The year 2019 has witnessed a series of new wave transformative developments. From Google’s gigantic Quantum leap to the rise of blockchain, science and technology had us hooked throughout the year.
And yet, there are many more milestones that scientists and tech gurus aim to achieve.
As we step into another fascinating year of discoveries, BusinessLive ME presents top tech predictions of 2020 that will hopefully lay the foundation of the future technologies and our worlds.
-
Quantum computing
In October, tech giant Google claimed to achieve Quantum Supremacy. The company’s Sycamore – an experimental quantum processor took around 200 seconds – a little over three minutes – to solve a complex computation that would have taken a supercomputer about 10,000 years to accomplish. While some experts remained sceptical about this alleged feat, most of the world reveled with the quantum leap.
Quantum leap is all set to change the world – building the next generation computers. “Quantum physics, which emerged in the early 20th century, is so powerful and yet so unlike anything known before that even the inventors had a hard time understanding it in detail,” says World Economic Forum.
The global organisation goes on to explain that the near-term applications for quantum computing are endless: cryptography, machine-learning, chemistry, optimization, communication and many more.
While Google has opened up the new frontier of Quantum with unimaginable potential, the practical benefits are yet to be unlocked. And this will be one of the biggest tech movement of the year 2020 (and the future).
-
Plant Power
Ever tried charging your phone with a plant. Or just photosynthesis? Did you know forests could become electricity-churning machines?
Welcome to the future.
A ground breaking report by researchers from University of Sheffield published in Nature magazine in November this year, proved photosynthesis – the foundation of life on Earth providing the food, oxygen and energy that sustains the biosphere– can do much more.
The research revealed that the structure of cytochrome b6f — the protein complex that significantly influences plant growth via photosynthesis – provides an electrical connection between the two light-powered chlorophyll-proteins (Photosystems I and II) that can convert sunlight into chemical energy.
This is pretty extraordinary. In 2020, we expect scientists to harness this and shape the future of clean-power.
3. Blockchain As a Service (BaaS)
Now hold on. We know there’s been an overdose of the terms blockchain and cryptocurrency. Yet, the reality is, nearly 70 per cent of professionals have never used it, revealed a recent Tech Pro Research survey. And hence BaaS is once again among the top tech predictions of 2020.
Just like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, which has now invaded every aspects of our lives, use of blockchain and cryptocurrency will continue to extend. New blockchain technologies are still being released. Hopefully by 2025, blockchain will be as omnipresent as a cloud and leading us to the decentralized web, says a Statista study.
4. 5G
Like blockchain, 5G has the potential to transform the world with superfast internet broadband. It will also enable new applications and encourage the expansion of IoT (Internet of Things), to autonomous vehicles, smart cities and connected factories; the list goes on. Several countries are investing in this advanced technology and hopefully, the results will start showing from 2020.
In 2020, worldwide 5G wireless network infrastructure revenue will reach $4.2 billion, an 89 per cent increase from 2019 revenue of $2.2 billion, according to Gartner.
So what can we expect from 5G? Dramatic improvement in our network connection. We’re talking download a full-length high definition movie in seconds.
Read: Tesla Set to Bulk Up the World’s Largest Lithium-Ion Battery
5. Amazon Alexa plans
Amazon’s plans to rule your life (and the world) with Alexa is like the internet folklore. Stories and articles on it are everywhere.
Amazon’s Alexa has undoubtedly turned into an empire. The brand now offers “on the go” Alexa products such as smart ring Echo Loop and wireless earphones Echo Buds. It is now developing Alexa’s intelligent prediction and decision-making abilities – such as making dinner reservations, booking an Uber and so on.
In an interview with BBC, Rohit Prasad, the brain behind the virtual assistant, says Alexa offers 100,000-plus skills and can communicate with other smart products from more than 9,500 brands.
While privacy concerns remains a major issue, Alexa and it’s revolutionary AI is changing homes.
6. Ocean Thermal Energy
Oceans – yet another source that can hopefully take us to 100 percent renewable-energy. The massive, untapped, and world’s largest renewable energy source could enable humans to outgrow fossil fuels.
Electricity is generated from heat engines of some kind or another. When it comes to oceans, sun keeps the surface quite hot, whereas the depths remain considerably cooler. OTEC or Ocean thermal energy conversion uses this temperature difference to generate power. This technology can provide round-the-clock electricity and considering how big and deep the oceans are – a massive power generator.
The technology is still in its nascent stage of development and hopefully, in year 2020 it may become an economically viable option for the world.
