It’s been quite a while since I’ve done one of these–but there have been no shortage of scientific miracles in the last few months as technology continues its exponential acceleration.

MEDICINE/BIOTECHNOLOGY

Anti-aging pill on the horizon, soon to be available. This has got to be one of the most exciting technological advances of the year. Researchers are working on creating a pill that preserves the mitochondria in cells, the degeneration of which is a major cause of aging. The treatment is, in fact, entering human trials now. It is based on the compound in red wine you may have heard of called reseratrol; one pill would contain the equivalent of resveratrol found in 1500 bottles of red wine. Not only does it attack aging itself, but also shows very promising results against diseases of aging such as diabetes.

New enzyme kills HIV dead. A new enzyme has been developed that literally kills HIV inside the cells it infects, never to have it return. This isn’t just treating someone who’s HIV+. This is actually making them HIV negative again. It’s going to take some time to test it, engineer it on a large scale and make it widely available–5 to 20 years–but there is good solid hope on the horizon.

Alzheimer’s cure is found. Just what the title says–a new treatment blocks Alzheimer’s-causing amyloid plaques in the brain, and even reverses the early stages of the disease. Trials are to start within the next two years.

Artificial Life in 3 to 10 years. A widely read Associated Press article discussed the likelihood of artificial life in the test tube being possible in the next three to ten years. Why would we want to do this? Well, we could create a life form that converts agricultural waste to pure ethanol or gasoline, for example–or build a life form that can eat toxic waste and clean up the environment. Hopefully the scientists creating these critters won’t get the smart idea of allowing them to reproduce….

ROBOTICS

The amazing Robot Asimo. Just watch the video of a robot being developed by Honda. Spooky.

Robotic insects take flight. Researchers have built an insect-sized robot that can fly. Its intended use is for covert surveillance, detecting chemicals, and probably eventually delivering explosives.

NANOTECHNOLOGY

IBM develops single-atom storage capability. IBM is developing technology that allows a single atom to store computer data. Eventually this will allow you to store the equialent of all of Youtube on a device the size of an iPod.

Nanoscale data retrieves data 1000 times faster for 100,000 years. On a similar vein, UPenn researchers are using nanowires to develop computer memory that accesses data 1000 times faster than today, and can store data for 100,000 years, all using less space and power than current Flash and RAM memory.

Solar cells made from plastic are now possible. One of the biggest problems with solar technology is that it requires large, inefficient and unwieldy silicon panels. Not anymore. Scientists have developed nanotube-based solar panels that can be printed on films of plastic. These films can then be “painted on” just about anything–walls, roofs, on top of cars, whatever. Once these are developed in mass quantity you can literally have solar energy available anywhere you have a surface on which to paint the film.

Nano-generators become reality. Scientists have visions of legions of nanobots coursing through our bloodstream in a few decades, directly attacking all manner of illnesses and keeping us perpetually healthy (and young.) But they need a power source, or else these nanobots are just floating pieces of micro metal. Researchers are working on that too, recently unveiling nano-generators that can use unconventional forms of energy such as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibrations, and even your body’s blood flow to generate energy. You could also put them in your shoes, so that your walking creates energy to power devices you have on your person.

OTHER

3D desktop fabrication coming to your home. This is another wondrous technology–you can literally build objects by printing them out. This is a precursor to what nanotechnology promises to deliver, though the tech here is not nano-based. It’s still incredible enough. Watch the video yourself. It’s billed as a way of building models…but the same technology could eventually allow you to, say, download the blueprints for that fancy set of shoes you want without even visiting the store. A similar machine from another company is going on sale for less than $5000.

Photon propulsion could cut trip to Mars down to one week. A scientist is presenting his discovery of a new propulsion technology to agencies like NASA and JPL. If it pans out, it would greatly increase propulsion speeds for various space missions–including cutting down the travel time to Mars from six months to a week.

Tags: technology-roundup