Foresight 2024: A Glimpse Into Tomorrow

Science and Technology Part - B

Recycling lithium-ion batteries

Recycling lithium-ion batteries ventures are gaining the attention of investors as well. The use of solid or liquid electrolytes will improve the durability and safety of LIBs, and it will also reduce their material usage.

International Court of Justice

The world is serious about dealing with climate change and pollution and for all the right causes at least in this regard. One move is in the International Court of Justice, which is the world's highest court in The Hague. The court can give an opinion on nations' legal obligations to combat climate change. The court ruling could result in making new rules to preserve climate and oceans by giving a ruling on the legal consequences for nations that are damaging the climate by their actions and use of emissions. This ruling might not be legally applied but will prove its moral point. It will further push the agenda to save the climate and oceans.

Weaponizing Mosquitoes

Another strange happening is there which is called "Weaponizing Mosquitoes". A new term, right? Actually, diseases such as Dengue and Zika, which are spread by mosquito biting, this new weapon will prevent it. A non-profit organization is coming forward to produce around 5 billion mosquitoes per year in the lab. This project will start somewhere in Brazil.

The non-profit organization claims that this campaign will help almost 70% of dengue cases. A bit technical or shall I say pretty confusing to understand this, as these mosquitoes will be released into the wild to interrupt the transmission of dengue and Zika to protect people from these diseases. Not to forget that dengue has been quite active in South America and India in 2023. Let's hope this effort brings only positive results.

PTSD New Cure

A new cure for PTSD is seeking its final approval from the FDA. New vaccines, maybe a cure for cancer, will pop up. A 2022 letter from the Health and Human Services Department to the President Biden administration discloses that soon the anticipated regulators will approve MDMA for PTSD and Psilocybin for depression starting from 2024 and will take two years to complete. Having said that because it is a psychedelic drug, the time span can increase to eliminate all risks or to ensure minimal risk.

Astronomy

The astronomy front is heating up too. News from the "Vera C. Rubin Observatory" tells that their data collection will keep on going in 2024. The "Simons Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile" will also continue its work in 2024. Both of these observatories are conducting next-generation cosmology experiments.

Starship Launch

The Starship is likely to complete its launch without either stage of explosion; there is a fair 70 to 75 percent chance of it. The goal Starship sets for itself is to be fully reusable, with each part of it recoverable for future launches. Elon Musk has given a few indications that recovery is not the first but secondary priority. The main goal is to get the system to a point where it can successfully launch satellites. Although the chance of explosion always remains in case of the rocket's termination system or any mechanical error or control error, it could be due to out-of-control ignition fuel.

Cybertruck delivery

Cybertrucks of Tesla are facing delivery disruptions because of the Red Sea situation and also because production of it is not ramped up. This is all coming to light because Tesla itself is saying that even the basic model of Cybertruck, which is designed with armored windows and other exciting features, will not be available until 2025. So the delay is there, or shall I say the delay is there for kind of all-end-high-wheel drive

Mission to Europa the Jupiter moon

In October, NASA will send another mission to Europa, the Jupiter Moon. This mission will see whether Europa's habitat is friendly and Europa's underground ocean is habitable.

Mission to Phobos and Deimos, Moons of Mars

Japan is also sending a mission to Mars to visit its moons. This mission will visit Mars's Phobos and Deimos. The rover will land on Phobos to collect valuable samples; however, this mission will return to Earth in 2029.

Exploration of Dark matter axions

Exploration of Dark matter axions, or what we call matter particles, will take place in 2024 as well. These dark matter particles, which are called axions, are emitted by the Sun and later converted into light. Previous experiments on axions have not been successful as these particles are very small.

Even using a super-sensitive high-tech solar telescope, the length of which was 10 meters, with super-sensitive detectors and a rotating tower to track sun movement for 12 hours a day to potentially see and capture axions converting into photons, couldn't prevent this experiment from failing for the first time.

Let's see what will happen next and whether this experiment will be successful or not for the second time. The group at the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino, which experimented earlier, brought out the study showing that neutrinos had a maximum mass of 0.8 electron volts. The team is still collecting data and looking forward to a successful definite measurement of these tiniest particles.

ChatGPT's New Model

The release of ChatGPT4 Turbo and ChatGPT5 by OpenAI is anticipated by the end of November or early December 2024. While advancements in AI are exciting, AI safety remains a significant concern.

It is crucial to consider the implications of further commercializing AI products and address potential challenges. The competition among AI models is expected to intensify, requiring careful consideration and regulation to ensure responsible AI development.

Alternative Battery Options

Alternative battery options are being researched now. When searching for battery and energy storage space alternatives, choices are limited. Lithium and Cobalt, which are considered endangered elements, will become more expensive and might become rare as their demand is much higher than their supply. Seeing this, new investments are being made in "Lithium, Iron, Phosphate" batteries. These batteries do not use nickel and cobalt. For LEP, a 45% share of the EV market is expected by 2029. Although the hunt for alternative materials is ongoing, these materials can be sodium, magnesium, or iron, which are also scarce and expensive but are a bit more sustainable.

Sustainable Catalysts

Sustainable catalysts are preferred. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions and also decrease the energy consumed during the process. It's true that rare, endangered, or what we call noble metals are excellent catalysts, but they are expensive and rare, not enough to fulfill worldwide demand. There is more focus on developing sustainable catalysts that are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and less reliant. Meaningful progress in developing sustainable catalysts can tremendously reduce the carbon footprint, which the world is looking forward to in 2024.