Highlights of 2023: AI, Fusion Reactors, 3D Printed Housing, and More
Category Science Monday - December 25 2023, 05:55 UTC - 11 months ago 2023 delivered major developments in AI, neuroscience, the housing and energy market. AI coverage, neural networks, theta waves, brain spirals, fusion reactors, and 3D printed housing were major topics of the year. Thanks for reading!.
With the year almost in the books, we’re taking a look at Singularity Hub’s most-read articles in 2023.
There’s no doubt the year belonged to AI, and coverage of DeepMind’s definition of artificial general intelligence, one of the field’s most controversial topics, grabbed readers’ attention. But AI didn’t dominate the list. Amid high interest rates, expensive homes, and inflation, the future of housing—a 3D printed house that could cost as little as a car—and energy—kickstarting the world’s biggest fusion reactor—were on people’s minds. Discoveries in longevity and the neuroscience of cognition, memory, and creativity—AI-adjacent topics—likewise struck a chord. And even as metaverse news faded, a story on the rapid democratization of 3D scanning technologies sparked the imagination.
The year had some major developments AI-wise, with DeepMind outlining their plans for artificial general intelligence and a new company, Vicarious, receiving a billion dollar valuation for their computer vision platform. Research into the theta waves, which help mice navigate mazes and support memory on humans, and the discovery of brain spirals which may help explain cognition made major breakthroughs in neuroscience this year. But perhaps the most eye-catching development was in the housing market. The company Serendix has been 3D printing tiny houses that can be built in two days and cost just $37,600. This is roughly the cost of a car and will likely drastically reduce the cost of housing options. In the energy market, scientists fired up the world’s biggest puffball fusion reactor for the first time and are aiming for a working “fusion-powered island” by 2022. All in all, it has been another wild year in science and tech. As always, thanks for reading! .
Share