2011 Technological Advancements

19 Dec, 2011Advanced Tech

Everyone has noticed how technological advancements and information technology keeps accelerating as the years go on and on. But what technological advancements have happened this year? Within the scope of this blog post, I will discuss this year in technology. As of the year 2011, the top technological advancements would have to begin with the invention, creation and discovery of graphene. Graphene is a type of graphite, which is highly proficient in it’s abilities to conduct heat and electricity. The best part about graphene is that it is very inexpensive to create and is an incredibly flexible material. Advancements in science and technology are greatly increasing the potential for graphene and other allotropes of carbon. Future applications of graphene include allowing transistors to operate at higher frequencies, enabling lower costs of the production of display screens on mobile devices, easier storing of hydrogen and fuel cells in cars that are powered by electricity, their ability to allow sensors to diagnose diseases, and last but not least, it’s ability to even make ultra-capacitors be more efficient than the common battery.

Graphene is an allotrope of the element carbon. Other manipulations of carbon include carbon robe, which has been created from earlier years. Carbon rope is considered one of the strongest ropes in the world! If NASA were ever to create a space elevator, carbon rope would be the first material taken into consideration for the elevator’s cables.

Another notable advancement in technology for 2011 is photovoltaics. Photovoltaics, also known as PV, is a method of generating electricity. PV does this by making it much easier to convert solar radiation into DC electricity. PV does this by using the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect happens when a certain material is exposed to light, then there is an electric charge that is created. This technology is a monumental milestone in the history of solar energy, and its applications are astronomical.

One of the most recent advancements in robotics and technology took place on November 30th, 2011. It was then that research scientists within the European Union and in Germany created a robot that will soon be capable of neurosurgery. Researchers say that the robot will be capable of 13 different types of movement during surgery, while surgeon’s hands can only offer 4 types of movements and degrees. Researchers also reported that the force that is being applied during surgery can also be monitored by the robot; making it much harder for a neurosurgery to go wrong.

Also this month in technological advancements, in Washington State University researchers are beginning to use a 3D printer for the creation of bone like material used for surgery. Researchers say that the bone-like material will function as a sort of, “training wheels” for the bone to begin growing with. In other organ printing news, the application of a 3D printer is used with the creation of artificial organs, which then create and literally grow from the recipient’s cellular tissue a exact replica of their organs via use of a mold. It is precisely these types of advancements in technology that are leading humanity into the future as well as giving us hope that tomorrow, one day our organs will have been created by technology; so that when technology takes over the world, we’ll be completely screwed! Well actually, not completely, we still have our neurosurgeons to save us, oh. . . wait.

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