10 Breakthrough Technologies 2017

- These technologies all have staying power. They will affect the economy and our politics, improve medicine, or influence our culture. Some are unfolding now; others will take a decade or more to develop. But you should know about all of them right now. 

       Reversing Paralysis (availability: 10-15 years)

              Scientists are making remarkable progress at using brain implants to restore the                      freedom of movement that spinal cord injuries take away. 

       

       Self-Driving Trucks (availability: 5-10 years)

              Tractor-trailers without a human at the wheel will soon barrel onto highways near                    you. 

       Paying with your face (availability: Now)

              Face-detecting systems in China now authorize payments, provide access to                                facilities, and track down criminals.

       Practical Quantum Computers (availability: 4-5 years)

              Advances at Google, Intel, and several research groups indicate that computers with                previously unimaginable power are finally within reach. 

       The 360-Degree Selfie (availability: Now)

              Inexpensive cameras that make spherical imageas are opening a new era in                                photography and changing the way people share stories. 

 

       Hot Solar Cells (availability: 10-15 years)

              By converting heat to focused beams of light, a new solar device could create cheap                  and continous power.  

       Gene Therapy 2.0 (availability: Now)

              Scientists have solved fundamental problems that were holding back cures for rare                  hereditary disorders. 

       The Cell Atlas (availability: 5 years)

              Biology's next mega-project will find out what we're really made of. 

       Botnets of Things (availability: Now)

              The relentless push to add connectivity to home gadgets is creating dangerous side                  effects that figure to get even worse. 

       Reinforcement Learning (availability: 1-2 years) 

              By experimenting, computers are figuring out how to do things that no programmer                could teach them.