98 Technology Facts - AI, Computing & Scientific Breakthroughs

AI

The term 'artificial intelligence' was coined in 1956 at a conference at Dartmouth College, marking the birth of AI as an academic field.
Modern AI models can analyse more data in a day than a human could in a lifetime, revolutionising fields from medicine to finance.
AI systems do not 'think' like humans; they recognise statistical patterns in data to make predictions or generate text.
Neural networks are inspired by the human brain but are vastly simpler, containing millions rather than billions of connections.
AI image recognition now rivals human accuracy, enabling self-driving cars and medical diagnostics.
Generative AI can create realistic text, music, and artwork, blurring the line between human and machine creativity.
Machine learning models improve over time as they process more data, but can also amplify existing biases within it.
Deep learning breakthroughs in 2012 triggered the modern AI boom, largely thanks to powerful graphics processors (GPUs).
AI is being used to predict protein folding, a breakthrough that could accelerate drug discovery and molecular science.
Ethical AI research focuses on fairness, transparency, and accountability to prevent misuse and bias in algorithms.

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Computing History

The first computer bug was literally a moth, found trapped in a relay of the Harvard Mark II in 1947.
ENIAC, one of the first electronic computers, weighed 27 tons and used over 17,000 vacuum tubes.
The word 'computer' originally referred to human workers who performed calculations by hand.
Alan Turing’s theoretical 'Turing machine' laid the foundation for all modern computing.
Grace Hopper developed one of the first compilers, making it possible to program computers in English-like code.
In the 1960s, women made up a significant part of the programming workforce, especially in early software development.
The first 1GB hard drive, released by IBM in 1980, was the size of a refrigerator and cost over $40,000.
Punch cards were once the main way to store and input data into computers before electronic memory.

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Internet

Over 60% of the world’s population is now online, a number that has doubled since 2010.
The first ever website, created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991, explained how to use the World Wide Web.
Every email sent travels through multiple servers across the globe, often crossing international borders before reaching its recipient.
The first webcam was used at Cambridge University to monitor a coffee pot in 1993.
Around 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
The 'www' prefix technically isn’t required to access most modern websites.
Internet data travels mostly through fibre-optic cables lying across the ocean floor.
More data is created every two days now than in all human history before 2003.
The word 'spam' for unwanted emails comes from a Monty Python sketch about repetitive meat products.
Web cookies were invented in 1994 to store user preferences between sessions.

Robotics

The word 'robot' comes from the Czech word 'robota', meaning 'forced labour' or 'work'.
Japan has more industrial robots per worker than any other nation, especially in automobile manufacturing.
Soft robots made from flexible materials are being developed to safely assist in surgery and delicate tasks.
Robots on Mars, like Curiosity and Perseverance, have been exploring the planet for over a decade.
Modern prosthetic limbs can now respond to nerve signals, giving users more natural control.
Swarm robotics uses large groups of simple robots working together, inspired by ants and bees.
The first industrial robot, Unimate, began working at a General Motors factory in 1961.
Robots are increasingly used in disaster response, entering dangerous environments humans cannot.
Humanoid robots are now capable of performing dance routines, sports, and complex movement sequences.
Social robots like Pepper are designed to interact emotionally with humans, recognising faces and speech.

Transportation

The fastest train in the world, Japan’s L0 Series maglev, reaches speeds over 600 km/h using magnetic levitation.
Electric vehicles convert over 77% of their energy into motion, compared to only 12–30% for petrol cars.
The Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 lasted just 12 seconds and covered 36 metres, less than the wingspan of a modern airliner.
Self-driving cars use LIDAR and radar sensors to map their surroundings in real time.
High-speed Hyperloop systems could one day move passengers at speeds over 1,000 km/h in vacuum tubes.
Autonomous drones are being tested for medical deliveries and search-and-rescue missions.
Hybrid aircraft designs aim to combine electric propulsion with jet engines to cut emissions.
The first traffic light was installed in London in 1868, long before the first cars were built.
Modern aircraft navigation depends on satellites, yet still includes manual compass backups.
Some new ships use giant kites to capture wind power and save fuel on long voyages.

Medicine

3D printing is now used to create custom prosthetics, dental implants, and even living tissue structures.
The first successful organ transplant was a kidney transplant performed in 1954 between identical twins.
CRISPR gene editing allows scientists to precisely alter DNA, offering potential cures for genetic diseases.
Telemedicine expanded rapidly after 2020, allowing doctors to consult patients remotely worldwide.
Robotic surgery systems provide millimetre precision beyond human capability.
AI is being trained to detect diseases such as cancer from medical scans faster than human specialists.
Wearable devices can continuously monitor heart rate, sleep, and oxygen levels for early warning signs.
Stem cell therapy research aims to repair or replace damaged tissues and organs.
Nanotechnology could one day deliver drugs directly to individual cells within the body.
Virtual reality is now used in medical training to simulate complex surgeries safely.

Communication

The first text message ever sent in 1992 simply read 'Merry Christmas'.
Radio waves used for mobile phones are part of the same electromagnetic spectrum as light, just at lower frequencies.
Undersea fibre-optic cables carry 99% of international internet traffic across the world’s oceans.
The word 'telephone' comes from Greek roots meaning 'far sound'.
More people today own a mobile phone than have access to clean toilets, according to the UN.
The first long-distance telephone call took place in 1876, shortly after Alexander Graham Bell’s invention.
Modern satellites relay GPS signals that allow your phone to pinpoint your location within metres.
The emoji was invented in Japan in the late 1990s to add emotional tone to digital text.
Video conferencing was first demonstrated in the 1960s, decades before the internet made it practical.
Sign languages are full languages in their own right, with grammar and dialects just like spoken tongues.

Inventions

The microwave oven was invented accidentally when a radar engineer noticed a chocolate bar melting in his pocket.
Post-it Notes were created after a failed attempt to make a super-strong adhesive produced a weak, reusable glue.
The ballpoint pen was inspired by newspaper printing ink that dried quickly and didn’t smudge.
Velcro was modelled after burrs that stuck to a Swiss engineer’s dog during a hike.
The first patent ever recorded was for a method of making coloured glass in 15th-century Venice.
Bubble wrap was originally invented as a new type of wallpaper.
The safety pin, invented in 1849, was created in just a few hours to settle a $15 debt.
The first 3D printer was built in 1983 using a process called stereolithography.
The concept of the modern smartphone combines over a dozen separate inventions from the 20th century.
Modern drones evolved from early remote-controlled aircraft used in World War I.

Cybersecurity

The first computer virus, 'Creeper', appeared in the early 1970s, displaying the message 'I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!'.
Cybercrime is now a multi-trillion-dollar industry, growing faster than global trade itself.
Passwords remain one of the weakest links in digital security, with millions of users still using '123456'.
Phishing scams exploit human trust rather than technical flaws to steal information.
Encryption converts data into unreadable code, protecting online banking and private messages.
White-hat hackers legally test systems to find and fix vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them.
Ransomware attacks encrypt a victim’s files, demanding payment to restore access.
The 2007 cyberattack on Estonia was one of the first large-scale national digital assaults.
Quantum cryptography could one day make data virtually unhackable using the laws of physics.
Two-factor authentication drastically reduces the risk of unauthorised account access.

Future Trends

Quantum computers could one day perform calculations that would take classical computers millions of years.
Biodegradable electronics are being developed to reduce e-waste and environmental pollution.
Augmented reality could soon blend digital information seamlessly into the real world, changing how we learn and work.
Fusion energy aims to replicate the power of the Sun on Earth, offering nearly limitless clean energy.
Brain-computer interfaces may soon allow humans to control machines using only their thoughts.
Urban air taxis and autonomous drones could transform city transport within the next decade.
Biotechnology may one day enable 'smart' plants that detect pollutants or grow under extreme conditions.
Flexible, transparent electronics could turn windows and clothing into interactive displays.
Nanorobots may soon circulate in the bloodstream to detect and repair cellular damage.
Space-based solar power could harvest energy in orbit and beam it down to Earth.