8 major technological waves of 2016 (II)

In the 21st century, technological revolutions will become increasingly common. What's important is that citizens engage in the conversation.

Technology is playing an increasingly fundamental role in our daily lives. Nowadays, one doesn't need to be a programming expert to find value in and use a smartphone or a computer on a daily basis. Regardless of age or profession, we now use technologies that in previous centuries would have seemed impossible even for kings or emperors, technologies like automobiles, elevators, microwaves, smartphones, among many others. According to the renowned futurist and expert in technological trends Ray Kurzweil, "the 20th century saw more technological advances than all preceding centuries combined; however, in the 21st century, we might experience around 20,000 times more advances than in the last century." That's why we've chosen to title this article "The 8 Technological Waves of 2016," which will generate much discussion:

5. Nasdaq begins Blockchain testing: Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that has stirred controversy due to its use in the "deep web" as a form of payment for crimes or its significant fluctuation in value. Despite the controversies surrounding this novel currency, there are intense debates between its proponents and opponents; however, Bitcoin operates on a technology called Blockchain, which allows for decentralized and highly reliable authenticity control of ownership. Blockchain is a decentralized method for verifying transactions much faster, economically, and securely since all information is public, and it's a way to distribute transaction accounting across the network. Nasdaq, the second-largest stock exchange in the world, initiated a trial with Nasdaq Private Market, a platform for pre-IPO companies. In December 2015, they commenced a trial offering shares of the company Chain, which specializes in Blockchain transactions. By the end of 2016, positive conclusions are expected regarding this technology to expand its use as a tool for stock market transactions. Moreover, the company R3 has already enlisted 42 of the largest banks in its distributed ledger initiative, showing that the financial system, along with Nasdaq, is seriously considering Blockchain technology as an option for decentralized transactions, something we'll hear about in 2016.

6. Crowdfunding as an innovation democratizer: Until a few years ago, when an inventor or entrepreneur wanted to fund an idea, they primarily had to rely on family and friends since accessing capital through banks, government support, or investment funds was a process that very few successfully navigated. However, a few years ago, the phenomenon of collective funding "crowdfunding" emerged, allowing an inventor, entrepreneur, artist, or foundation to access a community to fund their project. What's interesting about the crowdfunding phenomenon is that since 2011, it has doubled in market value year after year, indicating that if in 2015 crowdfunding amounted to $34.4 billion, that figure could double again in 2016. Mexico plays a fundamental role in the "crowdequity" model (where a community can buy shares of a company) with startups like Playbusiness, which has received approval from the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), allowing startups to kick-start their business with early-stage capital through crowdfunding, meaning many shareholders can invest as little as $100 pesos. In this crowdequity phenomenon, Mexico takes the lead since crowdfunding for such early stages is not yet prevalent in countries like the United States. Playbusiness believes so much in crowdfunding that they themselves launched shares of their company, raising 5.1 million pesos in just 13 days, with a company valuation of 102 million pesos.

7. Gene editing made simple: In 1990, the Human Genome Project began, primarily driven by the United States government, to sequence the first human DNA, i.e., 3.3 billion genes that make up a human being. By 2003, the first human genome had been completely sequenced. What's interesting is that the combination of informatics with biotechnology is generating enormous advances in this area of science. By 2003, sequencing a genome cost $100 million; by 2007, that figure had decreased to $10 million, and by 2015, it was around $1,000. With this trend, by 2020, it could cost between 1 and 10 cents to sequence a person's DNA. In 2012, CRISPR CAS9 technology emerged, a way to edit DNA precisely, a technology that can undoubtedly revolutionize medicine, as many diseases have genetic origins, so by making corrections, we can win the battle against diseases like AIDS and cancer, among many others. In September 2015, at her TED conference, Jennifer Doudna, one of the creators of this revolutionary technology, called on the scientific community to halt the use of it for editing human genes until generating a conversation in the scientific community about the ethical implications and risks of editing human genes. Within the scientific community, Jennifer speaks of two positions on the matter: those in favor of editing human genes to win the battle against many diseases and those against it due to the risks of editing embryo genes, i.e., "designer babies," among other risks. Undoubtedly, gene editing is becoming cheaper and more democratic by the day, meaning more people will be able to do it, but we must be aware of the social and ethical implications this could have. Debates we'll surely hear during 2016.

8. FBI vs. Apple: security or privacy: Following the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015, when an iPhone was found as evidence, the United States government asked Apple to create access to the terrorist's phone, sparking a debate on information privacy, a debate that goes far beyond just the FBI and Apple and even beyond what's happening only in the United States since this undoubtedly has a global impact. The FBI argues that it could solve and even prevent many terrorism cases by gaining access to terrorists' phones and asks Cupertino-based company Apple to grant access when a legal order is issued. Apple argues that giving the government access to phone encryption could jeopardize its customers' information, as it could fall into the wrong hands. On the other hand, it could allow other governments to access personal information of their population, but what would happen if it fell into the hands of an authoritarian regime? Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, has called for a public debate on the issue and its implications. What's interesting about this is that a debate of this kind cannot only be decided by lawyers or politicians with legal arguments; it's important to consider the scientific and technological community. This is an example of how technology is evolving much faster than laws, and such debates on security and privacy will be something we hear a lot about during the year, with significant implications for any areas that are prioritized.

The 21st century will be remembered as a century where technological revolutions will be frequent. What's important is that as citizens, we engage in the conversation because the implications are enormous for our lives and those of our loved ones.