable energy.
Mass plastic clear-up
Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit, has managed to clear 100,000kg of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The company created a giant U-shaped barrier that collects plastic waste carried by the ocean’s currents. The company is aiming to clear 90 per cent of the waste in this area by 2040. There are concerns that the device could scoop up sea life along with the junk, but Ocean Cleanup claims to be gathering data to help mitigate the risk.
Years to go: 20-10
Robot toothbrush
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a way to brush your teeth using lots of tiny robots. The system uses magnetic fields to manipulate iron oxide nanoparticles to form bristles or floss, and can even release antimicrobials to kill bad bacteria in your mouth.
Animal-to-human heart transplants
The second-ever gene-edited pig heart has been successfully transplanted into a human. Animal-to-human transplants are in the experimental stages and come with a lot of risks. As this technology advances, it offers up the very real opportunity of saving those people in need of emergency transplants.
Years to go: 10-0
Batteries made from trees
A partnership between a paper company and a battery company could result in batteries being created using renewable sources from trees. The team has found a way to turn lignin, a polymer derived from the cell walls of plants, into a hard carbon material for use in batteries. This technology could be used in the future to power cars, the researchers say.
Muscle vests
Engineers at the University of New South Wales in Australia have created a smart textile that can shape-shift into 3D structures. Most shapeshifting materials rely on slow heating processes, but the team is instead using long fluid-filled hydraulic pumps. They hope to use this technology in assistive clothing, but have demonstrated its ability with shape-shifting fabric butterflies and flowers.
Nerve cooler
Researchers from Northwestern University have created a method of pain relief that could effectively be dialled up or down. The technology uses materials that dissolve in your body, encircling nerves with an evaporative cooler, as low temperatures can numb nerves. The technology is still in its test phases, but it could soon revolutionise the way we deal with pain.
Floating solar ‘carpets’
The German energy firm RWE is looking to invest in ‘floating solar parks’. These would consist of a huge collection of connected solar panels that would sit on top of the waves like a carpet. The company is already planning to integrate these solar parks with wind and hydroelectric power, creating a hybrid system of renewable energy all from one setup.
Solar tower
The aviation industry is responsible for spitting out a large chunk of global carbon emissions. But a team of researchers from ETH Zurich say they have created a new piece of tech to combat this – a tower capable of creating synthetic kerosene (a jet fuel) using solar radiation, water and carbon dioxide, without the need for carbon-rich fossil fuels.