The Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016

Enhanced by emerging wireless microchips, technique could offer new routes to treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s and depression

Miniature simulations allow scientists to study physiological mechanisms and behaviors in ways never before possible, creating opportunities for drug development 

Artificial intelligence could unlock higher productivity and better health and happiness for millions of people

Self-driving systems may have bugs but they are free from the myriad distractions and risk-taking behaviors that are the most common causes of crashes today

Even a relatively small initial supply of the new cells could bring solar power to remote locations that are not yet connected to any electrical grid 

Unlike fossil fuels, chemicals made from microorganisms are indefinitely renewable and emit relatively little greenhouse gas 

Digital infrastructure could improve society’s public records repository and reinforce representative and participatory legal and governance systems 

Mixing and matching ultrathin compounds—each with unique optical, mechanical and electrical properties—may produce tailored materials optimized for a wide range of functions 

For people who currently have no access to the grid, the combination of renewable generation and grid-scale batteries is utterly transformative 

Tiny sensors could take medicine, energy efficiency and many other sectors to a whole new dimension