Best Scientific And Technological Breakthroughs Of 2016

2016 was a good year for scientific discoveries and achievements in the tech industry, many of which deserve to be highlighted. Even with all the strife and discord in the world, it’s important to remember that humanity is still progressing.

SpaceX Reusable Rocket Technology

Elon Musk’s SpaceX venture has had a great year so far, with most of its tests on remotely landing a rocket back to earth after delivering a payload into space being successful. This is incredibly important for the future of space exploration.

Advanced Data Storage

Scientists from the University of Southampton created a crystal structure the size of a coin that can store 360TB of data and can preserve information for up to 13.8 billion years. This is a significant leap over current storage methods, which decay in a matter of decades.

Advanced AI

There has been an uptake of artificial intelligence research last year and has continued on through 2016. Many of these advancements include AIs that surpassed learning parameters, machines that could teach each other, and even adapt human personalities.

Opioid Vaccine

As one of the fastest growing medical epidemics in the western world, opioid addiction and overdoses needed to be addressed. This is where the newly created Opioid vaccine comes in, which not only prevents overdose deaths but also helps avoid addiction.

Photosynthesis On Steroids

With the world facing famine and global starvation due to climate change, the prospect of increasing crop yield by up to 20 percent is a huge development worth noting. By giving photosynthesis a boost, scientists from the University of Illinois did just that.

Genetic Manipulation Tool

Finally, there’s the newest toy for scientists to help with manipulating DNA called the CRISPR method. This handy little technique has a variety of uses, from creating disease-resistant mice, to helping to cure cancer. It’s basically a starter kit for scientists to start mutating organisms, which makes it one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of 2016.