How to make a carbon pricing system workCompensation for those who lose out and sanctions on non-compliance are needed‘Invisibility cloak’ metamaterials make their way into productsWave-bending materials revamp satellite antennas and drones — as a startSearch for life beyond Earth intensifiesSpace signal detection project and astrobiology boost hunt for extraterrestrialsTackling plastic pollution needs policy and new scienceCleaning up the oceans rivals climate change as a global problemMega-constellations of satellites increase space junk riskSystems needed to manage up to 750,000 potentially dangerous objects in orbitSatellites, lasers and undersea bots track world carbon stocksTechnology improves understanding of forests’ and oceans’ role in climate changeMore from this Special ReportMobile phones and AI vie to update early disaster warning systemsNetworks of sensors can predict earthquakes with greater precisionDeep sea trenches eyed for carbon dioxide storageOcean ravines offer space and lower costs for projects to mitigate climate changeNew membrane provides drinking water and a supply of lithiumMetal-organic frameworks allow precision filtering with less energyAsteroids to serve as refuelling stations for space explorationMinerals, metals and water on planetoids could support missions into the solar systemBrain scans and DNA tests personalise mental healthcarePrecision psychiatry studies genes to see which treatments work best for individualsVideo: Exoskeletons to become common for factory workersFT’s west coast editor Richard Waters tries on ‘Iron Man’ wearable robotcrispr gene editing ready for testing in humansBiotech companies plan to use the technique to treat blood diseases and blindnessCheaper DNA sequencing unlocks secrets of rare diseasesRoutine genetic testing would save healthcare system money, says UK medical chiefNanobots kill off cancerous tumours as fiction becomes realityResearchers inject tiny devices into the bloodstream to deliver drugs with precisionBrain implants allow paralysed patients to move limbsProsthetics controlled by human thought via computer show promise in clinical trialsNew diagnostic tools needed to stop antibiotic resistanceRapid detection would reduce unnecessary use and make drugs effective for longerLiver success holds promise of 3D organ printingSmall ‘organoids’ grown in the lab could be used to treat chronic conditions Smartphones speed recovery of surgical woundsApps alert doctors to infections and help them keep an eye on the healing processImmunotherapy: beyond melanoma and lung cancer treatmentScientists are seeking combination drugs that would make for more effective treatmentsHolograms are changing the way we interact with computers3D images that can be manipulated with hand gestures blur the digital and real worldWearable scanners will be able to read our mindsTiny pixel sizes, light analysis and blood flow maps mark big advance on MRI machinesEarly quantum computing investors see benefitsTech revolution’s promise ranges from online encryption to modelling new moleculesHow DNA could store all the world’s data in a semi-trailerScientists see capacious and stable medium as potential answer to mountains of informationWhy sleeping more will help the national economyA new understanding of circadian rythyms is helping combat the silent sleep-loss epidemicWhy we are in danger of overestimating AIData-heavy computers have ways to go to catch up with human thought and common sensePersonalised learning starts to change teaching methodsSilicon Valley loves the idea but evidence is mixed on whether all children benefitNeural networks allow us to ‘read faces’ in a new wayFacial analysis software is being used to predict sexuality and security risksDigital distractions are making us dumb and twitchyGlimmers of hope in search for means to conquer information overloadClassroom robots stand in for children too ill to go to schoolAvatar enables pupil to watch and participate in lessons from home via a tabletEurope’s half a million landfill sites potentially worth a fortuneWaste can now be mined for metals and to create fuelBiomimicry unleashes wave of materials innovationArtificial retinas and synthetic spider silk are among the lab breakthroughsIoT drives progress towards low-power technologyWake-up receivers, energy-harvesting offer electricity for billions of ‘smart’ thingsAlternative to silicon offers cheaper solar powerScientists believe perovskite cells would get costs down to pennies per wattBigger, higher and floating — advances that make wind a better power sourceNew designs means turbines can be installed in more places and at lower costSuperconductivity offers tantalising changes from electricity to transportHydrogen and graphene show promise for zero electrical resistance at room temperatureBeyond lithium — the search for a better batteryGraphene and salt water offer promising advancesGraphene filters change the economics of clean waterTight mesh removes chemicals, solutes, salts and compounds such as pesticidesOrkney project shows potential of hydrogen as a fuel sourceThe gas may be best option for heavy transport such as trucks, ships and trainsArtificial sperm and wombs offer new means of reproductionScientists produce mice pups from synthetic sperm and eggs — and grow lambs in biobagsUniversal basic income: renaissance for a 500-year-old idea Finland, California, Canada and Netherlands are among the countries staging trialsSix Japanese robots that care for an ageing populationMachines take the strain of careworkers’ mundane jobsHyperloop work begins before a business case is madeRivals vie to be first to put in place a new system, but technology is unprovenLessons on road congestion from Oregon, Singapore and LondonUS state leads the way with dongle that charges drivers by the mileRedesigning the toilet for areas without running water2.3bn people lack access to safe sanitation and women face additional risksSix ways to increase uptake of family planningNew, long-acting contraceptives, mobile services and incentives make programmes more effectiveFaster and more accurate: machine translation is nearly hereCompanies such as Unbabel and Mymanu are helping us understand each otherPrecision farming will feed the world the green wayTechnology offers agriculture higher yields and reduced gas from cowsHow companies draw on science fictionVolkswagen, Hersheys and Capital One are among the companies hiring futuristsReaders’ suggestions for 50 ideas to change the worldFrom roads paved with energy-generating crystals to molecular modellingHelp us find the 50 ideas that can change the worldFrom fountains to yoghurt, innovation comes from the unlikeliest placesNominate an idea that can change the worldCriteria for five challenges: population, resources, education, health and natureIdeas to change the world — long-term potential or simply gimmicks?Inventions that want to make waves in our everyday lives50 ideas to change the world: the judgesFT journalists and external experts will help identify the most promising innovationsHelp us find 50 ideas to change the world
How to make a carbon pricing system workCompensation for those who lose out and sanctions on non-compliance are needed‘Invisibility cloak’ metamaterials make their way into productsWave-bending materials revamp satellite antennas and drones — as a startSearch for life beyond Earth intensifiesSpace signal detection project and astrobiology boost hunt for extraterrestrialsTackling plastic pollution needs policy and new scienceCleaning up the oceans rivals climate change as a global problemMega-constellations of satellites increase space junk riskSystems needed to manage up to 750,000 potentially dangerous objects in orbitSatellites, lasers and undersea bots track world carbon stocksTechnology improves understanding of forests’ and oceans’ role in climate changeMore from this Special ReportMobile phones and AI vie to update early disaster warning systemsNetworks of sensors can predict earthquakes with greater precisionDeep sea trenches eyed for carbon dioxide storageOcean ravines offer space and lower costs for projects to mitigate climate changeNew membrane provides drinking water and a supply of lithiumMetal-organic frameworks allow precision filtering with less energyAsteroids to serve as refuelling stations for space explorationMinerals, metals and water on planetoids could support missions into the solar systemBrain scans and DNA tests personalise mental healthcarePrecision psychiatry studies genes to see which treatments work best for individualsVideo: Exoskeletons to become common for factory workersFT’s west coast editor Richard Waters tries on ‘Iron Man’ wearable robotcrispr gene editing ready for testing in humansBiotech companies plan to use the technique to treat blood diseases and blindnessCheaper DNA sequencing unlocks secrets of rare diseasesRoutine genetic testing would save healthcare system money, says UK medical chiefNanobots kill off cancerous tumours as fiction becomes realityResearchers inject tiny devices into the bloodstream to deliver drugs with precisionBrain implants allow paralysed patients to move limbsProsthetics controlled by human thought via computer show promise in clinical trialsNew diagnostic tools needed to stop antibiotic resistanceRapid detection would reduce unnecessary use and make drugs effective for longerLiver success holds promise of 3D organ printingSmall ‘organoids’ grown in the lab could be used to treat chronic conditions Smartphones speed recovery of surgical woundsApps alert doctors to infections and help them keep an eye on the healing processImmunotherapy: beyond melanoma and lung cancer treatmentScientists are seeking combination drugs that would make for more effective treatmentsHolograms are changing the way we interact with computers3D images that can be manipulated with hand gestures blur the digital and real worldWearable scanners will be able to read our mindsTiny pixel sizes, light analysis and blood flow maps mark big advance on MRI machinesEarly quantum computing investors see benefitsTech revolution’s promise ranges from online encryption to modelling new moleculesHow DNA could store all the world’s data in a semi-trailerScientists see capacious and stable medium as potential answer to mountains of informationWhy sleeping more will help the national economyA new understanding of circadian rythyms is helping combat the silent sleep-loss epidemicWhy we are in danger of overestimating AIData-heavy computers have ways to go to catch up with human thought and common sensePersonalised learning starts to change teaching methodsSilicon Valley loves the idea but evidence is mixed on whether all children benefitNeural networks allow us to ‘read faces’ in a new wayFacial analysis software is being used to predict sexuality and security risksDigital distractions are making us dumb and twitchyGlimmers of hope in search for means to conquer information overloadClassroom robots stand in for children too ill to go to schoolAvatar enables pupil to watch and participate in lessons from home via a tabletEurope’s half a million landfill sites potentially worth a fortuneWaste can now be mined for metals and to create fuelBiomimicry unleashes wave of materials innovationArtificial retinas and synthetic spider silk are among the lab breakthroughsIoT drives progress towards low-power technologyWake-up receivers, energy-harvesting offer electricity for billions of ‘smart’ thingsAlternative to silicon offers cheaper solar powerScientists believe perovskite cells would get costs down to pennies per wattBigger, higher and floating — advances that make wind a better power sourceNew designs means turbines can be installed in more places and at lower costSuperconductivity offers tantalising changes from electricity to transportHydrogen and graphene show promise for zero electrical resistance at room temperatureBeyond lithium — the search for a better batteryGraphene and salt water offer promising advancesGraphene filters change the economics of clean waterTight mesh removes chemicals, solutes, salts and compounds such as pesticidesOrkney project shows potential of hydrogen as a fuel sourceThe gas may be best option for heavy transport such as trucks, ships and trainsArtificial sperm and wombs offer new means of reproductionScientists produce mice pups from synthetic sperm and eggs — and grow lambs in biobagsUniversal basic income: renaissance for a 500-year-old idea Finland, California, Canada and Netherlands are among the countries staging trialsSix Japanese robots that care for an ageing populationMachines take the strain of careworkers’ mundane jobsHyperloop work begins before a business case is madeRivals vie to be first to put in place a new system, but technology is unprovenLessons on road congestion from Oregon, Singapore and LondonUS state leads the way with dongle that charges drivers by the mileRedesigning the toilet for areas without running water2.3bn people lack access to safe sanitation and women face additional risksSix ways to increase uptake of family planningNew, long-acting contraceptives, mobile services and incentives make programmes more effectiveFaster and more accurate: machine translation is nearly hereCompanies such as Unbabel and Mymanu are helping us understand each otherPrecision farming will feed the world the green wayTechnology offers agriculture higher yields and reduced gas from cowsHow companies draw on science fictionVolkswagen, Hersheys and Capital One are among the companies hiring futuristsReaders’ suggestions for 50 ideas to change the worldFrom roads paved with energy-generating crystals to molecular modellingHelp us find the 50 ideas that can change the worldFrom fountains to yoghurt, innovation comes from the unlikeliest placesNominate an idea that can change the worldCriteria for five challenges: population, resources, education, health and natureIdeas to change the world — long-term potential or simply gimmicks?Inventions that want to make waves in our everyday lives50 ideas to change the world: the judgesFT journalists and external experts will help identify the most promising innovationsHelp us find 50 ideas to change the world