Ten Greatest Technologies of 2022 Over the World

 Ten Greatest Technologies of 2022

The treatment of COVID-19, omicron resistance, readily available energy producers such as "artificial sun", new methods of data processing and protection - science is already well advanced in these areas. We will learn about the ten most promising technologies of the year according to experts. 

One of the most talked-about technology journals is the MIT Technology Review which was surveyed by experts and published a list of the most promising technologies of the year in February. Some of them are already in use, others are in the successful testing phase. Let's talk in more detail about what we're talking about. We will learn more about its advantages and disadvantages.

Password cancelation:

Hacks and leaks of personal data have become a real epidemic in cyberspace. Under these conditions, relying on a regular password becomes increasingly dangerous. It can be stolen, obtained with the help of spoof sites, and extorted with the help of cunning manipulations. Password managers like Dashboard and Password are half the solution. Especially when it comes to the security of global systems on which companies and states depend. A more radical solution is to completely eliminate passwords. Now companies are increasingly moving to biometric identification methods. Apple's facial recognition system was one of the first to be introduced a masse.

 In March 2021, Microsoft announced that some of its customers could opt-out of passwords entirely, and in September suggested that users remove the option altogether. There are already about a dozen options for a unique signature that are used or are being developed. In addition to the face, this is the iris of the eye, voice, fingerprint or palm print, vein pattern, or even DNA. However, not everything is perfect here. Firstly, such a password cannot be transferred to another if necessary. Secondly, there are already programs that can reliably imitate voice or facial features. Thirdly, attackers can switch from hunting for passwords to direct blackmail of a person - the owner of the necessary biometric data. Another concern concerns how the collected data will be used by governments. In the fall of 2021, the European Parliament called for law enforcement to be banned from using facial recognition systems in public places. The main argument of parliamentarians is that the introduction of such systems can lead to the establishment of total control over people, including their loyalty.

The machine of protein structure determination

Almost all processes in our body are carried out with the participation of proteins, and what a particular protein does is determined, among other things, by its three-dimensional shape. A protein is made up of a ribbon of amino acids that folds into a complex system. A properly folded protein can trigger pathological processes in the body. 

By understanding how a particular protein works, scientists can create specific drugs and analyze the effects of the disease. But in the past, it took months of lab work to determine the three-dimensional structure of a protein and its effectiveness. That was the most accurate way. Everything changed at the beginning of 2021 when Deep Mind introduced AlphaFold2. It is an artificial intelligence-based software capable of predicting the shape of proteins down to the atom. This is the first time a computer has managed to outdo a human in this matter. The results of the program were considered amazing by the experts. 

Research teams around the world have begun using AlphaFold2 for cancer research, antibiotic resistance, and COVID-19, Omicron. Deep mind also created a public database that was full of protein structures predicted using the program. It now has about 1,000,000 records, and Deep mind has already pledged to add more than 120 million by 2022. It will provide information on almost every protein known to science. The real meaning of AlphaFold2 will only become clear in a year or two, but this year could be decisive.

Monitoring new variants of SARS-CoV-2

The SARS-CoV-2 genome has already been the most analyzed of all organisms in history, surpassing influenza, HIV or even our own human genome. In the last three years, about 3% of all COVID-19 positive sources have gone to gene sequencing machines.

Lets you know how fast genome sequencing viruses develop. Such observations allow scientists to warn about the emergence of new strains in a timely manner. For example, a laboratory at Dhaka University issued the first warning in January 2020 after discovering a virus genome with more than 50 mutations. Earlier, computers in Seattle, Boston, and London used their data to detect it in a US laboratory and use it to predict how dangerous this option would be and what to expect from it. This is probably why "Omicron" spreads so quickly, but it is usually short-lived and controllable. Now the main question is exactly how SARS-CoV-2 will evolve and where to wait for new variants to appear. However, thanks to gene sequencing and data sharing, people are much more prepared for new attacks than for the beginning of the epidemic.

Cryptocurrency mining:

Cryptocurrency acts like a blockchain, a system for recording and distributing digital information that allows you to exchange data anonymously and without intermediaries. It has many advantages over conventional currency, but there is a catch: cryptocurrencies are not issued by banks, they appear as a result of computer computational work. It is very involved with power networks. Bitcoin sources, for example, now require more than 150 terawatt-hours per year - almost as much as the full cost. Therefore, blockchain is looking for ways to reduce the cost of production time.

The most energy-critical part of cryptocurrency mining involves the operation of an algorithm known as work evidence. Each blockchain transaction begins with a data entry, which is copied to all computers on the network. The transaction is confirmed by each individual computer, making it impossible to falsify data or alter existing records. Proof-of-work provides protection against abuse but increases the cost of the whole process.

 With the growing popularity of Bitcoin, the need for energy is increasing. The way to reduce the cost of blockchain infrastructure was proposed by programmer Vitalik Buterin, the creator of the Ethereum network. He believes that proof of work can be abandoned in favor of proof of betting. In this case, investors do not have to compete by spending large sums of capital on capital and computing equipment. Instead, depending on the unit of cryptocurrency in their account, they may participate in the lottery. Winners get the right to verify a set of transactions (and thus earn more cryptocurrency). Critics believe it could adversely affect network decentralization, but more energy-efficient methods have not yet been developed. So far, only Ethereum has used proof-of-stack from major networks. But if successful, other networks could implement it.

New renewable energy batteries

Countries around the world are becoming increasingly dependent on solar and wind energy instead of fossil fuels. However, the supply of this energy is sufficient. The sun is going down and the wind is going down. Existing power storage devices last two to four hours. Utilities require a system capable of supplying power for eight hours or more. One of the promising solutions is a flow battery based on iron-electrolytes. They bear little resemblance to batteries in the sense we are accustomed to. These are giant structures that are driven by powerful pumps. The liquid electrolyte passes through a core consisting of positive and negative electrodes separated by a membrane. When a solar panel or wind turbine generates electricity, the pumps pump the consumed electrolyte through the electrodes, causing it to charge and return to the storage tank.

In contrast to current lithium-ion batteries, flow batteries use cheaper, more readily available, and non-hazardous materials: iron, salt, and water. Another difference: Although lithium-ion battery makers try to make it small enough to fit into damaged smartphones and laptops, each version of the iron battery is larger than the last.

But the main invention is not in the form of batteries but incapacity. Flow batteries allow utilities to store much more energy than lithium-ion batteries. One battery, built by an energy storage system, has enough power to supply power to about 30 ordinary households for 12 hours.

Preparation of COVID-19 Medicine

Newer antivirals take longer to develop, synthesize, and test than COVID-19 vaccines. And it's understandable: vaccines only train a person's immune system to detect a pathogen, and drugs suppress the action of viruses that have already entered the body. It is very difficult to find a substance that will simultaneously prevent the spread of the virus and at the same time not harm our cells. However, it was still possible to make such drugs. A Pfizer pill reduces the chances of hospitalization by 89%. The drug was approved by the FDA in December 2021 and the US government ordered it for 10 billion.

The drug binds and blocks a viral protein called protease. This protein is essential for replicating SARS-CoV-2. Without it, the virus cannot reproduce. Similar enzymes are present in other coronaviruses. This means that the drug may be a ready defense against new, highly modified forms. Medicines also have limitations. Thus, for the desired effect, it should be taken in the first days of infection - when a person still does not know that he has a virus. But even it can prevent many hospitalizations and deaths

Systems for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has long been a concern not only for climate experts but also for large companies and governments. Carbon dioxide gas creates the greenhouse effect and leads to climate change, which can be irreversible in 10-20 years. Most efforts are now directed at reducing emissions, but there are also technologies to reduce CO2.
 In 2021, the World Health Organization launched the world's largest atmospheric CO2 recovery plant. According to an organization, it absorbs 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. This equates to about 790 car emissions a year. Receiving and filtering the air in special containers with a powerful fan. The pressurized carbon dioxide is mixed with the water and then pumped underground through huge pipes for storage. There it reacts with basalt rock and gradually converts to mineral form. This is almost certain to protect it from re-entering the atmosphere.

The contribution of a single plant to cleaning the planet is very small - only 2% of the emissions from a coal-fired power plant per year. However, the construction of new and larger carbon capture plants is expected to be massive. And new power plants with their own traps will be built. 

In addition to these, in 2022, scientists have made many important discoveries that will enable us to live on Earth safely and comfortably.