10 Breakthrough Technologies 2022

The end of passwords: For decades, we’ve needed passwords to do things online. New forms of authentication will finally let us get rid of them for good. Instead, we’ll use a link sent via email, a push notification, or a…

The end of passwords: For decades, we’ve needed passwords to do things online. New forms of authentication will finally let us get rid of them for good. Instead, we’ll use a link sent via email, a push notification, or a biometric scan. Not only are these methods easier—you don’t have to remember your face—but they tend to be more secure.

Covid variant tracking: The pandemic brought unprecedented investment in genomic sequencing and dramatically expanded the capacity for this type of monitoring around the world. Better surveillance has allowed scientists to track the spread of the covid virus and to quickly spot and warn about new variants.Why it matters A long-lasting grid battery We’re using more renewable power than ever. But what happens when the sun sets or the wind stops? Grid operators need a way to store electricity for later. New iron-based batteries may be up to the task. They’re made using abundant materials and could be cheaper and more practical than other types of grid storage.Why it matters Break down the breakthroughs Explore the promising, the elusive, and the unexpected with MIT Technology Review.Subscribe today AI for protein folding Nearly everything your body does, it does with proteins. And the way a protein folds determines its activity. But figuring out proteins’ structure can take months. Now an AI called AlphaFold2 has solved this longstanding biological puzzle, which could make it possible to quickly design drugs for a wide range of diseases.Why it matters Malaria Vaccine Malaria kills more than 600,000 people a year, most of them children younger than five. A new malaria vaccine approved by the World Health Organization could help save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. It’s also the world’s first vaccine for a parasitic infection.Why it matters Never miss a breakthrough Sign up for our daily newsletter, the Download. Thank you for submitting your email! Something went wrong, try again. Proof of stake Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin use huge amounts of electricity. This is due to the way transactions are verified, which now requires significant computing power. Proof of stake offers a way to verify transactions without using so much energy. Ethereum plans to transition to the system this year, cutting energy use by 99.95%.Why it mattersThe next issue of our magazine is all about money and finance in the age of technology. Subscribe to be the first to read it! A pill for covid A new drug from Pfizer provides effective and broad protection against the covid-19 virus, including the newest variants. Now other companies are developing similar medicines. Combined with vaccines, these pills could provide a way for the world to finally exit the pandemic.Why it matters Practical fusion reactors The promise of limitless, carbon-free electricity has for decades inspired researchers to try to make fusion power work. Now one startup plans to deliver it to the grid by the early 2030s. Its design relies on a powerful new magnet that shattered records and should allow the company to build smaller, less expensive reactors.Why it matters Break down the breakthroughs Explore the promising, the elusive, and the unexpected with MIT Technology Review.Subscribe today Synthetic data for AI Training AI requires vast amounts of data. Oftentimes, though, that data is messy or reflects real-world biases, or there are privacy concerns around the information included. Some companies are starting to create and sell synthetic data to avoid these problems. It’s not perfect, but it could be a better way to train AI.Why it mattersLearn more about synthetic data from the experts at our upcoming annual AI conference, EmTech Digital, March 29–30. A carbon removal factory Reducing emissions is a key step to mitigating climate change. But it’s not enough, according to the UN. To avoid catastrophic future warming, we must also remove carbon dioxide from the air. The world’s biggest carbon removal factory recently opened in Iceland to do just that.Why it matters Vote for the 11th breakthrough What’s missing from this list? Tell us what you think the 11th breakthrough should be. We’ll reveal the winner on April 15, 2022. Thanks for voting! You voted for . Sign up for our daily newsletter, the Download, and be the first to see the results. Something went wrong!We’re having trouble saving your email. Try refreshing this page and re-entering your email. ABOUT THE LIST About the list Our annual list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies highlights the technological advances that we think will have the biggest impact on the world in the years to come. Every year, our reporters and editors survey a wide range of topics, from medicine to energy to digital technologies, to select advances that will affect our lives in meaningful ways. Some have already started to change the way we live and work, while others are poised to do so soon. This is the 21st year we’ve published this list. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the future.Explore the archives Credits Editing: Rachel Courtland, Mat Honan, Amy Nordrum, Michael Reilly, and David Rotman Copy editing: Linda Lowenthal Design: Rachel Stein, Solomon Henry Roh Art direction: Eric Mongeon, Rachel SteinIllustration: Andrea D’Aquino Additional images: protein model courtesy of AlphaFold, practical fusion reactors photography by Tony Luong, carbon removal factory photography by Kristján MaackEngineering: Jack Burns, Andre Vitorio Analytics: Danielle Golds Product: Mariya Sitnova