<h2>MUTANT MATERIAL?</h2>
<p>Scientists have managed to create a unique material that, they claim, is able to do what no other material can—act as an ionic conductor and at the same time, heal itself. The group of researchers from the University of California, Riverside and University of Colorado have published their findings in <i><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201605099/abstract" target="_blank">Advanced Materials</a></i>.</p>
<p>The substance they produced is low-cost, transparent, and highly elastic—able to withstand being stretched up to 50 times its original length without loss of function. It&#8217;s also very resilient. After being cut, it could repair itself completely within 24 hours at room temperature. In fact, when the severed ends are placed beside one another, the material quickly reattaches them after only five minutes—leading some to compare the fantastic new material to the superhuman regenerative powers of the X-Men&#8217;s Wolverine.</p>
<p>But we&#8217;ve seen self-healing materials before. What&#8217;s amazing about this offering is that it&#8217;s able to conduct electricity through the flow of ions. Usually, reactions like that weaken the integrity of the bonds that hold together self-healing polymers.</p>
<p>“Creating a material with all these properties has been a puzzle for years,” <a href="https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/43181">said UC Riverside&#8217;s Chao Wang</a>, one of the authors of the study.</p>
<p>To synthesize the material, the team took advantage of <a href="https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/liquids-and-solids-11/intermolecular-forces-84/ion-dipole-force-373-1508/" target="_blank">ion-dipole forces</a>. By combining a polar, elastic polymer with a strongly ionic salt, they were able to create a material with bonds that do not degrade when exposed to electricity.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/Mjc0MzgyOA.gif" alt="Cheng Hui-Li" width="620" height="243" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Cheng Hui-Li</figcaption></figure>
<h2>REGENERATIVE ELECTRONICS</h2>
<p>Given its combination of properties, the Wolverine-inspired material was tested to power a dielectric elastomer actuator—in other words, to see if it was capable of performing as an <a href="https://futurism.com/new-artificial-muscles-from-mit-bring-hbos-westworld-closer-to-reality/">artificial muscle</a>. Artificial muscles, of course, are materials that respond to external electrical, physical, or thermal stimuli by expansion, contraction, or rotation.</p>
<p>The artificial muscle was composed of two layers of the synthesized material, with another transparent, non-conductive polymer membrane in between. Electrical signals were sent as stimuli, to which the artificial muscle responded accordingly. Further, certain areas of the artificial muscle were bisected. Stunningly, the layers healed themselves without external prompting, and without loss of function, much like how wounds naturally close up.</p>
<p>Wang sees immense promise in the teams&#8217; creation, &#8220;[w]e&#8230;are just beginning to explore the applications.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V4qCxOB3EVI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The team also believes that this new material could be used to improve batteries, electronic devices, and robots. For instance: robots could heal themselves after suffering mechanical failure; lithium ion batteries used in electronics and electric cars could have greatly extended lifespans; and biosensors for environmental monitoring and medical use could also be highly improved.</p>
<p>Though refinement of the material is still in its early stages, it already suggests a plethora of applications in electronics, especially in making fragile components more durable and resilient.</p>


Hard Science

Researchers Create New, Self-Healing Artificial Muscles

And it's inspired by X-Men's Wolverine.

<h2>A Robot of Your Own</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.mayfieldrobotics.com/" target="_blank">At this year&#8217;s </a><a href="http://www.ces.tech/" target="_blank">Consumer Electronics Show</a>, <a href="http://www.mayfieldrobotics.com/" target="_blank">Mayfield Robotics</a> unveiled what could possibly be the first truly domestic robot. The Bosch-owned company integrated full functionality with a pleasing, approachable design to establish the robot, named Kuri, as a friendly presence in the home.</p>
<p>Kuri is designed to fit right into smart homes. According to <a href="https://blog.heykuri.com/kuri-launches-at-ces-2017/" target="_blank">Kuri&#8217;s Blog</a>, the bot has a 1080p camera behind one of its eyes, an array of four microphones, dual speakers, wifi and Bluetooth connectivity, and spatial sensors for navigation. It can be programmed to do various tasks around the house and is capable of connecting to modern smart homes through <a href="https://ifttt.com/" target="_blank">IFTTT</a>. Kuri is 50.8 centimeters (20 inches) tall and weighs 6.4 kilograms (14 pounds), and when its hours of battery life run out, the bot simply returns to its charging dock to recharge.</p>
<p>The fact that Kuri reminds us of certain characters from animated films is not coincidental — Mayfield Robotics intentionally made the robot look that way so that it could easily ingratiate itself to its owners. However, Kuri is more than just a pretty face. &#8220;<span style="font-style: normal">While insanely cute on the outside, Kuri contains serious technologies on the inside that represent the latest developments in smartphones, gaming, and robotics,&#8221; said Mayfield Robotics CTO and co-founder Kaijen Hsiao in a press release. &#8220;We hope Kuri introduces people — especially kids — to the power of technology and can inspire a new world of possibilities for their future.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1xqEo4aP764?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Best Friends With a Bot?</h2>
<p>According to Kuri&#8217;s creators, one particularly great thing about this domestic robot is that it can be fully functional out of the box, not relying too heavily on third-party services. Further, by the time it reaches the market, Kuri will have a companion app available for iOS and Android. This will allow the robot&#8217;s owners to contact and control it remotely to do things like check up on the house while away on a business trip.</p>
<p>Kuri is far from the first domestic robot. A similar project from <a href="https://futurism.com/asus-unveils-new-zenbo-home-robot/" target="_blank">ASUS, called Zenbo</a>, was also just announced in Taiwan, with a whole slew of capabilities of its own. French telecommunications company <a href="http://www.yumii.io/index.php/en/yumii-a-presence-that-makes-you-feel-good" target="_blank">Yumii</a> also <a href="http://www.yumii.io/index.php/en/yumii-a-presence-that-makes-you-feel-good/" target="_blank">recently unveiled Cutii</a>, a companion robot for the elderly to help them interact with family, doctors, and others. We also have <a href="https://futurism.com/images/robot-companions-a-new-breed-of-social-machines-infographic/" target="_blank">companion robots</a> that can help autistic children learn new skills, ones that can respond to us with familiar facial expressions, and some that can perform physical tasks to help people with disabilities.</p>
<p>Kuri costs $699 and is available for pre-order with a downpayment of $100. It should be released around the 2017 holiday season, so we&#8217;ll just have to wait until then to see whether the age of domestic robots is truly upon us.</p>


Robots & Machines

With a 1080p camera, an array of four microphones, dual speakers, wifi and Bluetooth connectivity, and spatial sensors, the Kuri robot is designed to fit right into smart homes. 
Kuri is one of several domestic robots hitting the market, potentially helping usher in a future in which everyone has a robot companion helping them through their daily lives.

This Robot May Be the Key to Houses Powered by Intelligence

Bonus: It looks like it came straight out of a Pixar film.

<p>The value of digital currency Bitcoin has crossed the thousand-dollar line for the first time since December 2013. As of this writing, a single <a href="https://www.bitstamp.net/" target="_blank">Bitcoin is worth $1114.95</a>, growing by 125 percent in 2016 to perform better than all central bank-issued currencies, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-markets-bitcoin-idUSKBN14M0IF" target="_blank">according to Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>Bitcoins are not controlled by any government or central authority, which makes the cryptocurrency very attractive for those looking to mobilize money without their country&#8217;s capital restraints. Reuters reports that the increase in value could be largely due to strong demand from China as a response to the yuan sinking by 7 percent in 2016.</p>
<p>Paul Gordon, co-founder of digital currency investment company <a href="http://www.quantave.com/" target="_blank">Quantave</a> and board member of the <a href="https://www.ukdca.org/" target="_blank">UK Digital Currency Association</a>, told Reuters that &#8220;the growing war on cash, and capital controls, is making Bitcoin look like a viable, if high risk, alternative.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gxYj5G9CinU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Convenience aside, the history of the Bitcoin market is one riddled with volatility. The digital currency clocked in its highest value at $1,163 in 2013, only to suddenly collapse to the neighborhood of $400 due to a massive $460 million-in-Bitcoin theft from the Tokyo-based exchange Mt. Gox. It has stabilized in recent years, though, despite another incident involving the <a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/08/03/bitcoin-bitfinex-75-million-stolen/" target="_blank">loss of Bitcoins worth about $65 million last August</a>.</p>
<p>The market continues to grow, with 12.5 Bitcoins being added every second. More safeguards must be put in place to prevent major leakages, though, especially since the future of currency is digital and, so far, Bitcoin is leading that transition.</p>


Future Society

According to a Reuters report, digital currency Bitcoin grew by 125 percent to a value above $1,000 in 2016, crossing that threshold for the first time since 2013.
The Bitcoin market has been historically volatile due to large-scale thefts, a sign that more safeguards must be put in place before digital currency can ever become ubiquitous.

Bitcoin Outperformed All Bank-Issued Currencies in 2016

More bang for your Bitcoin.

<p>As with most great gadgets, it&#8217;s only a matter of time before virtual reality headgear becomes affordable. Getting ready to swoop in and beat the usual price of <a href="https://www.wareable.com/headgear/the-best-ar-and-vr-headsets" target="_blank">around $600</a> is Lenovo&#8217;s new VR headset, which promises to go on sale for around $300 to $400 sometime this year.</p>
<p>With two 1140 x 1440 OLED panels, Lenovo&#8217;s headset promises high-resolution visuals, and it is lighter than the currently available Oculus Rift and HTC Vive models according to <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/03/lenovo-vr-headset-windows/" target="_blank">a report by Engadget</a>. Two cameras are embedded in the front of the device, enabling it to produce a room-scale virtual experience while bypassing the external sensor setups required by some other devices.</p>
<figure style="width: 781px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cdn1.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/p1020386-1-1200x675.jpg" alt="Edgar Alvarez, Endgadget" width="781" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Edgar Alvarez, Endgadget</figcaption></figure>
<p>Lenovo isn&#8217;t the only company looking to lower the price of VR headsets. Equipment manufacturers HP, Acer, Asus, and Dell have announced that they are all in the process of <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/26/hp-dell-lenovo-asus-and-acer-will-all-ship-vr-headsets-for-your-pc-starting-at-299/" target="_blank">developing their own VR headgear</a> that will be compatible with a Windows 10 PC, with prices for those starting at $299 as well.</p>
<p>With various technological and economic advances happening on the VR front, top developers have already united to form the <a href="https://futurism.com/top-vr-developers-unite-to-form-the-global-virtual-reality-association/" target="_blank">first global virtual reality association</a> to further nurture the technology. The limitless potential of VR is also being tapped in ingenious ways. Now, you have the option to <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/now-you-can-taste-and-chew-in-virtual-reality/" target="_blank">taste </a>and <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/this-hi-tech-suit-lets-you-feel-things-in-virtual-reality/" target="_blank">feel</a> virtual reality, <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/thanks-to-virtual-reality-you-dont-have-to-be-afraid/" target="_blank">deal with your worst phobias</a>, or even <a href="https://futurism.com/not-just-for-gaming-virtual-reality-meditation-helps-women-through-labor-pains/" target="_blank">cope with labor pains drug-free</a>.</p>
<p>While we don&#8217;t know yet when exactly Lenovo&#8217;s new gear will ship, hopefully VR will become an accessible, affordable technology for everyone sooner rather than later.</p>


Virtuality

Lenovo's forthcoming VR headset is lighter than currently available models, doesn't require external sensors, and is expected to cost around $300 to $400.
Lenovo is just one of several companies with less expensive VR headsets in the works, a sign that the technology will soon become more accessible to a wider range of people.

Lenovo Has Unveiled a New, Affordable VR Headset

It's a virtual steal.

<p><b></b>Elon Musk just hinted at some of Tesla&#8217;s plans for Supercharging stations on Twitter over the holidays. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO, in response to a question from <i>Electrek</i>&#8216;s Frederic Lambert, talked about possible new features, including a new Supercharger V3.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/FredericLambert">@FredericLambert</a> There are some installed already, but full rollout really needs Supercharger V3 and Powerpack V2, plus SolarCity. Pieces now in place.</p>
<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/812707766653460480">December 24, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Other players in the have already <a href="http://www.motortrend.com/news/four-major-automakers-join-together-bring-fast-charging-europe/">joined forces</a> to develop powerful charging stations of their own in Europe, eyeing a power output of around 350 kW.</p>
<p>While the power output of  Tesla&#8217;s Superchargers clock out at around 145 kW, the next generation would most likely exceed the industry goal. This output, along with the upcoming Powerpack V2, promises to recharge EVs at greater speeds—possibly taking only as much time as filling up traditional cars at the gas station.</p>
<p>The year 2016 has indeed been a great one for EVs, with more people making the switch from gas-fueled to electric-powered modes of transport.  Slowly, electric cars are catching up with traditional ones in terms of performance. More long range models are becoming available, affordable alternatives are continuing to pop up, and battery power is developing at an extremely rapid pace. Indeed, the future of the electric car is bright.</p>


Earth & Energy

Elon Musk was busy on Twitter dropping hints at recharging rates of Tesla's Supercharging stations.
Musk called 350 kWs rechargers a "children's toy," thus promising ultra-fast recharge speed for their line of electric vehicles.

Elon Musk’s New V3 Supercharger Will Exceed 350 kW of Power

Look forward to flash-charging for your electric car.

<h2><b></b>BODY BUILDING</h2>
<p>Researchers from the <a href="https://www.hri.org.au/">Heart Research Institute</a> (HRI) have developed a <a href="https://futurism.com/organs-on-demand-bioprinting-will-be-the-answer-to-donor-shortages/">3D bioprinter</a>, the first of its kind in Australia, that could replace a patient&#8217;s damaged cells after a heart attack.</p>
<p>&#8220;When patients come into the clinic, they would provide us with their cells from their skin,&#8221; HRI scientist Dr Carmine Gentile explained. &#8220;Those cells can generate stem cells and then heart cells.&#8221; The resulting patch of beating cardiac cells can be stuck directly to a damaged organ following an attack. In order to be sure the patch is the right size and shape, each patient&#8217;s heart is first scanned to map the damage.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-28/scientist-hope-cell-printer-can-be-used-to-make-hearts/8134974">According to Gentile</a>, &#8220;the cells behave[d] like a real heart. This is a striking finding that we have been able to identify in our lab.&#8221;</p>
<p>Initially a method used to produce various tools and equipment, 3D printing has been quickly <a href="https://futurism.com/3d-bioprinter-revolutionize-tissue-engineering-printing-skin/">adapted to medicine</a>. All bioprinters are still experimental, however, since their output has not yet been rigorously tested by medical experts.</p>
<figure style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cdn1.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ezgif.com-video-to-gif.gif" alt="ABC" width="600" height="338" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">ABC</figcaption></figure>
<h2>IMPROVED TREATMENT</h2>
<p>Bioprinting is no doubt more effective than current methods of coping with heart attacks, which force the heart vessels open to facilitate increased blood flow. Theoretically, this print-and-patch method should work for all patients without fear of rejection.</p>
<p>&#8220;We haven&#8217;t succeeded in finding a solution in replacing the scar muscle or to regenerate hearts. That&#8217;s one of the holy grails of cardiovascular research at the moment and this is just one potential exciting solution,&#8221; <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-28/scientist-hope-cell-printer-can-be-used-to-make-hearts/8134974">said Kolling Institute&#8217;s</a> Gemma Figree, a cardiologist.</p>
<p>This is especially relevant since, according to <a href="http://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-disease-statistics/" target="_blank">The Heart Foundation</a>, someone in the US suffers a heart attack every 34 seconds, while someone dies from a heart-related disease every 60 seconds. The costs of heart disease pile up to a hefty $320.1 billion, which also accounts for foregone productivity and healthcare expenditures.</p>
<p>Experts from the HRI believe that the synthetic heart cells could even be used for testing drugs, particularly the side effects that might affect the patient. According to the researchers, these bioprinting methods could be available in about five years. The process will be costly however, as it is expensive to collect biological material to 3D bio-print a patch.</p>


Enhanced Humans

Someone in the US suffers a heart attack every 34 seconds, while someone dies from a heart-related disease every 60 seconds.
A new method from Australia uses bioprinting to create a patch of beating cardiac cells that can be stuck directly to a damaged organ following an attack.

Revolutionary Bioprinting Tech Results in Beating Heart Cells

This gives "body building" a whole new meaning. 

<h2>Looking to the Skies</h2>
<p>Amazon has <a href="http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&amp;Sect2=HITOFF&amp;d=PALL&amp;p=1&amp;u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&amp;r=1&amp;f=G&amp;l=50&amp;s1=9305280.PN.&amp;OS=PN/9305280&amp;RS=PN/9305280" target="_blank">filed a patent</a> that sheds light on its future drone-powered distribution plans, and they include an airship full of merchandise. We&#8217;ve long known that the company was extremely interested in <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=amazon+drone" target="_blank">deliveries carried out by drones</a>, but <a href="https://twitter.com/zoe_leavitt/status/814212767041331202" target="_blank">these plans</a> uncover just how far ahead the online retail giant is looking to see their vision through.</p>
<p>Central to Amazon&#8217;s plans is the <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/28/amazon-patents-show-flying-warehouses-that-send-delivery-drones-to-your-door/" target="_blank">deployment of &#8220;air fulfillment centers (AFCs),&#8221;</a> each acting as a sort of flying warehouse. These AFCs would hover over areas where demand is expected to increase for certain products at a certain time. For example, during a sporting event, they might hover above the stadium while stocked with snacks or team merchandise. Upon receiving an online order, smaller drones aboard the AFC would fly down to the stadium and deploy the demanded goods to the customers — a quick, convenient delivery. The AFC might even descend from time to time to flash a video or blare out an audio advertisement.</p>
<p>Though it seems relatively simple, the whole process actually involves a complex web of people and aircraft. Amazon&#8217;s patent mentions additional auxiliary aerial shuttles that occasionally restock the AFCs, as well as bring the drones back up, as the company wants to save their power for deliveries. Also brought up in the patent was the idea of the drones and shuttles &#8220;talking&#8221; to each other, communicating crucial information like atmospheric conditions and quickest routes.</p>
<figure id="attachment_66164" style="width: 738px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-66164" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/amazon_airborne_fulfillment_center_patent.png" alt="Amazon" width="738" height="535" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Amazon</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Future of Retail</h2>
<p>Though the idea of receiving a product just minutes after ordering it online, even when you aren&#8217;t at home, is thoroughly exciting, we might have to temper our expectations. Given that these airborne fulfillment centers involve a considerable number of things flying around, Amazon has quite a few regulatory obstacles to overcome before it can put this plan into action.</p>
<p>Although the <a href="https://futurism.com/amazon-just-successfully-completed-its-first-flying-drone-delivery/" target="_blank">first delivery by drone</a> in the U.K. was a success and 7-Eleven has completed <a href="https://futurism.com/goodbye-delivery-man-7-eleven-just-delivered-77-packages-by-drone/" target="_blank">a full month of drone deliveries</a> in the U.S., the whole process is still in development, both legally and technologically. Not all patents are seen through to reality, but should this one materialize, we might have just had our first peek at the <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=future+of+retail" target="_blank">future of retail</a>.</p>


A new patent reveals Amazon's plans to deploy "air fulfillment centers (AFCs)" that would each act as a sort of flying warehouse from which drones could deliver goods to customers.
Though the idea might not materialize, it offers an exciting look into the future of retail and how drones could completely disrupt the way the industry currently operates.

A Flying Warehouse? New Amazon Patent Reveals the Potential Future of Retail

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's an Amazon warehouse.

<h2><b></b>A Skin Deep Treatment</h2>
<p>The technology for an HIV prevention implant is in the early stages of development with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation reportedly <a href="https://www.intarcia.com/media/press-releases/2016-dec-29-intarcia-equity-financing-gates-foundation.html" target="_blank">invested $140 million</a> in the research, according to a press release by Intarcia Therapeutics Inc.</p>
<p>The Boston-based pharmaceutical company  designed a small pump which, when implanted under the skin, can deliver a steady flow of HIV-fighting drugs. This removes the necessity of taking the course of medicine daily since the pump is able to store enough doses for 6 to 12 months.</p>
<p>By using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – a preventive method for people not currently infected with HIV, but at significant risk of getting it – the treatment preempts the virus. PrEP has been shown to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/prep/" target="_blank">reduce infection by 92%</a> if taken consistently—something that is insured, given the mechanics of the implant.</p>
<p>This treatment method could still be years away from widespread implementation, but it holds great promise since maintenance of the device would only take place once or twice a year. The questions of which drug will be released by the implant, as well as how much the whole treatment will cost are still up in the air. If developed and applied correctly, however, it could slow down the rampant spread and influence of HIV and AIDS in places with exceptionally high prevalence, like sub-Saharan Africa.</p>
<figure style="width: 780px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/01/Infographic-03_Final_Nov02.jpg" alt="UNAIDS" width="780" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">UNAIDS</figcaption></figure>
<h2>No Longer A Death Sentence</h2>
<p>The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a type of virus that gradually wears down the body&#8217;s immune system. It&#8217;s transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids with an infected person. If left untreated, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) develops, by which time the body would be too weak to fight off even common infections. Having HIV/AIDS used to mean death in a couple of years, but thanks to advancements in medicine and technology, <a href="https://futurism.com/hiv-is-no-longer-a-terminal-illness-heres-how-we-got-here/" target="_blank">the disease has become manageable</a>.</p>
<p>Make no mistake though: HIV/AIDS is still a very serious problem, most strikingly for places with no access to quality medical facilities. According to <a href="http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet" target="_blank">UNAIDS</a>, 36.7 million people are estimated to be living with the disease, 1.8 million of which are children.</p>
<p>Great leaps have been made in treatments, with highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) <a href="http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/news/releases/advances-hiv-treatment-dramatically-increase-life-expectancy" target="_blank">extending life expectancy by as much as 20 years</a>, and significantly slowing down the progression from HIV to AIDS. This new implant, if enacted properly, could boost those statistics even further. A continuous effort to provide access to HIV/AIDS care to those who need it is of vital importance, especially among those who live in resource-poor countries.</p>


The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reportedly invested $140 million in a small pump which, when implanted under the skin, can deliver a steady flow of HIV-fighting drugs.
According to UNAIDS, 36.7 million people are estimated to be living with the disease, 1.8 million of which are children.


Bill and Melinda Gates are Funding an Implant That Could Help Prevent HIV

Billionaire philanthropists join the fight against HIV.

<h2>A Breathtaking Device</h2>
<p>Researchers have just developed an instrument, called the &#8220;Na-Nose&#8221; that could detect up to seventeen diseases just by analyzing a patient&#8217;s breath. The study was published in the nanotechnology journal <em><a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.6b04930">ACS Nano</a></em>.</p>
<p>The device can diagnose a variety of common but dangerous diseases just from a sample of a patient&#8217;s breath. Different types of cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, two kinds of Parkinson&#8217;s disease, multiple sclerosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and chronic kidney disease are diagnosable with this device.</p>
<p>In a video that features their study, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology&#8217;s Hossam Haick discussed the motivation behind the Na-Nose. &#8220;One of the major challenges in the modern era of disease diagnosis is how we can detect the disease when we are still feeling healthy,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The cutting-edge device is highly portable and could detect the mentioned diseases at the early stages. Haick, who led the team of scientists, also stated that the breathalyzer could predict which individuals exhibited high-risk indicators for particular conditions.</p>
<p>Trials for the study included a pool of 1,404 healthy and sick people across five countries. Though the average accuracy of the disease classifiers used in the Na-Nose was 86%, this is still not enough for the device to be used as a tool for diagnostic medicine. The research team noted that further work is needed on the determinants used in the study, as well as mechanics for simultaneous diagnosis.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b47phYuNVf4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Fast, Easy, Cheap Diagnostics</h2>
<p>Upon blowing on the device, the Na-Nose identifies over a hundred chemical components of the breath. These components, some of which the researchers associated with certain diseases, are then subjected to rigorous analysis of an artificially intelligent nanoarray—a series of sensors that could notice even the tiniest traces of chemicals.</p>
<p>Programmed into the device are &#8220;healthy&#8221; conditions that involve the breath&#8217;s chemical components. Should any of the chemicals levels and concentrations be above or below normal, particularly those assigned as indicators of diseases, it raises a red flag: something is wrong.</p>
<p>The Na-Nose certainly sounds like a dream, especially when appended to other often-used gadgets. Haick said that the team was looking for ways to integrate the device to smartphones so that an innocent phone call could lead to the early detection and preemption of a disease. Such a development has significance in cancer cases, where <a href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-symptoms/why-is-early-diagnosis-important">early diagnosis drastically increases the odds of survival</a> from 15% to 90% for breast cancer, 5% to 90% for ovarian cancer, and 14% to 70% for lung cancer.</p>
<p>Nisreen Shehada saw great potential in the device&#8217;s non-invasive potential. &#8220;Diagnosing cancer currently is a very painful process&#8230;[i]f we can add a step that is not painful, that is not invasive, something that people won&#8217;t be afraid of, I&#8217;m hoping that more people [will] be tested and that way we can diagnose cancer at much earlier stages.&#8221;</p>


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A new breathalyzer device can diagnose seventeen different conditions with 86 percent accuracy.
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Get ready to be blown away.

<h2>Say Hello to the Sun</h2>
<p>When it comes to obtaining new energy, solar energy now costs less than fossil fuels, according to a <a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Renewable_Infrastructure_Investment_Handbook.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> by the World Economic Forum (WEF). <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-15/world-energy-hits-a-turning-point-solar-that-s-cheaper-than-wind" target="_blank">Data</a> from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) also show decreased prices, with the mean price of solar power in about 60 countries dropping to $1.65 million per megawatt, closely followed by wind at $1.66 million per megawatt.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.weforum.org/press/2016/12/a-convenient-truth-fighting-climate-change-turned-into-a-profitable-business/" target="_blank">Michael Drexler</a>, Head of Long Term Investing, Infrastructure and Development at the World Economic Forum, found the downturn in prices to be an encouraging sign.</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-style: normal">&#8220;Renewable energy has reached a tipping point—it now constitutes the best chance to reverse global warming. Solar and wind have just become very competitive, and costs continue to fall. It is not only a commercially viable option, but an outright compelling investment opportunity with long-term, stable, inflation-protected returns.”</span></p></blockquote>
<p>The US Energy Information Administration<a href="http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=25492" target="_blank"> estimated</a> that roughly 9.5 gigawatts of solar capacity was added to the country&#8217;s grid, making it the year&#8217;s top energy source. More and more households and companies are also going solar, adding 1.7 gigawatts of installed capacity.</p>
<p>&#8220;Solar investment has gone from nothing…five years ago to quite a lot,&#8221; said Ethan Zindler, analyst for BNEF in an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-15/world-energy-hits-a-turning-point-solar-that-s-cheaper-than-wind" target="_blank">interview</a> at Bloomberg.</p>
<p>Decreases in price could be attributed to a large number of factors, like falling installation and equipment costs, new business ideas, and a rise in cleaner energy policies. A noticeable upshot in investment for solar energy undoubtedly helped, with China putting in a whopping <a href="http://www.publicfinanceinternational.org/news/2016/03/china-worlds-largest-investor-renewable-energy" target="_blank">$103 billion</a>—more than that of the US, the UK, and Japan combined. Though it&#8217;s still not up to the agreed $1 trillion at the Paris accords, we may well be on our way.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/ea054c53928b4f9136a39830a776f64d0213c86e.jpg" alt="Jack Guez, AFP/File" width="768" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Jack Guez, AFP/File</figcaption></figure>
<h2>A Brighter Tomorrow</h2>
<p>Incredible milestones have been set this year, particularly in developing countries. Energy company SolarPack <a style="background-color: white" href="https://cleantechnica.com/2016/08/18/new-low-solar-price-record-set-chile-2-91%C2%A2-per-kwh/" target="_blank">closed a deal</a> to offer solar power in Chile for just $29.1 per megawatt-hour, which is about 60% cheaper than using a new natural gas plant.</p>
<p>BNEF chairman Michael Liebrich <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-15/world-energy-hits-a-turning-point-solar-that-s-cheaper-than-wind">believes</a> in the future of greener energy sources. &#8220;Renewables are robustly entering the era of undercutting [fossil fuels].&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, the use of dirty energy will not stop just because other forms are cheaper in some parts of the world, but the promise here lies in the gradual impact that reports like those the WEF and the BNEF make: that humanity is not doomed to use fossil fuels, and that cleaner, alternative energy sources are actually viable.</p>
<p>In the next decade or so, the price of solar energy is expected to fall to about half of what it costs to generate electricity from coal. And all these estimations reck nothing of the possibilities of futuristic energy sources that are still in research and development, and are yet far over the horizon. Nuclear fusion, for instance, would certainly change the rules of the game, though it is proving to be rather more difficult of attainment than previously thought; other conceivable power technology, such as space-based solar energy, are equally remote, though promising.</p>
<p>So this exciting new research, combined with more energy-efficient tech and dedicated government policies, will perhaps shift our path from a future of pollution and depleted resources, to one with fresh air, cleaner surroundings, and the promise of unlimited energy.</p>


Cleaner energy sources are becoming cheaper too.

/Author

Robert Sanders

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