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60 Most Interesting Technology Research Topics for 2024

August 22, 2024

technology research topics

Scrambling to find technology research topics for the assignment that’s due sooner than you thought? Take a scroll through these 60 interesting technology essay topics in 10 different categories, including controversial technology topics, and some example research questions for each.

Social Technology Research Topics

Whether you have active profiles on every social media platform, you’ve taken a social media break, or you generally try to limit your engagement as much as possible, you probably understand how pervasive social technologies have become in today’s culture. Social technology will especially appeal to those looking for widely discussed, mainstream technology essay topics.

  • How do viewers respond to virtual influencers vs. human influencers? Is one more effective or ethical over the other?
  • Across social media platforms, when and where is mob mentality most prevalent? How do the nuances of mob mentality shift depending on the platform or topic?
  • Portable devices like cell phones, laptops, and tablets have certainly made daily life easier in some ways. But how have they made daily life more difficult?
  • How does access to social media affect developing brains? And what about mature brains?
  • Can dating apps alter how users perceive and interact with people in real life?
  • Studies have proven “doomscrolling” to negatively impact mental health—could there ever be any positive impacts?
  • How much can bots truly shape or manipulate opinions on social media? Is their influence positive or negative?
  • Social media algorithms can contribute to the spread of sensationalized or controversial stories. Should social media companies be held accountable for misinformation on their platforms?

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Research Topics

Following cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has been a rollercoaster over the last few years. Since Bitcoin’s conception in 2009, cryptocurrency has consistently showed up on many lists of controversial technology topics, and continues to undergo massive shifts in popularity as well as value.

  • Is it ethical for celebrities or influential people to promote cryptocurrencies or cryptographic assets like NFTs ?
  • What are the environmental impacts of mining cryptocurrencies? Could those impacts ever change?
  • How does cryptocurrency impact financial security and financial health?
  • Could the privacy cryptocurrency offers ever be worth the added security risks?
  • How might cryptocurrency regulations and impacts continue to evolve?
  • Created to enable cryptocurrency, blockchain has since proven useful in several other industries. What new uses could blockchain have?

Artificial Intelligence Technology Research Topics

ChatGPT , voice cloning , and deepfakes continue to be a major source of conversation (and contention). While people have discussed artificial intelligence for ages, recent advances have pushed this topic to the front of our minds. Those searching for controversial technology topics should pay close attention to this section.

  • OpenAI –the company behind ChatGPT–has shown commitment to safe, moderated AI tools that they hope will provide positive benefits to society. Sam Altman, their CEO, recently testified before a US Senate committee. He described what AI makes possible and called for more regulation in the industry. But even with companies like OpenAI displaying efforts to produce safe AI and advocating for regulations, can AI ever have a purely positive impact? Are certain pitfalls unavoidable?
  • In a similar vein, can AI ever actually be ethically or safely produced? Will there always be certain risks?
  • How might AI tools impact society across future generations?
  • Countless movies and television shows explore the idea of AI going wrong, going back all the way to 1927’s Metropolis . What has a greater impact on public perception—representations in media or industry developments? And can public perception impact industry developments and their effectiveness?
  • Is it ever okay to use voice cloning or deepfakes without the person’s knowledge or consent?

Beauty and Anti-Aging Technology

Throughout human history, people in many cultures have gone to extreme lengths to capture and maintain youth. But technology has taken this pursuit to another level. For those seeking technology essay topics that are both timely and timeless, this one’s a gold mine.

  • With augmented reality technology, companies like Perfect allow app users to virtually try on makeup, hair color, hair accessories, and hand or wrist accessories. Could virtual try-ons lead to a somewhat less wasteful beauty industry? What downsides should we consider?
  • Users of the Perfect app can also receive virtual diagnoses for skin care issues and virtually “beautify” themselves with smoothed skin, erased blemishes, whitened teeth, brightened under-eye circles, and reshaped facial structures. How could advancements in beauty and anti-aging technology affect self-perception and mental health?
  • What are the best alternatives to animal testing within the beauty and anti-aging industry?
  • Is anti-aging purely a cosmetic pursuit? Could anti-aging technology provide other benefits?
  • Could people actually find a “cure” to aging? And could a cure to aging lead to longer lifespans?
  • How might longer human lifespans affect the Earth?
  • Should social media influencers be expected to disclose when they are using augmented reality, filters, or Photoshop on their photos?

Geoengineering Technology Research Topics

An umbrella term, geoengineering refers to large-scale technologies that can alter the earth and its climate. Typically, these types of technologies aim to combat climate change. Those searching for controversial technology topics should consider looking into this one.

  • What benefits can solar geoengineering provide? Can they outweigh the severe risks?
  • Compare solar geoengineering methods like mirrors in space, stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and other proposed methods. How have these methods evolved? How might they continue to evolve?
  • Which direct air capture methods are most sustainable?
  • How can technology contribute to reforestation efforts?
  • What are the best uses for biochar? And how can biochar help or harm the earth?
  • Out of all the carbon geoengineering methods that exist or have been proposed, which should we focus on the most?
  • Given the potential unintended consequences, is geoengineering ethical?

Creative and Performing Arts Technology Topics

While tensions often arise between artists and technology, they’ve also maintained a symbiotic relationship in many ways. It’s complicated. But of course, that’s what makes it interesting. Here’s another option for those searching for hot-button technology essay topics.

  • How has the relationship between art and technology evolved over time?
  • How has technology impacted the ways people create art? And how has technology impacted the ways people engage with art?
  • Technology has made creating and viewing art widely accessible. Does this increased accessibility change the value of art? And do we value physical art more than digital art?
  • Does technology complement storytelling in the performing arts? Or does technology hinder storytelling in the performing arts?
  • Which current issues in the creative or performing arts could potentially be solved with technology?
  • Should digital or AI-generated art be valued in the same way as more traditional art forms, like drawing, painting, or sculpting?

Cellular Agriculture Technology Research Topics

And another route for those drawn to controversial technology topics: cellular agriculture. You’ve probably heard about popular plant-based meat options from brands like Impossible and Beyond Meat . While products made with cellular agriculture also don’t require the raising and slaughtering of livestock, they are not plant-based. Cellular agriculture allows for the production of animal-sourced foods and materials made from cultured animal cells.

  • Many consumers have a proven bias against plant-based meats. Will that same bias extend to cultured meat, despite cultured meat coming from actual animal cells?
  • Which issues can arise from patenting genes?
  • Does the animal agriculture industry provide any benefits that cellular agriculture may have trouble replicating?
  • How might products made with cellular agriculture become more affordable?
  • Could cellular agriculture conflict with the notion of a “ circular bioeconomy ?” And should we strive for a circular bioeconomy? Can we create a sustainable relationship between technology, capitalism, and the environment, with or without cellular agriculture?

Transportation Technology Research Topics

For decades, we’ve expected flying cars to carry us into a techno-utopia, where everything’s shiny, digital, and easy. We’ve heard promises of super fast trains that can zap us across the country or even across the world. We’ve imagined spring breaks on the moon, jet packs, and teleportation. Who wouldn’t love the option to go anywhere, anytime, super quickly? Transportation technology is another great option for those seeking widely discussed, mainstream technology essay topics.

  • Once upon a time, Lady Gaga was set to perform in space as a promotion for Virgin Galactic . While Virgin Galactic never actually launched the iconic musician/actor, they launched their first commercial flight full of civilians–who paid $450,000 a pop–on a 90-minute trip into the stars in 2023. And if you think that’s pricey, SpaceX launched three businessmen into space for $55 million in April 2022 (though with meals included, this is actually a total steal). So should we be launching people into space just for fun? What are the impacts of space tourism?
  • Could technology improve the way hazardous materials get transported?
  • How can the 5.9 GHz Safety Band affect drivers?
  • Which might be safer: self-driving cars or self-flying airplanes?
  • Compare hyperloop and maglev.  Which is better and why?
  • Can technology improve safety for cyclists?

Gaming Technology Topics

A recent study involving over 2,000 children found links between video game play and enhanced cognitive abilities. While many different studies have found the impacts of video games to be positive or neutral, we still don’t fully understand the impact of every type of video game on every type of brain. Regardless, most people have opinions on video gaming. So this one’s for those seeking widely discussed, mainstream, and controversial technology topics.

  • Are different types or genres of video games more cognitively beneficial than others? Or are certain gaming consoles more cognitively beneficial than others?
  • How do the impacts of video games differ from other types of games, such as board games or puzzles?
  • What ethical challenges and safety risks come with virtual reality gaming?
  • How does a player perceive reality during a virtual reality game compared to other types of video games?
  • Can neurodivergent brains benefit from video games in different ways than neurotypical brains?

Medical Technology

Advancements in healthcare have the power to change and save lives. In the last ten years, countless new medical technologies have been developed, and in the next ten years, countless more will likely emerge. Always relevant and often controversial, this final technology research topic could interest anyone.

  • Which ethical issues might arise from editing genes using CRISPR-Cas9 technology? And should this technology continue to be illegal in the United States?
  • How has telemedicine impacted patients and the healthcare they receive?
  • Can neurotechnology devices potentially affect a user’s agency, identity, privacy, and/or cognitive liberty?
  • How could the use of medical 3-D printing continue to evolve?
  • Are patients more likely to skip digital therapeutics than in-person therapeutic methods? And can the increased screen time required by digital therapeutics impact mental health?

Now that you’ve picked from this list of technology essay topics, do a deep dive and immerse yourself in new ideas, new information, and new perspectives. And of course, now that these topics have motivated you to change the world, look into the best computer science schools , the top feeders to tech and Silicon Valley , the best summer programs for STEM students , and the best biomedical engineering schools .

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Mariya holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the Pratt Institute and is currently pursuing an MFA in writing at the University of California Davis. Mariya serves as a teaching assistant in the English department at UC Davis. She previously served as an associate editor at Carve Magazine for two years, where she managed 60 fiction writers. She is the winner of the 2015 Stony Brook Fiction Prize, and her short stories have been published in Mid-American Review , Cutbank , Sonora Review , New Orleans Review , and The Collagist , among other magazines.

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Research Topics

Seven research topics on the emerging technologies disrupting the world of science.

research questions about future technology

The link between science, innovation, and technology is crucial: rapid technological advances create new opportunities for scientific progress in healthcare, communication, energy production, and more, essential for society's progress.

In an impactful partnership, Frontiers joined the World Economic Forum to identify the top 10 emerging technologies in 2024 . The result is a report that highlights tech advancements with the potential to revolutionize how we connect, tackle climate change, and propel scientific discovery forward.

Frederick Fenter, Frontiers' Chief Executive Editor, emphasizes how the report draws on the expertise of a global network of field editors to offer deep insights into breakthrough technology and its transformative potential for improving societies, economies, and individual lives.

Inspired by this collaboration, we’ve curated seven Research Topics harnessing the power of transformative technologies. From AI-powered plant disease detection to the future of digital health and big data in medicine, these research communities are tackling critical worldwide challenges across diverse fields.

All articles are openly available to view and download.

1 | Recent Advances in Big Data, Machine, and Deep Learning for Precision Agriculture

128,000 views | 22 articles

This Research Topic explores how big data, machine, and deep learning algorithms are being applied to precision agriculture and plant health. It also investigates how these tools can be used and improved in the future to aid food security, mainly involving the integration of state-of-the-art technologies.

This topic brings together researchers from diverse fields and specializations, such as plant bioinformatics, computer engineering, computer science, agricultural engineering, environmental engineering, food engineering, information technology, and mathematics.

View Research Topic

2 | Artificial Intelligence and Bioinformatics Applications for Omics and Multi-Omics Studies

30,000 views | 13 articles

Researchers present new bioinformatics tools and computational approaches to the analysis of omics data, or the application of existing tools, toward a more complete interpretation of biological phenomena, with applications in personalized medicine and biotechnology.

The omics sciences have revolutionized research in areas such as biology, biotechnology, medicine, and agri-food sciences. At the same time, the production of large-scale data has led to strong demand for appropriate computational tools for their management, analysis, and interpretation. All these factors make this Research Topic highly relevant for omics and multi-omics studies.

3 | Remote Sensing for Field-based Crop Phenotyping

32,100 views | 18 articles

This Research Topic studies field-based crop phenotyping through different remote sensing platforms and sensors coupled with diversified algorithms. The topic investigates achievements for determining multi-sensor integration methods, image processing ways, and retrieval modeling algorithms to improve the accuracy and robustness of crop phenotype assessment, which can be used for accelerating crop research, breeding efficiency, and precise agricultural management.

The development of crop science requires more rapid and accurate access to field-based crop phenotypes. Remote sensing provides a novel solution to quantify crop structural and functional traits in a timely, rapid, non-invasive, and efficient manner.

4 | AI Empowered Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering

43,000 views | 18 articles

This Research Topic highlights significant advancements in AI applications for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular healthcare. It also showcases how AI technology can enhance diagnosis, treatment, risk prediction, and rehabilitation for these diseases through extensive data analysis.

Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases remain major global health challenges, significantly contributing to disabilities and mortality. Advances in machine learning, deep learning, computational power, and algorithms have made swift dataset analysis possible. Consequently, AI integration into healthcare is gaining significant attention, with physicians increasingly relying on AI tools for improved diagnosis, intervention guidance, and therapy monitoring.

5 | Current Advances in Genomics and Gene Editing Tools for Crop Improvement in a Changing Climate Scenario

86,000 views | 20 articles

A Research Topic demonstrating the use of cutting-edge plant genomics and gene editing technologies to tackle a specific problem, such as improving a trait. Advances in plant genomics and gene editing technologies have revolutionized breeding programs globally and are taking agriculture to new heights.

Feeding the burgeoning population and ensuring global food security in a changing climate scenario have prompted scientists to explore adoption of the latest tools and technologies (genomics and gene editing) to increase food production.

6 | Perspectives in Digital Health and Big Data in Medicine: Current Trends, Professional Challenges, and Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications

89,900 views | 24 articles

This Research Topic provides a comprehensive overview of the current trends, scientific potential, regulatory and professional challenges, and ethical and social implications of digital health and big data in medicine, including prevention, clinical care, research, management, regulation, and health policy perspectives.

It gathers multi- and transdisciplinary contributions, particularly from the family medicine, primary health care, and regulatory science communities, including physicians, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, and health policy professionals.

7 | Advanced AI Methods for Plant Disease and Pest Recognition

30,000 views | 22 articles

This Research Topic explores advanced AI methods for plant disease and pest recognition for real-world applications. Plant diseases and pests cause significant losses to farmers and threaten food security worldwide.

Monitoring the growing conditions of crops and detecting plant diseases is critical for sustainable agriculture. However, this activity is prone to errors, leading to possible incorrect decisions. In this context, deep learning has played a key role in solving complicated applications with increasing accuracy over time. Recent interest in this type of technology has encouraged its potential application to address complex problems in agriculture, such as plant disease and pest recognition.

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10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024

Every year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now.

AI for everything

We now live in the age of AI. Hundreds of millions of people have interacted directly with generative tools like ChatGPT that produce text, images, videos, and more from prompts. Their popularity has reshaped the tech industry, making OpenAI a household name and compelling Google, Meta, and Microsoft to invest heavily in the technology.

research questions about future technology

Super-efficient solar cells

Solar power is being rapidly deployed around the world, and it’s key to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. But most of the sunlight that hits today’s panels isn’t being converted into electricity. Adding a layer of tiny crystals could make solar panels more efficient.

Apple Vision Pro

Apple will start shipping its first mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, this year. Its killer feature is the highest-resolution display ever made for such a device. Will there be a killer app? It’s early, but the world’s most valuable company has made a bold bet that the answer is yes.

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Weight-loss drugs.

The global rise in obesity has been called an epidemic by the World Health Organization. Medications like Mounjaro and Wegovy are now among the most powerful tools that patients and physicians have to treat it. Evidence suggests they can even protect against heart attacks and strokes.

Enhanced geothermal systems

Geothermal energy is clean, always available, and virtually limitless. However, because of engineering challenges, we have barely scratched the surface of what it can offer. New drilling techniques, which dig deeper and in places where we couldn’t before, are unleashing more of Earth’s heat to produce clean energy.

It’s getting devilishly hard to make transistors smaller—the trend that defines Moore’s Law and has driven progress in computing for decades. Engineers must now find new ways to make computers faster and more efficient. Chiplets are small, specialized chips that can be linked together to do everything a conventional chip does, and more.

AI for protein folding

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Something went wrong, try again., the first gene-editing treatment.

New treatments based on CRISPR have been in the works for years. In the final weeks of 2023, one from Vertex became the first to earn regulatory approval in both the UK and the US for its ability to cure sickle-cell disease, a life-threatening condition. It won’t be the last.

Exascale computers

The world’s fastest supercomputers can now perform more than an exaflop’s worth of calculations (that’s a 1 followed by 18 zeros). New machines that can crunch scientific data at these speeds will enable scientists to perform more sophisticated simulations of the climate, nuclear fission, turbulence, and more.

A pill for covid

Don’t let the name fool you. Heat pumps are electric appliances that can both cool and heat buildings, and wider adoption could substantially reduce emissions. Sales have increased around the world; in the US, they have surpassed gas furnaces for the first time. New types that run at higher temperatures could help decarbonize industry, too.

Twitter killers

Elon Musk bought the site now known as X in 2022, and virtually nothing about it has been the same since. He fired most of the staff and dispensed with content moderation, scaring off advertisers and users alike. Now, as alternatives like Bluesky, Threads, and others gain ground, the central town square has given way to private rooms.

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Thermal batteries.

Systems that store clean energy as heat could help decarbonize industry.

research questions about future technology

10 Breakthrough Technologies

Every year, the reporters and editors at MIT Technology Review survey the tech landscape and pick 10 technologies that we think have the greatest potential to change our lives in the years ahead. We consider advances in every field, from biotechnology and artificial intelligence to computing, robotics, and climate tech. This is the 23rd year we’ve published this list. Here’s what didn’t make the cut .

Editorial Special projects editor: Amy Nordrum Editing: Rachel Courtland, Niall Firth, Mary Beth Griggs, Mat Honan, Amy Nordrum Copy editing: Linda Lowenthal Engagement: Juliet Beauchamp, Abby Ivory-Ganja Fact checking: Helen Li Art Art direction: Stephanie Arnett Illustration: Simoul Alva, Jennifer Dionisio, Simon Landrein Technology Lead developer: Andre Vitorio Design: Vichhika Tep, Mariya Sitnova Product: Mariya Sitnova, Allison Chase CTO: Drake Martinet

How the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024 will impact the world

research questions about future technology

Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024: AI-powered scientific discovery and elastocalorics are among the 10 listed technologies. Image:  World Economic Forum

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  • The World Economic Forum's Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024 report lists this year's most impactful emerging technologies.
  • The list includes ways artificial intelligence is accelerating scientific research with a focus on applications in health, communication, infrastructure and sustainability.
  • AI-powered scientific discovery, carbon-capturing microbes, and elastocalorics are among the 10 listed technologies.

In a fast-changing world of transient ideas, which emerging technologies should be on the agenda of decision-makers, entrepreneurs and citizens in the years to come?

The World Economic Forum's latest Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024 report – launched today and produced in collaboration with Frontiers – unveils a future teeming with possibilities. A wider lens was employed for this year's report, now in its 12th edition, leveraging the expertise of over 300 world-leading academics and experts from the Forum’s Global Future Councils, the University & Researcher Network and the Top 10 Emerging Technologies Steering Group members.​

Their insights, combined with data analysis, ensure a robust understanding of each technology's potential impact in addressing multiple global challenges: from advancements in materials science to transformative technologies in healthcare.

Have you read?

Ai and emerging technology at davos 2024: 5 surprising things to know, impactful ai: how tech leaders and social innovators are advancing ai for social good, post breakthrough: how ai can lift climate research out of the lab and into the real world.

Here are the technologies that feature in the report:

Connectivity technology

In a world that needs to use less energy, and with 6G on the horizon, how can we make this growing demand for, and delivery of, instant data access more sustainable?

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) optimize wireless communications links by changing shape dynamically, combining meta-materials, smart algorithms and advanced signal processing to control and manipulate electromagnetic waves.

Engineered for enhanced capacity and connectivity and with a strong focus on environmental sustainability, RIS can turn ordinary walls and surfaces into intelligent components in a wireless network.

How could the technology impact everyday processes? Telecoms is the major area of use. This could mean more reliable and efficient radio-wave communication in smart factories and vehicular networks, as well as improved coverage in agricultural settings, the report predicts.

Harnessing the latest in solar, battery, lightweight composite material and avionic technology, high altitude platform station (HAPS) systems potentially offer new levels of communications and observation capabilities . Operating at around 20km above the Earth – typically in balloon, airship or fixed-wing aircraft form – they can beat the connectivity, coverage and performance of terrestrial towers and satellites, particularly in remote parts of the world.

HAPS' innovative infrastructure is poised to bring internet access to over 2.6 billion people in 100 countries without connectivity, creating opportunities for education and economic growth.

In addition to improving digital inclusion, HAPS are quick to deploy so could be of vital use in emergency situations.

In a world awash with sensing and communications devices, there is inevitably some functional overlap. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) combines these capabilities in a single system that can collect and transmit data simultaneously, enabling cost and hardware efficiencies while opening up new application possibilities.

ISAC makes wireless networks environment-aware, enabling functions such as localization, environmental mapping and infrastructure monitoring. Sensors and data analytics can be used to monitor air and water quality, soil moisture and weather conditions, for example. Real-world applications include monitoring systems for smart agriculture, environmental conservation and urban planning, as well as smart grids that optimize energy generation and consumption.

AI-enabled discoveries

It’s no surprise the speedy acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) – and what it means for scientific research – tops this year’s list of major tech developments. While scientists have long been experimenting with how AI can advance their knowledge and capabilities, recent breakthroughs in deep learning, generative AI and foundation models are changing the game when it comes to rates of discovery and prediction.

With AI expanding the world of data like never before, finding ways of leveraging it without ethical or security concerns is key. Enter synthetic data , an exciting privacy-enhancing technology re-emerging in the age of AI. It replicates the patterns and trends in sensitive datasets but does not contain specific information that could be linked to individuals or compromise organizations or governments. Building on advances in AI, synthetic data makes it possible for scientists and others to share data globally and work collaboratively on research related to biology and health by removing identifying information.

AI for Scientific Discovery is transforming how new knowledge is discovered and used. AI systems such as Deep Mind’s AlphaFold can accurately predict the 3D models of protein structures. AI has also been applied in research that discovered a new family of antibiotics and created materials for more efficient batteries. According to a recent report from the United States President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, “ AI has the potential to transform every scientific discipline and many aspects of the way we conduct science.”

The building and construction sector is responsible for almost 40% of carbon emissions , according to the United Nations. Immersive technology for the built world and AI-driven blended reality tools could have critical parts to play in its cleaner future, helping anticipate challenges and optimize projects for delivery in the real world. Digital twins, for example, can be used to simulate complex outcomes, increasing efficiency, while virtual prototyping and experimentation can help improve accuracy.

Business may be booming, but global labour shortages persist . In the metaverse, this could be mitigated, the Top 10 Emerging Technologies report says, through immersive learning and training environments that bring together architecture, engineering and construction professionals from around the world.

Tech to tackle climate change

Technologies that address, and provide solutions for, the climate crisis feature heavily in this year’s top 10.

Elastocalorics is a rapidly advancing field, described as “powering heat systems to work like muscles”, which could offer more sustainable ways to keep cool. With a warming climate and growing data demands, this has never been more important. Heat pumps using elastocaloric materials such as nickel and titanium – which emit heat when mechanical stress is applied and cool down when the stress is relaxed – are proving more energy-efficient than traditional heating and cooling systems.

Another benefit is they do not require the use of environmentally harmful refrigerant gases, and can be used for cooling in areas with limited or no electricity grid infrastructure, according to the report. A study by the US Department of Energy ranks these heat pumps as the most promising alternative to current systems .

In the midst of a climate crisis, microorganisms are proving a valuable resource. Able to capture greenhouse gases from air or exhaust gases, they are converting emissions into valuable products like biofuels, which have the potential to reduce global warming.

There are two main types of microbial carbon capture . The first uses organisms like cyanobacteria and microalgae that “eat” carbon through photosynthesis , the second employs microorganisms that use renewable energy sources – like hydrogen or organic waste streams – to capture CO2, which is then converted into new products, including biodiesel and protein-rich animal feed.

Animal agriculture relies on the production of proteins like soy, which can lead to deforestation, biodiversity loss, over-fertilization and greenhouse gas emissions from land-use changes. Alternative livestock feeds , or protein feeds for livestock sourced from single-cell proteins, algae and food waste – could be viable, sustainable substitutes for such products, especially as demand increases, says the report.

Advances in transplantation

While transplants save lives, there are not nearly enough available organs to meet demand. But recent advances in genetic manipulation, like CRISPR-Cas9 , could change that.

Genomics for transplants: The successful implantation of genetically engineered organs into a human marks a significant advancement in healthcare, offering hope to millions awaiting transplants​.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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research questions about future technology

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  1. (PDF) Technology and the future

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  2. Technology and the Future of Work Essay Example

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  3. Conversation Questions

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  4. 25 Trending Technology Research Paper Topics

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  6. Future Research

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