To further broaden the horizon of technology, this year, scientists have made countless flags of amazing discoveries and inventions, and many flowers have bloomed in the tree of knowledge and wisdom, discoveries, and inventions. It cannot be denied that research and inventions are two sides of the development of any country. Without them, development is not possible. 

This year, experts have unveiled laser technology that will change space travel, hand-sized printers, electric bricks, microchips that detect multiple diseases, and many other surprising things. You can get an idea of ​​what else happened in the world of technology in 2024 by reading the Inventions Review Report.

AI model generating new sounds

Researchers have created an AI audio generator in 2024 that can create sounds that have never been heard before. The new generative artificial intelligence model called Fugato has been developed by a team at computer chipmaker Nvidia.

This tool allows users to edit or create audio using simple text prompts, such as removing a specific instrument from a song or changing someone's voice.

According to experts, this tool provides more convenience than any other AI model and has the potential to change the world of music with new sounds. From a fugue to a trumpet bark or a saxophone meow, the model can create whatever users type.

'Electric brick' providing heat from clean energy in industries

A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last year created a new type of battery that could help industries generate heat using renewable electricity. The Joule-Hydro Thermal Battery, or “e-brick,” is an attempt to introduce renewable energy to one of the world’s most difficult industries to decarbonize.

This thermal battery can generate temperatures of up to 1800 degrees Celsius (the amount needed for industrial manufacturing) using clean electricity, which was previously only possible with fossil fuels.

Dr. Daniel Stack, who pioneered the creation of the hot brick battery at MIT, says that this battery can be kept hotter and longer-lasting than other sources of heat generation from electricity, which means it is an alternative to fossil fuels in industries that cannot be decarbonized in any other way.

Fire bricks can be used as batteries by storing heat effectively for hours. According to Dr. Daniel, electrified thermal bricks can be made at low cost. They are 98 percent similar to existing fired bricks and can be made using the same process.

New laser technology is changing space travel

The technology, which is under development at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in 2024, is based on converting light from plants and bacteria into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis.

The aim of this technology is to harness the light-harvesting antennae of a specific type of photosynthetic bacteria to amplify the energy from sunlight and convert it into laser beams, which can then be used to transport the energy from one place to another in space.

Scientists say lasers based on the natural ability of bacteria to convert sunlight into energy could provide a transparent energy source on Earth, along with missions to Mars.

Experts are also optimistic that using natural materials instead of synthetic parts means that lasers can be effectively rebuilt in space, meaning they can continue to work without having to send replacement parts from Earth. 

Unlike traditional semiconductor solar panels, this technology does not rely on any electronic components. It is called the APACE project. The researchers say that if the project is successful, it could be used as a new method of transparent and wireless transmission of energy to Earth with international space agencies' space probes.

Microchips that detect multiple diseases

With threats ranging from rapidly spreading viruses to chronic diseases and drug-resistant bacteria, the need for quick, reliable, and easy-to-use home diagnostic tests has also increased worldwide. Scientists have developed microchips that can easily detect a variety of diseases in the past year to address this problem.

It is as small and portable as a smartwatch that can be used anywhere. This advanced technology uses field effect transistors (FETs), which are tiny electronic sensors that directly detect biological markers and convert them into digital signals.

Researchers say this innovative approach enables faster results, testing for multiple diseases at once, and immediate data transmission to healthcare providers.

Related Article: Chemistry, Environment, and Humans: A Vital Connection

The first AI camera to catch drunk drivers

Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs will now be caught with AI cameras, first tested in Devon and Cornwall counties in England in 2024. The AI ​​camera can detect the behavior of drivers who become unbalanced due to alcohol or drugs. 

Upon detection, an alert is immediately sent to the police, after which the police can stop the vehicle on the side of the road, speak to the driver, and perform a test to check for the effects of alcohol or drugs.

Experts say that if we could detect a life-threatening incident in advance, we would all be safer. The camera can move quickly along any road and without warning, not letting drivers know they have been caught on camera until the police stop them.

Water-soluble plastic

Scientists in Japan last year created an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic that can dissolve within hours without releasing microplastics into the ocean. Currently available recyclable plastics do not dissolve in water, while some plastic waste can take more than 500 years to decompose.

In contrast, a new alternative developed by scientists at Riken University dissolves in a few hours when placed in salt water and in 10 days when placed in soil. As it dissolves in the soil, it also produces a chemical similar to fertilizer.

"With this new material, we have created a new family of plastics that are strong and stable, can be reused in many ways, and most importantly, do not produce microplastics," says Takuzo Iida, head of the research.

New device for examining stroke patients 

In 2024, scientists developed a new type of medical scanner to detect damage to the brains of stroke patients in mild magnetic fields. The Field Cycling Imager (FCI, which is being called the world's first scanner of its kind) is based on MRI, but it can work well in extremely mild magnetic fields, even less than those of a refrigerator magnet.

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen say the device will give us the ability to see how much disease is affecting organs, something that was not possible in the past. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of the body without touching it.

The FCI scanner works on the same principle, but its design gives it the ability to increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field during the patient's scan.

Researchers say that having the ability to increase or decrease the magnetic field in a single device is like having multiple scanners at once and can therefore collect more and different information than a traditional MRI.

A 3D printer the size of a hand

In 2024, experts have introduced a 3D printer the size of a hand. The size of this new 3D printer is only a few millimeters. This ultra-small printer uses an antenna on a small chip, instead of a bulky tabletop 3D printer with large moving parts, to create a resin 3D print with the help of laser beams.

When exposed to visible light, the resin hardens and hardens into the desired shape in just seconds, creating a 3D print. According to Jelena Notaros, an electrical engineer at MIT, this system completely redefines what a 3D printer really is. It's no longer a big box that sits on a bench in a lab and makes objects, but something that's handheld and portable.

Camouflage Material

Chinese scientists have created a new camouflage material in 2024 that changes color according to its surroundings. This material could help create objects that disappear from sight in the future. Many animals have the ability to camouflage themselves to blend in with their surroundings.

Man-made systems that mimic this process are quite complex and multidimensional, in that they identify environments, understand their properties, and then make changes accordingly.

Scientists say that these camouflage systems rely heavily on electronic devices, which face problems such as complex structure, difficult use, and high cost.

In the study, scientists have described a new type of material that undergoes a special process, called "self-adaptive photochromism" (SAP), to gain the ability to blend in with its surroundings like an octopus or a chameleon.

When SAP materials are exposed to specific wavelengths of light, their molecules rearrange, causing the material to change color. These new camouflage methods are simpler, cheaper, and easier to use than older camouflage methods.

AskSilver against online fraud

British experts have introduced a new fraud detection tool, called “AskSilver,” to protect users from internet fraud in 2024. This tool can be used in WhatsApp. 

Users will upload a screenshot of any suspicious text, email, or website and see if it is safe or not. Once the user signs up for this tool, it will appear like any other contact and will use AI to quickly review it and tell you if it is a scam or not.

Once set up, the user will be told whether the email, text, or website is safe and will be given other steps to take, including reporting the scam. Scam protection group Get Safe Online has partnered with the company that makes the tool to launch the tool to the public. The tool will help raise awareness about staying safe from online scams.