On a chilly winter night, something incredible happened at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL): 1:03 am on Monday 5 December marked the moment when an experiment lit up the world of physics and beyond. Scientists fired their most powerful laser – NIF’s ‘God gun’ as some call it – to target a tiny fuel capsule no bigger than a peppercorn; triggering temperatures and pressures that created what powers our very own sun fusion.
Thanks to this landmark experiment in fusion research, physicists now have proof positive that they’re onto something big while we may still be far from having usable electricity generated by reactors harnessing this power but the potential has never looked brighter!
Let’s read more about 2023 technology trends !
Fusion Profusion
This year, a revolutionary clean energy breakthrough was made in the UK. First Light Fusion, located just outside Oxford, developed an innovative process to generate fusion by firing small aluminium discs at up to 20 km per second at specially designed targets containing fuel necessary for nuclear reaction.
The success of this incredible method has spurred dozens of other private companies striving towards one day creating commercial fusion reactors – and now is their chance!
One of the tech trends In 2023 will be Machine 4: a much larger reactor with ambitious goals that could break the traditional barriers keeping us from harnessing infinite sustainable power generated through fusion energy sources!
Flying Cars
For a future of fast, efficient, and eco-friendly travel, innovators have set their sights on eVTOL aircraft electric vehicles with the power to take off like helicopters but without added noise or emissions. Vertical Aerospace is leading from Bristol where its VX4 took flight earlier this year albeit still tethered down. 2023 marks when these revolutionary machines will really make an impact!
In an ambitious attempt to get the VX4 certified for passenger service by 2025, Vertical Aerospace is pitted in competition against other eVTOL developers. To beat its rivals, it must navigate through the exacting and expensive process of gaining certification from aviation regulators within the next five years.
Say No To Notspots
Despite advances in mobile technology, there remain billions of people around the globe who have no access to reliable signal strength. AST SpaceMobile is aiming to change that: backed by industry giants like AT&T and Vodafone, they are developing an innovative tech which will provide direct satellite connection for users’ phones with 5G speeds – a higher than average speed even compared to some modern countries.
A test satellite has already been put into low-earth orbit and five more satellites will launch come 2023 if all goes according to plan; once deployed, these new devices promise uninterrupted coverage worldwide!
