It’s been a good year for innovation. As we panicked our way through several months of Swine Flu and a global financial meltdown some pretty amazing things were invented right under our collective nose. So to give these inventions and innovations their time in the spotlight I’ve compiled what I believe to be the most inventive and innovative top 10 list you’ll find anywhere on the internet. It goes in reverse!

10. Teleportation: AKA “Live Migration” This new feature from Sun Microsystem’s VirtualBox 3.1.0 allows virtual machine sessions to be moved, while running, from one computer to another. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Solaris. AND the other type of teleportation (the Star Trek kind) is apparently just around the corner too.

9. The Jaipur Knee: AKA The $20 Knee, this hotly contested invention (claimed to have been developed by two separate American Universities) reduces the cost of a prosthetic limb from thousands of dollars down to $20. In many developing countries limb loss from landmines or disease affects a large number of people. This invention now increases the economic chances of those who have suffered the loss of a limb, which means the economic health of entire regions in developing countries will likely benefit.

8. LED Light Bulbs: Driven by the $10 million L-prize from the American Department of Energy, companies like Seimens and Phillips (the first to enter a finished product) can drastically reduce the amount of energy consumed by light bulbs in North America through their new designs. By installing these new bulbs in place of the antiquated ones enough energy to power over 17 million homes will become available just from the increased efficiency.

7. The Electric Eye: Developed  by MIT this microchip implant will help those who are completely blind to regain their sight.

6. VPL Vaccine Technology: Maryland company Novavax has developed a process to create just in time vaccines that bypass the need for tens of millions of eggs to be used as hosts. The new vaccines also eliminate common side-effects from traditional vaccines.

5. The Solar Shingle: Developed by Dow, this innocuous roofing material looks pretty much just like a roof shingle and  is expected to cost 10% to 15% less than traditional solar panels as well as being quicker to install.

4. Closed Containment Aquaculture: Two recent developments have made the future of human food security a whole lot brighter. In China, a massive closed containment aquaculture project that will provide millions of tonnes of Trout and Salmon is underway using Canadian technology from Agri Marine, while in Australia Blue Fin Tuna has been successfully bred using similar closed containment methods.

3. The Ares Rocket: It seems NASA had been stuck in the past in many ways, particularly when it came to its Rocket fleet. The Ares Rockets represent a turning point for the agency and opens up all sorts of possibilities for manned space flight by increasing the safety, efficiency and range of missions.

2. The AIDS Vaccine: 30 Years after HIV/AIDS appeared a vaccine trial has finally provided a glimmer of hope in the battle against this incredibly complex disease. Reducing the chances of contracting the disease by 30% the vaccine and similar variants are still being developed and tested.

1. I’m leaving this spot blank for YOU to comment on what you think the number one invention of the year is. My list is likely to be different than yours, as many of the other ones online that I’ve seen are. We here at Senses are very interested to hear what you think the coolest invention of the year is. So leave a comment below and we’ll put yours at the number 1 spot if we think it beats our number 1 being held in reserve!

NUMBER 1 INVENTION OF THE YEAR AS CHOSEN BY YOU THE PEOPLE:

Closed Containment Aquaculture (Fish Farms).

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Related posts:

1. Swine Flu vaccine race is pushing the boundaries of pharmaceutical technology
2. Software, hardware, and who brings home the bacon in a Swine Flu outbreak
3. Top Twitter Trends of 2009

Tags: AIDS vaccine, Blue Fin Tuna, Canadian technology from Agri Marine, closed containment, Closed Containment aquaculture, Jaipur Knee, manned space flight, new vaccines, Novavax, similar variants, Star Trek, Sun Microsystem, Teleportation, The $20 Knee, The Ares Rocket, The Electric Eye, The Solar Shingle, VPL Vaccine Technology

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