List of emerging technologies facts for kids

Emerging technologies are super cool new inventions and ideas that are still being developed. They aren't widely used yet, but they have a lot of potential to change our world in big ways! Think of them as the future's building blocks, being researched and tested right now.

These technologies must:

• Actually exist in some form, even if it's just a prototype.
• Have information about them in reliable sources.
• Not be something everyone uses already.

This list isn't saying these technologies will definitely become common, but that they have a lot of potential to be very useful if the work continues successfully.

Future Farms and Food

Imagine farms where robots do all the work, or where we grow meat without needing animals! These are some of the amazing ideas emerging in agriculture.

Robots in Agriculture

Robots are being developed to help with farming tasks. They could automate planting, harvesting, and even checking on crops, making farming more efficient.

Growing Meat in Labs

Cultured meat is meat grown in a lab from animal cells, without needing to raise and slaughter animals. This could lead to healthier and cheaper meat that uses fewer resources.

Farming in Small Spaces

Vertical farming means growing crops in tall, stacked layers, often indoors. This saves a lot of space and water, making it possible to grow food in cities or even on space missions!

Smart Buildings and Cities

New technologies are changing how we build and live in cities, making them smarter and more adaptable.

Buildings That Adapt

Active structures are buildings that can change and respond to different conditions, like strong winds or earthquakes. This could make future buildings much safer and stronger.

Cities Under Domes

Imagine a whole city covered by a giant dome! Domed cities are being planned to control weather inside, which could be useful for living in harsh climates or even on other planets.

Amazing Electronics and Communication

The world of computers, phones, and how we talk to each other is always changing. Here are some exciting new developments.

Super-Fast Internet

6G cellular communications is the next generation of mobile internet, even faster than 5G. It's still just an idea, but it promises lightning-fast connections for our phones and devices.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is when computers can "think" and learn like humans. It's already used in many apps and devices. Artificial general intelligence is the idea of AI that can do any intellectual task a human can, which is still being researched. AI could help with scientific projects, create art, and even help run governments.

Using Your Body as a Key

Biometrics uses unique body features, like your fingerprints or face, to identify you. It's already used in phones and at airports for security.

Digital Money and Art

Blockchain is a secure way to record information, like transactions. It's used for digital money like Bitcoin and for tracking digital art.

Flexible Gadgets

Imagine a phone you can bend or roll up! Flexible electronics are being developed to create devices that can bend, fold, or even stretch, making them super portable and durable.

Computers of the Future

Quantum computing uses tiny particles to process information in a completely new way. These computers could solve problems that are impossible for today's supercomputers, like designing new materials or medicines.

Talking to Your Devices

Speech recognition allows computers to understand what you say. It's already in our voice assistants, but it's always getting better, making it easier to control devices with just your voice.

Entertainment Tech

Movies You Can Feel

4D films add physical effects like wind, smells, or vibrations to movies, making you feel like you're part of the action!

Super Real Virtual Worlds

Immersive virtual reality aims to create artificial worlds that feel as real as our own. Imagine stepping into a video game or a historical event and feeling truly there.

Fake Media That Looks Real

Synthetic media uses AI to create realistic photos, videos, and sounds. This includes "deepfakes" which can make it look like someone said or did something they didn't.

Cool Displays

Screens Without Screens

Screenless displays project images directly into your eyes or onto surfaces, making it seem like virtual objects are floating in the air. This is used in augmented reality glasses like Google Glass.

3D Images in the Air

Volumetric displays create true 3D images that you can see from any angle, without needing special glasses. Imagine a hologram-like TV in your living room!

New Ways to Power Our World

Finding clean and efficient energy is a huge challenge, and new technologies are emerging to help.

Wind Power in the Sky

Airborne wind turbines are like kites or drones that generate electricity high in the sky, where winds are stronger and more consistent.

Making Energy Like Plants

Artificial photosynthesis tries to copy how plants turn sunlight into energy. If successful, we could create clean energy and oxygen from artificial structures.

Power from the Sun

Concentrated solar power uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto a small area, creating intense heat to generate electricity. This is already being used in sunny places like California and Spain.

Super Batteries

New types of batteries are being developed, like lithium-air and nanowire batteries. These could make our phones last longer, power electric cars for hundreds of miles, and store energy for entire cities.

Fusion Power: The Sun on Earth

Fusion power tries to create energy by combining atoms, just like the sun does. It's a very difficult challenge, but if we succeed, it could provide almost limitless, clean energy.

Smart Power Grids

A smart grid uses advanced technology to manage electricity more efficiently. It helps deliver power where and when it's needed, reducing waste and making our energy system more reliable.

Wireless Charging for Everything

Wireless energy transfer lets us charge devices without plugging them in. Imagine your phone charging just by being in a room, or an electric car charging as it drives down the road!

Amazing Materials and Fabrics

Scientists are inventing incredible new materials that can do things we never thought possible.

Self-Healing Stuff

Self-healing materials can repair themselves when they get damaged, just like our skin heals cuts. This could make roads, buildings, and even robots last much longer.

Super Strong and Light Materials

Graphene and carbon nanotubes are incredibly strong, thin, and lightweight materials. They could be used to build stronger airplanes, faster computers, and more efficient batteries.

Printing in 4D

4D printing is like 3D printing, but the printed objects can change shape or properties over time when exposed to things like heat or water. Imagine clothes that change size with the weather!

Invisible Materials

Metamaterials are engineered materials that have properties not found in nature. Some are being researched for cloaking devices that could make objects invisible by bending light around them.

Future of Health and the Human Body

Medical science is always advancing, and some emerging technologies sound like something out of a sci-fi movie!

Robots Helping Doctors

Robotic surgery uses robots to help surgeons perform operations with incredible precision. This can lead to smaller cuts, faster recovery, and better results for patients.

Connecting Brains to Computers

Brain-computer interfaces allow people to control computers or robotic limbs using only their thoughts. This could help people with paralysis move and communicate, or even enhance human abilities.

Bringing Back Extinct Animals

De-extinction is the idea of bringing back animals that have died out, like the woolly mammoth, using genetic engineering. Scientists are researching how to do this.

Changing Genes to Fight Disease

Genetic engineering allows scientists to change the DNA of living things. This could be used to cure genetic diseases, make healthier food, or even create new medicines.

Extending Life

Life extension research aims to increase human lifespan and healthspan, meaning living longer and healthier lives. Scientists are studying ways to slow down or even reverse the aging process.

Tiny Medical Helpers

Nanomedicine uses incredibly tiny robots or particles, called nanoparticles, to deliver medicines directly to diseased cells or perform other medical tasks inside the body.

Space Exploration of Tomorrow

Reaching for the stars is getting easier and more exciting with new space technologies.

Creating Gravity in Space

Artificial gravity would make living in space much more comfortable for astronauts by spinning a spacecraft to create a feeling of gravity.

Mining Asteroids

Asteroid mining is the idea of extracting valuable resources like metals and water from asteroids. This could provide materials for building in space and fuel for future missions.

Reusable Rockets

Reusable launch vehicles are rockets that can land back on Earth after launching, ready to be used again. This makes space travel much cheaper and more common.

Robots and Smart Machines

Robots are becoming more advanced and are starting to look and act more like us.

Human-Like Robots

Androids are robots designed to look and act like humans. They could help with tasks like caring for the elderly, working in hotels, or even being companions.

Super Suits for Humans

Powered exoskeletons are wearable robotic suits that give people extra strength or help those with disabilities to walk. They could help construction workers lift heavy objects or allow paralyzed people to move again.

Robots That Change Shape

Self-reconfiguring modular robots are made of many small parts that can rearrange themselves to form different shapes and perform various tasks. Imagine a robot that can turn into a ladder, then a car!

Robot Swarms

Swarm robotics involves many small, simple robots working together as a team, like a swarm of bees. They could build structures in space or explore dangerous areas.

Vehicles Without Drivers

Uncrewed vehicles are vehicles that operate without a human driver or pilot. This includes drones, self-driving cars, and even underwater robots used for exploration.

Future of Travel

Getting around is about to get a lot more interesting, whether on land, in the air, or even in space.

Tires That Never Go Flat

Airless tires are tires that don't need air, so they can't go flat. They are being developed for cars and other vehicles, making them safer and more reliable.

Electric Everything

Electric vehicles are becoming more common, from cars and bikes to planes and boats. They help reduce pollution and rely on cleaner energy sources.

Cars That Fly

Flying cars are vehicles that can drive on roads and also take off and fly. Imagine avoiding traffic jams by simply flying over them!

Super-Fast Trains

Maglev trains use powerful magnets to float above the tracks, allowing them to travel at incredibly high speeds with very little friction.

Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving cars use computers and sensors to drive themselves without a human driver. They could make transportation safer and more efficient, and allow people to relax or work during their commute.

Space Elevators

A space elevator is a futuristic idea for a giant cable stretching from Earth into space. It could offer a much cheaper and easier way to send people and cargo into orbit than rockets.

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