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22nd May 2013

2023 – Brain implants to restore lost memories

By 2023, small areas of the brain can be replicated using "neural prostheses" to repair damage from Alzheimer's, stroke or injury.

22nd May 2013

2025-2030 – Hypersonic missiles are in military use

After many years of testing and development, hypersonic missiles have been perfected for military use.

21st May 2013

Do salamanders hold the key to regeneration?

Salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to regenerate spinal cords, brain tissue and even parts of their hearts, scientists have found.

21st May 2013

Military robots to patrol the World Cup 2014

U.S. robotics company iRobot has won $7.2 million in contracts from the Brazilian government as the country prepares to host the FIFA World Cup.

20th May 2013

Global Estimates 2012: People displaced by disasters

We tend to think of climate change as being decades into the future, but climate disasters are already displacing millions of people worldwide.

20th May 2013

Worldwide capacity of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles will multiply more than 10-fold by 2020

Improvements in lithium-ion battery technology are helping to accelerate the worldwide market for electric vehicles.

asteroid sample return mission 2016 2023

20th May 2013

Asteroid sample return mission moves into development

NASA's first mission to sample an asteroid is moving ahead into development and testing in preparation for its launch in 2016.

19th May 2013

New treatments for hepatitis C

New treatments for this debilitating illness could dramatically improve its cure rates, while greatly decreasing the side effects and period of time needed to recover.

19th May 2013

Could we be traveling to Mars within 20 years?

This week, CNN interviewed Buzz Aldrin about his vision for space travel.

19th May 2013

Samsung announces breakthrough in 5G mobile technology

Samsung has successfully developed the world's first adaptive array transceiver operating in the millimetre-wave Ka bands for cellular communications.

18th May 2013

The first 3D printer in space

A new company plans to deliver the first 3D printer into space, enabling astronauts to use this revolutionary new manufacturing process.

18th May 2013

Largest solar cell printer can make a new panel every two seconds

Scientists have produced the largest flexible, plastic solar cells in Australia –
10 times the size of what they were previously able to – thanks to a new printer.

17th May 2013

"Fish thermometer" reveals long-standing, global impact of climate change

Fish have been migrating towards the Earth's poles in search of cooler waters since at least 1970, according to a new study that reveals yet more evidence of a warming planet. This has major implications for global food security in the future.

17th May 2013

The first creation of human embryonic stem cells by cloning

In a world first, US scientists have created a human clone embryo from donor eggs and skin cells, capable of transforming into any other cell type in the body.

16th May 2013

2018 – Polio has been eradicated

New knowledge about the viruses, new technologies and new tactics to reach the most vulnerable communities have consigned polio to history.

15th May 2013

Google Glass 2.0

With Google Glass due for consumer launch by 2014, one design agency has produced a visualisation of how the second generation of the platform may look.

15th May 2013

Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world's oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers.

14th May 2013

Solar discovery sets new record for low-grade silicon

A new process could allow cheaper, low-quality silicon to outperform solar cells made from better-quality materials, boosting their efficiency from 19% to 23%.

14th May 2013

Breakthrough in the understanding of pancreatic cancer

In a landmark cancer study, researchers have unravelled a longstanding mystery about how pancreatic tumour cells feed themselves – opening up new therapeutic possibilities for a notoriously lethal disease with few treatment options.

13th May 2013

2030 – Depression is the number one global disease burden

In terms of health impacts and overall damage to society, depression has now overtaken heart disease.

12th May 2013

Letter to Barack Obama

As carbon emissions pass a historic milestone, leading Democratic figures urge President Barack Obama to take meaningful action on climate change.

12th May 2013

Two large animal species declared extinct

In the last few weeks, two large animal species have been officially declared extinct – the Formosan clouded leopard and the rhinoceros in Mozambique.

12th May 2013

Epilepsy cured in mice

Epilepsy is among the most common of the serious neurological disorders, affecting some 50 million people around the world. A new brain cell therapy raises hope for severe forms of the disease.

12th May 2013

2026 – Youthful regeneration of aging heart muscle is becoming possible

By 2026, it's becoming fairly routine for doctors to repair cardiac damage and restore human hearts to earlier states, based on a special blood protein.

11th May 2013

11th May 2013

Magnetic graphene may revolutionise electronics

Researchers have managed to give graphene magnetic properties. This breakthrough opens the door to the development of graphene-based spintronic devices which could transform the electronics industry.

11th May 2013

Another step closer to a herpes vaccine

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in understanding genital herpes, which could lead to the development of a vaccine.

11th May 2013

NAO Robot writes any word

NAO can write any word you ask him, then spell the word as he writes it.

9th May 2013

New device can extract human DNA with full genetic data in minutes

Take a swab of saliva from your mouth and within minutes your DNA could be ready for analysis and genome sequencing with the help of a new device.

8th May 2013

78,000 sign up for one-way mission to Mars

Just two weeks into the 19 week application period, over 78,000 people have applied to Mars One's astronaut selection program in the hope of becoming settlers in 2023.

8th May 2013

Maximum lifespan of fruit flies increased by 28%

Boosting the activity of a single gene can increase the maximum lifespan of fruit flies by more than a quarter. This discovery could have important implications for aging and disease in humans.

7th May 2013

Visit our forum!

Our forum is two years old today. We now have 850 members and growing. Come and join the discussions on a wide range of future-related subjects.

7th May 2013

Terrafugia's vision for the future of personal transportation

US company Terrafugia is developing the "TF-X" – a personal car/aircraft hybrid that would take-off and land vertically, without needing a runway.

29th April 2013

Adapting to exponential technologies

In his latest video, Peter Diamandis describes a simple analogy that can be applied to exponential technologies, offering hope for a brighter future.

29th April 2013

Grocery delivery service is greener than driving to the store

Home delivery trucks can drastically reduce carbon emissions while also offering savings on fuel costs.

29th April 2013

World's first curved OLED TVs go on sale

Pre-orders for a 55" curved OLED TV will start today in Korea, shipping next month. The OLED segment is expected to grow to 7 million units by 2016 as prices fall.

28th April 2013

2025-2035 – The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) conducts its life-searching mission

ATLAST has substantially higher resolution than Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, with a primary mirror that dwarfs both. It can distinguish the atmosphere and surface of Earth-sized exoplanets at distances up to 150 light years.

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope begins full operations 2022

28th April 2013

2022 – The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope begins full operations

Using a 3.2 gigapixel camera, this wide-field telescope obtains vast amounts of data over huge areas of sky, far more than can be reviewed by humans.

28th April 2013

An update on the ITER nuclear fusion project

Design approval has been given for a crucial reactor component of the ITER nuclear fusion project, which is currently under construction in France and expected to begin generating power in 2022.

26th April 2013

New LED streetlight design curbs light pollution

98% of the new lamp's energy goes to lighting the street instead of the night sky.

25th April 2013

Mantis – a giant walking hexapod robot

An engineer has unveiled a hexapod robot large enough to carry a human pilot.

25th April 2013

Significant step forward in combating antibiotic resistance

Researchers are a step closer to understanding why antibiotics are ineffective against certain types of bacteria.

25th April 2013

New battery design could help solar and wind energy power the grid

Researchers have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

23rd April 2013

SpaceX's Grasshopper flies 820 feet

SpaceX's Grasshopper continues to make progress. If successfully developed, it has the potential to revolutionise space travel – drastically reducing launch costs.

23rd April 2013

Orbital successfully launches first Antares rocket

Orbital Sciences Corporation has completed a successful test launch of its new Antares rocket. This is part of a NASA program in which private companies will deliver supplies to the International Space Station, a role once provided by the now-retired Space Shuttle.

21st April 2013

2050 – Traditional wine industries have been severely altered by climate change

The area suitable for wine production has declined by almost 85% in some regions. California, Mexico, the eastern USA, Southern Europe, South Africa and Australia are particularly affected.

21st April 2013

Self-assembling nanoparticles

Researchers have for the first time observed the self-assembly of nanoparticle chains in situ, that is, in place as it occurs in real-time.

20th April 2013

2014 – Laser guns are in naval use

Solid State Lasers are now being deployed by the U.S. Navy. These weapons had been scheduled for 2016, but were ready two years earlier than planned.

20th April 2013

Potential new breakthrough in treating ALS

Trials are set to begin on a gene therapy for ALS – a crippling degenerative condition which counts Stephen Hawking among its sufferers.

20th April 2013

NASA's Kepler discovers its smallest 'habitable zone' planets to date

NASA's Kepler mission has discovered two new planetary systems that include three super-Earth-sized planets in the 'habitable zone' – the range of distance from a star which might be suitable for liquid water.

19th April 2013

Solar accounted for 100% of new utility electricity generation added to the U.S. grid last month

For the first time, solar energy accounted for all new utility electricity generation capacity added to the U.S. grid last month, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) latest report.

18th April 2013

Batteries that recharge 1,000 times faster and are
30 times smaller

Researchers have developed a new type of battery that could revolutionise the way consumer electronics and electric vehicles are powered.

18th April 2013

Gene regulates heart's ability to regenerate after injuries

Researchers have identified a specific gene that regulates the heart's ability to regenerate after injuries.

17th April 2013

2018 – The first manned flights from Russia's new spaceport

Russia now has independent manned launch capabilities, along with a dramatic boost in space funding, a far greater increase than any other agency in the world.

17th March 2013

New poll:
Should private companies be allowed to patent genes?

The US Supreme Court is currently questioning whether the human genome can be claimed as intellectual property. This could have far-reaching repercussions for future gene research. What's your view on the issue?

• See also: Previous poll results

16th April 2013

Bio-engineered kidney makes urine

A functional lab-grown kidney has been successfully transplanted into a live rat by American scientists. This breakthrough is a major step forward for the nascent field of regenerative medicine.

13th April 2013

3D printing and peak oil

How will the revolutionary new technology of 3D printing help us rise to the challenge of peak oil?

13th April 2013

The world's first algae-powered building

The first 100% algae-powered building has been constructed in Hamburg, Germany.

12th April 2013

Scientists map 3-D structure of telomerase enzyme – key actor in cancer, aging

Like finally seeing all the gears of a watch and how they work together, researchers have, for the first time ever, solved the puzzle of how an entire telomerase enzyme fits together and functions in a 3-D structure.

11th April 2013

U.S. business leaders urge strong policy action on climate change

As President Obama unveils his budget for the coming year, dozens of major U.S. companies have signed a "Climate Declaration," urging federal policymakers to take action on climate change, asserting that a bold response to the climate challenge is one of the greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century.

11th April 2013

Overcoming a major barrier to medical and other uses of 'microrockets' and 'micromotors'

An advance in micromotors, akin to the invention of cars that fuel themselves from the pavement or air, rather than gasoline or batteries, could lead to a range of new medical and industrial uses for these tiny devices.

10th April 2013

Elysium

Set in the 22nd century, Elysium portrays two groups of people: a hyper-rich overclass who live in a utopian paradise; and the billions of others, who struggle in the ruined environment of Earth.

9th April 2013

2028 – Resurrection of several extinct species has been achieved

By the late 2020s, several extinct species have been resurrected including the famous Dodo – last sighted in 1662.

manned asteroid mission 2020 2021 2025 future

8th April 2013

2021-2025 – Manned exploration of near-Earth asteroids

Using a robotic probe, NASA captures a small rock, which is dragged into a stable orbit around the Moon. Astronauts are then sent to explore it.

7th April 2013

2018 – Portable, long-range 3D scanning

Handheld devices are becoming available which can obtain 3D images of objects and landscapes from up to 10 kilometres away. As with similar advances, this is adding to privacy concerns.

6th April 2013

PETMAN tests chemical suit

PETMAN is a robot being developed for use in testing protective clothing. It has recently been upgraded with a head, embedded sensors and artificial perspiration.

6th April 2013

Faster healing of bone injuries

Stem cells can reduce bone regeneration times by nearly a quarter, based on the results of a new therapy. In the future, healing could be accelerated even further.

4th April 2013

Breakthrough in hydrogen fuel production could revolutionise alternative energy market

Researchers have discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, a breakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally-friendly fuel source to the world.

1st April 2013

When will cancer be cured?

Based on current trends, the next few decades are likely to see cures emerging for a number of cancers, with potentially every cancer eradicated by 2200 AD.

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