YouTubers use the world’s most insulating material to touch lava
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Aerogels are amazing materials – they’re ultra strong, ultra light, and ultra insulating making them perfect for many applications. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. We know what would happen if you...
Self-improving material could rapidly accelerate the development of green fuels
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As the world weans itself off fossil fuels the new fuels we use need to be much greener to produce. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Three years ago, scientists at the...
Second generation of living robots are faster and smarter than their predecessors
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Our command of biology is improving, and we’re now creating the world’s first programmable living synthetic organisms – AKA living robots. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Last year the world’s first...
World’s first handheld neutron detector detects bombs and nuclear material in real time
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We now have an easy way to detect bombs and nuclear weapons, in a convenient hand held device … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. After the successful test of the WATCHMAN...
Material that harvests electricity directly from 5G signals ushers in the “Internet of Electricity”
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Imagine never having to plug your devices into a plug socket again, and accessing electricity in the same way you access WiFi – that’s now possible. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
Futuristic Spinach can send you emails about climate change, life, and stuff
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Plants are getting more super powers than ever before and it’s all thanks to new tech and weird scientists … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Over the past couple of years...
Body morphing clothing powered by ancient bacteria helps you exercise harder
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Nature has lots of tricks up its proverbial sleeve, and now we can use it to cool your sleeves in new ways … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. The world is...
This new shape shifting material responds to light
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Materials form the foundation of every product and thing in the universe, so the more kinds of materials we have the more possibilities we have. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. The...
Transparent wood makes a splash in the car world
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We are inventing new materials all the time, and we’re also re-inventing old ones … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Recently a team of scientists from MIT managed to grow wood...
New materials you’ve never heard are cleaning up air conditioning
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Around 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from heating and air conditioning systems, these new materials take a huge chunk out of that figure. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
Research breakthrough shows Cold Fusion could be possible after all
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Cold fusion is science fiction, but a new breakthrough could edge it from being theoretical to possible. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. One of Google’s odder bets over the years was...
Edible electronics tattooed onto your food could track both your food and your health
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Electronics are changing, in every way, and that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Transferrable tattoos and decal transfers are a familiar part of...
Russians latest military exoskeleton controls drone swarms and survives landmines
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As technologies continue to mature and miniaturise we’re reaching the point where we can embed AI and compute into clothing and use our minds to control swarms of drones. Interested in the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from our XPotential...
Virus based molecular assembler helps researchers build next gen batteries
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Nature is fantastic at assembling, well, everything, so scientists are trying to harness nature’s smallest “life forms” to try to create the first molecular assemblers. Interested in the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from our XPotential Academy, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
Researchers develop microstructures that can self-assemble into new materials
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Biological systems can change their shape, and now researchers are getting better at creating shape shifting materials of all kinds … Interested in the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from our XPotential Academy, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. A new process developed...
Flying high Airbus shows off its 2030 and 2050 concept cabins
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The future of aviation will be electric, and involve hypersonic aircraft and rockets. But there’ll be room for more conventional aircraft too and they’ll be able to take advantage of new technologies to create amazing new experiences. Interested in the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential...
3D printed mini-satellites head into space for first trials
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF 3D printing products that operate in space is difficult, but entrepreneurs are slowly figuring it out and it will revolutionise the space industry. Love the Exponential Future? Join our FREE XPotential Community, enjoy exclusive content, future proof yourself with XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. In the past twelve...
Printed flexible electronics bring smarter smart clothes closer to reality
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Smaller and more flexible electronics and computer components will help us create even more intelligent smart clothes that can monitor our wellbeing in immense depth and detail. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, enjoy exclusive content, future proof yourself with XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
Transparent solar panels smash records again to turn skyscrapers into power stations
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The Earth is bathed in energy, and reversing climate change relies on us being able to capture and use it sustainably. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, enjoy exclusive content, future proof yourself with XPotential University, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Let’s face it, what are windows...
Staggering solar cell breakthrough converts light to electricity with 132 percent efficiency
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The world needs to decarbonise the atmosphere and dramatically reduce carbon emissions, and innovations are coming thick and fast. Interested in the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from our XPotential Academy, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Today’s solar panels are a measly...
