Before the beginning of the year, certain people make predictions as to what will transpire in the coming year and beyond. These predictions paint the most compelling pictures of the future as they reveal general and specific events that people throughout the world might want to anticipate. Though these predictions should never be taken as absolute, some people find it helpful to read such forecasts in order to identify the ways through which they can prepare themselves for whatever is in store for them, their nations or the world. Some individuals and groups that make New Year predictions base their predictions on the current, while some simply have the natural gift of sensing how the shape of the future is going to be. As 2014 pulled in, people heard and read chunks of predictions concerning the economy, technology, religion, politics, show business and a lot more. For decades, such New Year predictions have been so popular that it has become a habit for people to read through newspapers or the internet what fortunetellers and astrologers have to say about things that are yet to come. Here is a list of 10 things that people should watch out for this 2014:

10. Atomically precise manufacturing will make machinery, infrastructure, and other systems more productive and less expensive.

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According to K. Eric Drexler, an American engineer best known for popularizing the potential of molecular nanotechnology (MNT), recently referred to “nanotechnology” as the process that would pave the way for extraordinary improvements in manufacturing all things this 2014. Scientifically speaking, nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Drexler said that this year, this process would make way for atom-by-atom production and would serve as the key in the creation of far cleaner energy such as liquid hydrocarbon fuels produced through hydrogen from water and carbon from recycled carbon dioxide.

9. Fusion-fueled rockets could significantly reduce the potential time and cost of sending humans to Mars.

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Based on “Rocketing to Mars with Fusion Power” that was published by Cynthia G. Wagner in August 2013, it would be way easier to send humans to Mars this 2014 through the help of fusion-fueled rockets. According to this prediction, space exploration will be made available to humans more frequently this year, without them worrying about the amount of fuel that their vehicles can bring with them to the outer space. A team from the University of Washington devised a type of plasma encased in its own magnetic field, which can cause metal rings around it to implode and converge to create a shell that ignites the fusion reaction. This reaction will power rockets and will make it a lot easier and faster for humans to go to Mars.

8. The future of science is in the hands of crowd sourcing amateurs.

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According to Kathleen Toerpe in his book entitled “The Rise of Citizen Science” published August 2013, citizen science will play a big role in the development of scientific research. Also known as crowd science, crowd-sourced science, civic science or networked science, citizen science refers to a form of scientific research that involves public participation. This 2014, this process which uses networks of volunteers will become the most favored 21st century model for conducting large-scale scientific research. As of today, some of the organizations that use citizen science are Cornell University Ornithology Lab, the United States Rocket Academy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), among many others.

7. Phytoplankton death will further disrupt aquatic ecosystems.

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Recently, Rick Docksaid published in his book “Climate Disruption and Plankton Destruction” that the death of phytoplankton is threatening to disrupt aquatic ecosystems. According to science, phytoplankton refers to the autotrophic components of the plankton community and is too small to be seen with the unaided eye. According to the book published by Docksai in April 2013, global warming poses a major threat to the population of phytoplankton this 2014 primarily because tiny marine plants are very sensitive to temperature changes. A study conducted by the Michigan State University supported this claim by revealing that up to 40% of all phytoplankton in the world will die by the end of the century.

6. Quantum computing could lead the way to true artificial intelligence.

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Last 2013, quantum computing made headway with the launch of the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab which today houses 512-qubit quantum computers by D-Wave, the goal of which is to advance machine learning. According to the creator of D-Wave One quantum computers, Geordie Rose, quantum computers are way more advanced than conventional computers because the latter cannot make decisions as humans do. She predicted that with another 10 to 15 years of enhancement, quantum mechanics will finally be able to see multiple possible outcomes at any given problem, combine information from each to formulate solutions, and cross the threshold of true machine consciousness. She disclosed this prediction in her published work “Dream, Design, Develop, Deliver: From Great Ideas to Better Outcomes.”

5. Buying and owning things will go out of style.

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In Consumption 2.0 by Hugo Garcia that was published in January 2013, he predicted that buying and owning things will no longer be a trend this 2014. He said that last 2013, the markets for housing, automobiles, music, books and many other products showed a common trend, and that was that consumers would rather opt to rent or subscribe to pay-per-use arrangements than buy and own physical products. According to Garcia, shared facilities will overtake established offices this year and renting units will become more common than owning a home. Also, sales of books and music would never be popular again.

4. Doctors will see brain diseases many years before they arise.

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In The Brain as Health Forecaster that was published by Rick Docksai early last year, he said that this 2014, doctors will be capable of detecting brain diseases even before the symptoms turn up. Through brain scans, doctors will be able to identify if a patient will suffer brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and Lou Gehrig’s 10-15 years ahead of physical symptoms. As of today, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are learning to recognize distinct chemical biomarkers within bodies and brain functions of individuals to make this happen. With this advancement, doctors will be able to slow the progression of diseases by being able to identify all the needed treatments earlier.

3. By 2020, populations will shrink, and wealth will shrink with them.

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According to Kenneth Taylor in his work entitled “In Search of the Better Angels of Our Future,” half of the human race will soon live in countries where the birthrates have fallen below the death rates. This will be triggered by the combination of older adults living longer and fewer children being born. He predicted that countries will grapple with shrinking tax bases and workforces in spite of the increasing number of retirees demanding social security and health care payouts. According to him, the society will continue to survive this 2014 but GDPs will significantly fall down and find it hard to rise back up.

2. We will revive recently extinct species.

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A prediction made by Ben J. Navak in his work “The Great Comeback: Bringing a Species Back from Extinction” said that extinct species of animals like passenger pigeons may be brought back this 2014 after a century of extinction. He stated that the strategy for “de-estinction” involves five phases, which include the sequencing and analyzing of pigeon genomes, producing cells that could be used to engineer a living pigeon, crating the genome from synthesized pigeon DNA, using altered cells to create breeding chimeras that would create pure pigeons and reintroducing new passenger pigeons back into the wild. Through this process, scientists will be able to revive even animal species that have been gone for thousands of years.

1. Thanks to big data, the environment around you will anticipate your every move.

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According to Big Data, the “internet of things” is well on its way to providing a window into the lives of billions of humans, as well as their futures.  In its published work entitled “Mapping the Future with Big Data,” computerized sensing and broadcasting abilities being incorporated into our physical environment have been pretty apparent through the advent of RFID tags, surveillance cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles and geo-tagged social media posts that telegraph where people have been and where they are going. This 2014, more and more of these data streams will be integrated into services, platforms and programs and make it possible for the environment to anticipate every move every human being makes and is about to make.