Top 7 Most Interesting and Important Inventions and Achievements of 2017
In 2017, scientists edited the DNA of a living human for the first time, tech companies began actively helping people with depression, and (of course) Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Roadster. Here are the seven most interesting and significant inventions and achievements of 2017.
1. Bots Invent Their Own Language
The main scare of 2017 was the increasing autonomy of artificial intelligence. While we’re still far from “Skynet,” bots have already started inventing their own languages. In March, bots from OpenAI’s lab created their own signaling system—a kind of proto-language. In June, bots from Facebook’s lab developed their own language as well.
2. An App to Protect Against Surveillance
Governments around the world are increasingly trying to access not just citizens’ wallets, but also their smartphones. In response, people are coming up with new ways to protect themselves from intelligence agencies. The latest development in this cat-and-mouse game is Edward Snowden’s app, Haven, designed to protect against surveillance. While it won’t safeguard your bank account, it can alert you to physical tampering with your device. Definitely worth installing.
3. Algorithms and Services to Help People with Depression
If anyone still thought depression wasn’t serious, the #faceofdepression campaign hopefully changed their minds. Meanwhile, several tech companies focused on helping people with depression this year. At the University of Texas, researchers developed an algorithm that predicts the development of depressive disorders in patients using MRI data. Google added a feature to its search engine that allows users to self-diagnose depression, and Instagram is learning to detect depression through photos.
4. Robots for Exploring Dangerous Areas
This year, technology was increasingly used in places too dangerous for humans. Engineers at Arizona State University developed a cardboard turtle robot for landmine detection that can be assembled in under three hours. Toshiba created a new robot to search for melted fuel in the second reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, damaged during the 2011 earthquake. In Houston, which was hit by Hurricane Harvey, drones helped assess the damage from the disaster.
5. Repairing Human DNA with Genetic Disorders
Before 2017, human genome editing was only done in China, where there were no ethical restrictions on such research. This year, scientists in the US and UK began working on the genome. In November, American researchers tried gene editing directly inside the body of a living adult with a genetic disease for the first time. We’ll learn how successful the experiment was in early 2018.
6. AI That Composes Music
This isn’t entirely new—algorithms have been used to create songs before 2017—but this year saw several projects that generated not just melodies, but complex compositions. In 2017, AI came close to writing a pop hit. In August, American singer Taryn Southern released the song “Break Free,” written by the Amper algorithm from the company of the same name.
7. The Tesla Electric Truck
First of all, it looks amazing.
But more importantly, this vehicle can accelerate to 60 mph (100 km/h) and travel 500 miles (800 km) on a single charge.