What does tomorrow look like at Hello Tomorrow Global Summit?
A month ago, we held the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in Paris, which saw more than 3,000 people in attendance. With all the excitement and hubbub of post-event logistics, we never really had the opportunity to share with you some of the things that we found truly awe-inspiring, and well, representative of tomorrow. So let’s see below some technologies of the near-future!
Biotech: from DNA data storage to anti-aging
It’s not hard to understand the excitement around biotechnology, what with recent innovations in nanopore sequencing, DNA synthesis, genome modification, and more. Twist Bioscience, for instance, engineers DNA from scratch, which alone has numerous applications such as self-fertilizing crop, life-saving drugs, etc. This startup is out to store the world’s data in DNA, lasting thousands of years and with a capacity to store 700 terabytes in a single gram of DNA.
Then there is Patrick Hsu, Principal Investigator at Salk Institute, who is working on targeted genome modification to allow geneticists and medical researchers to remove, add, or alter sections of the DNA sequence. Simply put, this technology has huge implications on wiping out crippling, inheritable diseases such as cancers, diabetes and Parkinson’s.
And while we may not have found the elixir to eternal youth, Unity Biotech is developing drugs to slow the effects of age-related diseases. The startup recently raised $116 million to help the body shed older cells that cause inflammation and age-related diseases, such as osteoarthritis.
Interstellar travel… not so far off?
Space exploration has been around for decades. Recent technologies, coupled with Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to colonize Mars, have fueled our fascination with interstellar travel, spurring debates about space commercialization and the launch of companies such as Astroscale, which develops satellites to remove space debris.
In a talk that seems straight out of a sci-fi, Ryan Weed from Positron Dynamics talks of building a spacecraft powered by antimatter that could quite literally thrust us to Mars in a matter of weeks. For comparison, today’s technology would get us to Mars in roughly six months. The goal is to enable interstellar travel, but in the meantime, the company will focus on lower-orbit applications including military applications and scanning for agricultural data.
Up, up and away
For a few years now, the autonomous car has been all the rage. It still is, and the summit showed that it will more than likely become a reality. What stole the show, however, were levitating and flying vehicles. skyTran may very well represent the future of transit with its 2-person pod magnetically attached to a monorail suspended 20 feet above ground, and traveling 155 mph. This cuts a two-hour car commute into a 10-minute trip. The company already has plans to launch its first-ever track in Lagos, Nigeria in 2020.
Let’s not forget Lilium Jet, the grand prize winner of Hello Tomorrow Challenge. Lilium Jet has developed what is known as the world’s first electric vertical take-off and landing personal aircraft — and it could reach a velocity of 400 km per hour. So where can we sign up for a test ride?
Artificial intelligence and augmented reality
Wired editor-in-chief, Scott Dadich, made a good point: it’s hard to think of a single technology that will shape our world more in the next 50 years than artificial intelligence. Seeping into our lives in all sorts of ways, the panel on the responsibility of AI is very relevant today. Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, the Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, emphasized the need to design morality into AI, and that these ethical codes should be consulted with the people who will interact with these AI machines. Just as importantly, algorithm fairness and systems’ capacity to explain to their logic to humans will take AI to new heights.
The summit also saw the world’s first-ever live demo of Meta 2, an augmented reality headset that leverages the principles of neuroscience, and enables people to manipulate digital objects or holograms with their hands. What’s exciting about this technology is not that it enhances people’s interactions with the real world, although yes that’s definitely a part of it, but that it has very concrete applications such as the classroom setting. Imagine children “teleporting” themselves to classrooms around the world, co-presenting themselves in real-time, and seeing and learning what other children are learning.
A tactile for the blind, hitting snooze and working out
Let’s talk wellbeing, and let’s not forget Blitab (Hello Tomorrow Challenge track winner). A tactile tablet for the visually impaired, Blitab uses liquid bubbles to instantly generate braille text, while corresponding technology allows text files to be instantly converted into braille from USB sticks, web browsers or NFC tags. Blitab prides itself as a leader in digital lifestyle for the blind.
Remember the Chill Lab at the summit? Be honest, you probably hit snooze several times in that space — where was it, on eve mattress? In Podtime? Or Aurasens’ full-body music experience?
Or did seeing Holodia’s VR fitness rowing machine suddenly bring out the gym-nazi in you, and instead of taking a break from the awe-inspiring talks, you decided to go on rowing adventures? Hey, you’re allowed to have fun.
And there you have it, our round-up of the future from Hello Tomorrow Global Summit. Don’t forget to check out all the winners of the Hello Tomorrow Challenge Grand Finale here: https://medium.com/@Hello_Tomorrow/lilium-jet-takes-home-100-000-as-grand-prize-winner-of-hello-tomorrow-challenge-36ef6a83d710#.xgp8skhcl
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