Bill Gates Says These Tech Innovations Will Change the World The billionaire philanthropist weighed in on the scientific advances that he believes will make an impact in 2019 and beyond
By Nina Zipkin
Bill Gates has made his fortune, and has given much of it away, thinking about the endeavors that will make our the world a healthier, connected and equitable place. Recently, the MIT Technology Review asked the Gates Foundation and Microsoft co-founder to share the inventions and technologies that he believes will effect real change this year and beyond.
Some of the advances he offered up include projects such as Dactyl, which teaches robots how to develop fine motor skills like flipping a block in its hand, and work being done to develop machines that could pull carbon dioxide from the air to lessen the effects of climate change.
Given his interest in improving conditions around the world, it's unsurprising that most of the innovations on Gates's list focus on wellness.
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Some of these include green toilets that can get rid of waste and treat water at the same time, plant-based meat alternatives that are developed in the lab, customized cancer vaccines tailored to an individual patient's needs and a capsule with a mini microscope attached to it that would allow physicians to check kids and infants for gut issues without having to use anesthesia.
Looking even further ahead to the future, Gates shared what we wanted to see on his potential list 20 years from now.
"I would hope to see technologies that center almost entirely on well-being. I think the brilliant minds of the future will focus on more metaphysical questions: How do we make people happier? How do we create meaningful connections? How do we help everyone live a fulfilling life?" Gates wrote. "I would love to see these questions shape the 2039 list, because it would mean that we've successfully fought back disease (and dealt with climate change). I can't imagine a greater sign of progress than that."
