Technological innovation happens at an exponential rate.
Our smartphones are more powerful computers than the Apollo 11 mission to the moon used. Many of the devicIes that power our everyday lives would have been unimaginable a century ago.
It's a tough world to keep up in.
Concerned about what they argue is a lack of funding and appreciation in the US for basic research that's pursued for the sake of greater understanding, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology committee recently released a report detailing 15 industries and scientific fields ripe for breakthroughs, fields that they say the US is going to have to invest in to keep up with the rest of the world.
Here are some of the scientific fields where major discoveries could reap huge rewards — and help define our future.
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Understanding Alzheimer's disease could help us finally curb a growing public health crisis.
While we've made big steps in treating cancer over the past few decades — largely fueled by basic research into cell biology — we still know very little about Alzheimer's. Millions already suffer from the disease, and it's becoming shockingly more common.
Yet, the MIT committee writes, there are "real opportunities for progress."
Potential strategies could come from research into slowing the aging process, efforts to learn more about how the brain works through the findings of projects like the BRAIN Initiative, and trying to learn how Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia establish a foothold in the brain.
Cybercrime costs the world about $400 billion a year and is just getting worse, but new advances could turn the tide.
Some experts think that cybercrime poses such a serious risk to society that we need a Manhattan Project for cybersecurity.
The MIT committee thinks that designing more secure systems is doable. Most of our current weaknesses stem from two issues: single-password authentication systems and the historical legacy of the way computers were programmed before being connected to a network.
Innovations in authentication are already on their way, with two-factor and biometric systems becoming more popular, but redesigning computer systems without current weaknesses will take much more work.
Space exploration could soon reveal an astounding amount of information about the nature of the universe.
The most recent big news in space is NASA's New Horizons mission to (and beyond) Pluto.
Now it's time to figure out what else is out there in the universe with us.
As the committee notes, we'll be looking to better understand the dark matter and dark energy that make up the majority of our universe, especially once we launch the new James Webb telescope, which will take the place of the Hubble.
Learning the physics of dark matter and energy will reveal new secrets about how our universe was formed.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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