Top 100 Science Trends of 2016

Considering that virtually every technological development in any consumer field can ultimately be traced back to a scientific discovery, it should come as no surprise that the 2016 science trends seem impossibly futuristic. Since at least the Renaissance, science has consistently been at the leading edge of innovation, and our annual innovation conference undoubtedly owes a lot to developments that come from the field.

In line with the cultural zeitgeist, many of the 2016 science trends revolve around the environment. Some companies put research into developing new materials, such as MycoWorks, which created a faux-leather product out of mushroom fibers. Others created new methods for developing energy altogether. The University of Chicago, for example, created a system that uses solar power to transform carbon dioxide into usable energy.

Health is another field that benefited from scientific innovations. WASP Medical's 3D printed corsets are just one example. The inexpensive system, which helps to correct scoliosis, can be tailored to each patient's unique spine through 3D scanning and printing.