Like so many other publications, I have decided to take a look back at the past year to determine the most significant technological breakthroughs. After a good deal of thought, here are my selections:

#10: Smaller Transistors. In January, both Intel and IBM announced that they would be using new materials to design smaller transistors. What is significant about the breakthrough is how a relatively simple advance in the material sciences can increase the productivity of existing product by 30%. In 2008, businesses should continue to stay abreast of advances in nanotechnology because I believe a host of new materials—many with exciting properties—will emerge. To understand the potential, I’d encourage you to review this post about how General Motors is employing nanotechnology to its competitive advantage.

#9: The Paper Battery. In August, a team at Rensselaer unveiled a small piece of paper that can store and discharge electricity. What is so exciting about this technology is that it could soon be used to construct products that use the heat from the human body to power the device—say goodbye to having to recharge your cellphone! (The technology can also be used to power medical devices inside the body. The advantage of this is that pacemakers and other medical implants won’t have to replaced.)

#8:The Human Microbiome Project. There is still a great deal that doctors and scientists don’t know about the human body. One such area that is only partially understood is the role that microbes play in immune function and nutrition. As a result of the HMP, however, this could soon change and the implications for understanding and treating disease could be huge.

#7: Multi-touch Computers. I have written about Jeff Han’s work with multi-touch computers in the past and in 2007 companies such as Microsoft also got into the act. As this technology continues to drop in price and improve in functionality, look for potential applications to explode. I am especially excited about how the technology will transform the advertising and educational industries.

#6: Brain-Computer Interfaces. The ability of researchers to read neurons and translate brain waves into electrical signals which can then be read by computers is nothing short of revolutionary. While I believe that it will be some time before the technology becomes mainstream, the first commercial products will likely soon be seen in the gaming industry.

# 5: Progress in the Field of Robots. There were a number of noteworthy breakthroughs in robotics this year. In November, a team from Carnegie Mellon constructed a robot-driven vehicle that successfully navigated an unrban environment; in Israel researchers built a robot the size of a dragonfly that could fly into a cave; and just last week, researchers announced that they developed an I-Snake robot that could patrol the human body. All of this tells me that society is just at the dawn of the age of robots.

#4: A Carbon Dioxide Catalyst. Thanks in part to Al Gore—who won an Academy Award and the Nobel Prize this year—the issue of climate change has finally seeped into public consciousness. This is a good thing but, at heart, I’m what some people would call a “techno-optimist” because I believe technology will ultimately solve the issue of carbon dioxide contributing to global climate change. One reason for this optimism is because scientists are already tinkering with the idea of using solar power to convert CO2 into fuel. If successful, the “problem” of CO2 could become an opportunity.

#3: Wireless Energy. This year physicists at MIT demonstrated how to transfer energy wirelessly. It is only a matter of time before this technology becomes a commercial reality, and when it does not only can we kiss goodbye to electrical cords, a host of new product applications will likely emerge.

#2: Genome Transfer. In June, reseachers at the J. Craig Venter Institute announced they had successfully transplanted the genome of one species into another. I have written before about the emerging field of synthetic biology and explained how it could revolutionize everything from the pharmaceutical industry to agriculture and energy. This breakthrough suggests that these revolutions may just be a few years away from reality.

#1: Stem Cell Research. In December, researchers in Wisconsin and Japan announced they had successfully demonstrated how to use a virus to reprogam skins cells into stem cells. As I explained in this post, there are still a number of factors that could limit the overall effectiveness of this breakthrough but, at this time, it is hard to argue that this breakthrough will provide a huge boost to the whole field of stem cell research. And, to the extent that it does, it could usher in a great deal of progress in the treatment of a variety of diseases over the coming years.

All told, these breakthroughs provide further evidence that the pace of change continues to accelerate. Almost regardless of the industry you are in, one or more of these breakthroughs will impact your business. If you hope to stay ahead of the game and “jump the curve,” the time to begin contemplating what these developments mean for you and your business is now.

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Jack Uldrich is a writer, futurist, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business. He is also a frequent speaker on future technology and future trends, nanotechnology, innovation, change management and executive leadership to a variety of businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and trade associations.