Our Technological Future - Mixed Bag #4

Fantastic animation of the insides of a cell. This is just an animation. But there is no reason it could not be a simulation in the future. And sophisticated simulations of cells are powerful tools that will speed up medical research by orders of magnitudes. This will have a great impact on public health. We will live longer and more healthy because of it.


Robot cars will race in real traffic

The first 11 teams for a race in which robot cars will jostle with real ones along mocked-up city streets have been announced. The teams must construct autonomous vehicles to navigate an unfamiliar urban environment in the shortest time possible.

$10 million to speed up the personal genome

The X Prize Foundation, sponsor of a widely noted 2004 award for developing a reusable rocket suitable for private space travel, says it is now teaming with a wealthy Canadian geologist to offer $10 million to any team that can completely decode the genes of 100 people in 10 days.

Truth predictor for politicians

He forecast that, within five years, "truth predictor" software would "hold politicians to account". Voters would be able to check the probability that apparently factual statements by politicians were actually correct, using programmes that automatically compared claims with historic data, he said.

Scientists teleport two different objects

Beaming people in "Star Trek" fashion is still in the realms of science fiction, but physicists in Denmark have teleported information from light to matter bringing quantum communication and computing closer to reality.