These six technologies are expected to reshape the world: drones and Bitcoin are on the list

The American technology website TechCrunch wrote an article today, listing the six major technology trends in 2015 that are expected to reshape the world. Life engineering, drones, Bitcoin and clean energy are on the list.

1. Internet and Knowledge

In developed countries, we have become accustomed to owning a variety of smart devices that connect us and provide relevant services according to our needs.

Many people in developing countries have yet to experience the benefits of the Internet, but as of 2015, nearly half of Chinese and one-fifth of Indians have access to the Internet. India has more Internet users than the United States, while China has twice as many Internet users as the United States.

By 2020, smartphones with iPhone performance will cost less than $50. By then, companies such as Google, OneWeb, and SpaceX will provide cheap Internet services to the entire world through drones and balloons. This means that another 3 billion people will join the Internet family. For developing countries, this trend is particularly disruptive.

Knowledge used to be the privilege of the rich, but soon everyone, no matter where they are, will have access to the "ocean of knowledge" through the Internet.

They will be able to learn about scientific advances. Social media will allow billions of people to share their experiences and help each other. Workers in Africa's most remote villages will be able to provide digital services to Silicon Valley's elite. Farmers will learn how to improve crop yields. An economy based on smartphone applications will flourish in every corner of the world.

2. “Doctor in your pocket”

All of this is possible thanks to advances in computer and network technology. Today, a $100 smartphone has more computing power than a supercomputer from the 1970s, which cost millions of dollars.

As computers get faster, we can design more powerful sensors and artificial intelligence systems. With better sensors, we can develop advanced medical equipment, drone-based delivery systems, and build smart cities.

With artificial intelligence systems, we can develop self-driving cars, speech recognition systems, and "digital doctors," that is, applications that can diagnose diseases and prescribe medicines.

Smartphone-based medical devices went mainstream in 2015, most notably the Apple Watch, which tracks a user’s vital signs, activity, and lifestyle thanks to its heart rate sensor and accelerometer.

Technology giants such as Microsoft, IBM, Samsung and Google, as well as numerous startups, are developing tools based on sensors and artificial intelligence technology to do the work of doctors. These technologies are expensive and are specially designed for users in developed countries; but some companies in China, India and Africa are developing cheaper versions of them. If medical advances used to serve only the rich, now everyone can benefit.

3. Bitcoin and the phenomenon of disintermediation

Bitcoin is one of the most controversial technological advances in recent years. The digital currency has become notorious for being used for nefarious activities, and its price has fallen from a peak of $1,100 to $250.

But in 2015, retailers like Overstock.com embraced Bitcoin technology. The blockchain, the technology at the heart of Bitcoin, has become the basis for hundreds of technology development efforts. Not only is blockchain useful in finance, it is also used to record just about anything that can be digitized: birth certificates, death certificates, education certificates, medical records, and more. The technology also has the potential to transform the lives of billions of people who don’t have bank accounts.

4. Life Engineering

Another technology that has become mainstream is CRISPR gene modification.

CRISPR is a technology that has only been around for a few years and is based on an ancient system that protects bacteria and other single-celled organisms from viruses. With CRISPR, scientists can edit DNA.

Of course, if CRISPR is misused—for example, to edit human cells—it poses many new risks, but it can also be used to repair faulty DNA that causes genetic diseases. Labs around the world are using this technology to solve a wide variety of problems, and we will see more breakthroughs.

5. The drone era

Industry insiders estimate that drone sales in the United States will approach 500,000 units during this holiday shopping season.

With the price of these flying machines dropping to less than $100, the age of drones has officially arrived. They will be everywhere. As drone technology continues to improve, they will be able to carry heavier and heavier objects and fly farther and farther. Amazon and Walmart are planning to use drones to deliver packages. Drones can also be used to track traffic and crime, and provide emergency assistance in the event of a disaster.

In developing countries, drones have even greater potential, not only to solve infrastructure problems, but also to reduce pollution and traffic congestion and to provide constant monitoring of the Earth’s climate and wildlife ecosystems.

6. Clean Energy

The biggest geopolitical breakthrough for clean energy in 2015 was not the climate agreement reached in Paris by 196 countries to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but the passage by U.S. lawmakers of a new bill to extend investment tax credits for solar and wind companies. The agreement will accelerate the spread of clean energy around the world.

In fact, even without government subsidies, the cost of deploying solar energy in the United States will be reduced by half by 2022; by 2030, the total amount of solar power generated will be equivalent to the total amount of power generated in the United States today; and by 2035, solar energy will be available for free.

Of course, tax credits will accelerate the adoption of clean energy. According to Bloomberg, the United States is already one of the countries with the largest investments in clean energy in the world.