Inventions improve living conditions, they disseminate culture, they
allow us to
get what we want, by force if necessary, and they have the potential to
cause great social or economic upheaval. But what separates a great
life-altering invention from one that just dissappears over time?
Perhaps this will give you some insight.

Be sure to note that the Inventor Boot Camp will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2006.

Here are a list of Forbes choices for inventions that will dramatically change the world.

1. Fuel Cells

In fuel cells, the energy of a reaction between a fuel, such as
liquid hydrogen, and an oxidant, such as liquid oxygen, is converted
into electrical energy. Fuel cells will change the global economy, and
not just because they will be as big a development in motoring as the
internal-combustion engine was. They will also be used as cell-phone
batteries and power generators, among other things. And they will
eliminate the problem of what to do with used batteries: Theoretically,
fuel cells are renewable forever.

2. Gene Therapy

Although the FDA has not approved any human gene therapy for sale,
the potential for using it to correct defective genes responsible for
disease development is enormous. Gene therapy works by inserting genes
into cell tissue, essentially replacing a defective gene with one that
works. So far, researchers have been exploring how gene therapy could
be used to combat or eradicate diseases caused by single-gene defects,
such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, muscular dystrophy and sickle cell
anemia. With time, however, it is hoped that it will not only
revolutionize the treatment of all disease but will also be able to
prevent hereditary diseases, such as Down syndrome and heart disease.

3. Haptics

Whether people know it or not, haptics has been subtly making
inroads into everyday life in the form of vibrating phones, gaming
controllers and force-feedback control knobs in cars (BMW’s iDrive
system uses the technology). But the science of haptics has the
potential to do much more. Products, such as the CyberForce “whole-hand
force feedback system” from Immersion Corporation and SenseAble
Technologies, let users interact physically with virtual objects. For
instance, by using a sensor-equipped glove and a force-reflecting
exoskeleton, you could literally feel the shape, texture and weight of
an onscreen 3-D object. Such devices are used now for virtual modeling,
medicine and the military, but as costs decrease, haptic interfaces
could become valuable communication tools. Using haptics technology,
people will be able to shake hands virtually over the Internet, and
doctors will have the ability to remotely diagnose and operate on
patients.

4. Internet 2

Internet2, or UCAID (University Corporation for Advanced Internet
Development), is the next-generation Internet. It is a nonprofit
consortium developed by many of the leading universities in the U.S.,
as well as by companies such as Cisco, Intel and Comcast, in 1996, to
deliver video and data at much faster speeds than are possible over the
public Internet. The reason is that it is connected to the Abilene
national backbone–provided by Qwest Communications–by regional fiber
networks, which will soon have a capacity of 10 gigabits per second
through the use of optical-networking technologies. This will allow for
faster downloads of more complex packets of data and facilitate
activities such as peer-to-peer applications, high-definition
videoconferencing and, yes, gaming.

5. Life Straw

What’s the most precious liquid on earth? If you said oil, you’re
wrong. It’s water. Even though more than 70% of the earth’s surface is
covered in H20, many parts of the world suffer from a persistent and
crippling shortage of potable drinking water. LifeStraw hopes to change
all that. The 10-inch-long, 1-inch-in-diameter device is made by
Vestergaard Frandsen S.A. of Lausanne, Switzerland, out of a patented
resin that kills bacteria on contact. Its filters remove bacteria, such
as salmonella and staphylococcus, from surface water in rivers and
lakes. Reusable and, at $3 to $4 each, affordable, it has the potential
to not only reduce the outbreak of disease but also to improve living
standards and sanitation in many of the world’s poorest regions.

6. MRAM

MRAM, or Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory, could change the way
we work. Researchers at IBM have shown that MRAM can be six times
faster than the current industry-standard memory, dynamic RAM (DRAM).
It is almost as fast as static RAM (SRAM) and is much faster and
suffers less degradation over time than Flash memory. Unlike these
technologies, MRAM uses magnetism instead of electrical charges to
store data. As a result, it is lower in density and in cost. In
December 2005, Sony engineers verified operation of a
spin-torque-transfer MRAM in the lab with data-write speeds of two
nanoseconds. If adopted as a universal standard, MRAM could have
significant military communications applications.

7. $100 Laptop

If we are to accept that the world economy is now fully dependent
upon the information economy, then it stands to reason that those
people who are left out of the global information network are doomed to
an endless cycle of poverty. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Media Lab has designed a fully functional laptop computer that can be
sold for $100, so that children in poor or developing nations can get
access to the Internet. To keep costs down, the laptop will use a $35
dual-mode display (the kind found on cheap DVD players), a
500-megahertz processor, a slimmed-down operating system and will have
only one gigabyte of storage. Users will be able to plug it into a wall
outlet or charge it by a crank-driven battery, and it will connect to
the Internet via a wireless card. To be sure, these laptops are not
going to be playing Quake 4 anytime soon, but they could give
disadvantaged kids a shot at taking part in the digital community. MIT
hopes to have a working prototype by November 2005 and production units
shipping to government education ministries by the end of 2006.

8. $200 barrel of oil

It’s not an invention, but it will have a dramatic effect on the way
everyone lives. Although the predictions range from terrifying to
calming, all experts agree that a dramatic rise in the cost of fossil
fuel would have a devastating impact not only on the global economy but
on global society as well.

9. Voice Over IP (VoIP)

Voice-over-Internet Protocol lets people make telephone calls over
the Internet or any other IP-based network. Because the voice data
flows over a general-purpose packet-switched network, instead of
dedicated, circuit-switched voice transmission lines, the cost of
making telephone calls for both business and residential users is much
less than with traditional telcos. The reason it is so cheap is that
the high-speed Internet providers essentially bundle VoIP free with
Internet access. Another advantage is that it is mobile: All one needs
is an Internet connection to make a phone call from anywhere. But there
are a few drawbacks–although these are being smoothed over–such as
quality and reliability.

10. WiMAX

WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access,
which is a long-range, standard-based wireless technology that will
effectively allow people to access their phones, computers and the
Internet from virtually anywhere. No more need to wait for the cable or
phone company to install the “last mile” of pipe to your home. The IEEE
802.16 broadband wireless access standard provides up to 31 miles of
linear service area range and allows for connectivity between users
without a direct line of sight. This is significant for several
reasons: First, it will increase the ease and frequency with which
people make wireless connections for work or leisure; second, it will
have enormous potential applications in underdeveloped countries–as
well as rural areas of the First World–which lack adequate
communications infrastructure; and third, no more messy wires.

Transformer Robot

One invention that was totally overlooked is the Transformer Robot. Seriously, this is more than meets the eye. Nakamura-san
at Himeji Soft Works in Japan has made a working transforming robot
that goes from car to battle-class robot and back to car again. You can watch an amazing video of it in action.