Top 10 Future Technologies That Will Change the World SOON

George Mason University engineering students Seth Robertson and Viet Tran may have drastically altered the future of fighting fire. They’ve developed a sonic fire extinguisher that moves the air at frequencies between 30 and 60 hz, which interrupts oxidization at the core of a fire. Basically, it separates the fuel from the oxygen, and as everyone who has ever tried to get a campfire going knows, you need those things to be working in tandem if you want to get a flame going. They’ve had success thus far on alcohol-based fires, but if they get it to work on other fuels (like wood or oil) it could provide a cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient way to battle blazes.

This is another brainwave from Elon Musk and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (better known as SpaceX) that hopes to improve, and ultimately change the face of, transportation. The design is surprisingly elegant in its simplicity: they’re specifically designed “pods” or “capsules,” upheld in a near vacuum and floating on 0.05 inches of pressurized air, that are then sent at high-speeds through a steel tube. While it does sound a tad claustrophobic, these passenger capsules would travel at an average speed of approximately 600mph, with potential max speeds of up to 760mph. Energy efficient and wicked fast, it could change the way people get from place to place forever.

More of an intellectual movement than an invention, transhumanism is the belief that humans can still evolve – it’s that final evolution linking our minds and bodies with advanced technology. A subject that’s been popularized by sci-fi films and books for years – and in fact the term “transhumanism” was coined by Julian Huxley, the brother of “Brave New World” author Aldous Huxley – the idea is to ultimately bring forth a “post-human” state of being. While the concept is unnerving at best to many, for those who embrace the idea there has never been a more exciting time to be alive – even if that life may be linked to a hard drive.

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#7: The EM Drive

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This is the name given to the design of a method of advanced space propulsion technology. Also known as a radio frequency (or RF) resonant cavity thruster, this electromagnetic thruster uses pent-up electromagnetic radiation to achieve impetus and momentum without discharging propellant. If this sounds a little confusing don’t worry, it does basically defy the laws of physics. The conservation of momentum, implied in Newton’s laws of motion, says it should be impossible – and therefore there are many skeptical scientists, who’ve given it the nickname the “Impossible Drive.” However, if they do get it to work it would completely change how we could lift off, making space exploration – and defense missions – that much simpler.

Samsung bought the company back in 2014, and the concept is basically in the name. The idea is to produce smart homes using an open platform wherein your appliances and devices all interact with one another. You know, like in The Jetsons, or maybe that Treehouse of Horror XII episode. Using the “Internet of Things,” the system would work on a hub connected straight into the house’s internet router, connecting devices to one another via the cloud. Companionable “things” could consist of: locks, lights, electrical outlets, motion sensors, speakers, moisture sensors and thermostats. Like most innovations that lurk on the border of sci-fi and reality, this sounds like it could either be amazing, or a hacker’s paradise. Maybe both.

Already being tested by Google and Tesla Motors, this innovation could change everything from the way people are employed to the way we interact to the layout of cities; it could even spell the end of the auto industry altogether. The deal with driverless – or autonomous - cars is not that you’ll own one – but that NO ONE will own one. Already, fewer and fewer people are choosing to purchase cars, an expensive investment that’s only used on average 5% of the time, according to transportation adviser Paul Barter. More people are opting for ride-share groups, like Uber – and that’s where a driver starts to become redundant. Basically, think of a world of Johnny Cabs: fewer cars, less pollution, narrowing roads, more public space.

Even if you don’t believe in man-made climate change, everyone can probably agree that wasteful and non-renewable fuels are virtually unnecessary these days. People have been trying to get electric cars running for practically as long as cars have existed, but so far they have been hindered by the distances they can travel, speed, and a lack of charging stations. But with the rise of companies like Tesla Motors, those issues are falling by the wayside as we begin to change the way we think about driving. Tesla isn’t the only group developing these newer cars – which as of 2016 are equipped with self-driving hardware – but they’ve definitely hit the fast lane.

Like the electric car, scientists have been trying to get virtual reality, or VR, technology off the ground for a long time. VR can refer to basically any immersive software that simulates real sights, sounds, and experiences. While the 2010s saw it being marketed as a way to give gamers a more full-on experience, the technology is being explored for application in many other areas, such as engineering, military training, archeology, phobia treatments and therapy, and film. With augmented reality quickly becoming an actual reality, this technology will eventually change not only how we see the world, but also how we interact with it.

This is perhaps the most highly criticized technology on this list, and the one most likely to make people wary: Artificial Intelligence. Many years of cinema have taught us that it can go one of two ways: it could be incredible, or incredibly horrifying. While proponents of A.I. development argue that it will help people in many tasks, the development of machines with a human – or greater – level of intelligence has raised a lot of philosophical as well as ethical debates. From the risk of putting humans out of jobs to general safety to the moral ramifications of creating something sentient purely for servile work, the discussion is sure to be a long one, and will surely shape our future.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Eye Tribe
Eye Tracking Technology

- Leap Motion
Hand Tracking Software to Control Your Computer

- Atmospheric Water Harvesting
Water and Moisture Collection from the Atmosphere

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#1: 3D Printing

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We’ve all seen the videos of those little objects whizzed into existence. No big deal, right? While it is obviously in its infancy now, the ability to produce items through additive manufacturing could drastically change how we live. What if you could print out your own replacement car parts? Tools? Household items? Reproduce priceless pieces of art? Functional weapons? Medical devices? Its impact on globalization and manufacturing sectors worldwide, along with its potential to deeply affect routine labor and capital markets, shouldn’t be underestimated. It could also be great, leading to a resurgence of small manufacturing companies. While the social and financial impacts are difficult to predict at this point, 3D printing could be the biggest, most innocuous innovation since the printing press.