There was a time when humans hunted animals and lived in caves. But with the invention of the wheel, time, construction of sky-high towers, Wi-Fi, and robots, we have surely come a long way. However, the future is much more innovative than these inventions. They will change the way we work, think, and function. From automated journalism to autonomous driving, here are six emerging technologies that have set to change the world.

Fusion energy

For a long time, mankind has relied on exhaustive fossil fuels for energy. This comes at the cost of greenhouse gases and deadly radioactive waste. However, fusion energy will become our savior. This technology is what powers the sun and stars, and man has found a way to build this on Earth. By heating two types of hydrogen isotopes called deuterium and tritium (derived from abundant seawater and lithium), so much power can be produced that it can fuel the entire planet for millions of years.

Gesture-based computing
It’s high time we get rid of phones, laptops, tablets and use gesture-based computing. This technology eliminates the need to use devices to operate digital resources. Just swipe your hands, and your software will appear out of thin air, similar to what Tony Stark does in Iron Man. Engineers are already developing cameras and sensors that pick up human movement, eliminating the need for keyboards and mouses.

Li-Fi
Instead of the traditional use of radio-waves to send or receive data (like in Wi-Fi), Li-Fi uses the power of light. The speed of light is unprecedented, and hence future generations shall be able to transfer data in the blink of their eye. In theory, Li-Fi is less prone to interference, however, only time will tell if it can practically be applied. This piece of technology has a lot of potential for bandwidth since light is 10,000 times larger than radio waves. It could arguably be cheaper than Wi-Fi if launched.

Smart mirrors and toilets
Researchers are developing a technology that determines your health by simply standing in front of the mirror. Imagine a mirror that scans your body and tells you your health concerns like vitamin deficiency and other underlying diseases. It will help you take care of your body better. Apart from smart mirrors, there are also smart toilets that scan your remains for any diseases. This will solve so many illnesses such as bowel cancer and other serious health problems.

Neuralink
Backed by Elon Musk, Neuralink is what has been described as a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires. By installing this interface technology in your brain, this technology will be able to translate your thoughts and commands, and control devices by just thinking about it. Some of the things this implant can do are play your favorite movie in your head or even download important thoughts and memories into a computer. The ambitious aim of this project is to cure blindness, deafness, paralysis, and memory loss with the help of artificial intelligence.

Lab-grown meat
Several companies are working on producing meat in laboratories by not killing living animals. Lab-grown beef, poultry, and in particular seafood, by firms such as Mosa Meat, Memphis Meats, SuperMeat, and Finless Foods are going to turn into big players in the food industry. Not only will this practice end the unethical killing of animals but also reduce the burden on the environment.