These Are The Transformative Technologies That MIT Says Will Shape Our Future

This morning, MIT Technology Review published its 18th-annual 10 Breakthrough Technologies list, and it includes some fascinating entries. By "breakthrough," the publication means "a technology, or perhaps even a collection of technologies, that will have a profound effect on our lives." Now that we have our definitions out of the way, let's take a look at some of the technologies that our kids will probably see as old-hat, but that we'll consider truly innovative. With the possibility of using metals as well as plastic, composites, and other materials, 3D printing companies will make it easier than ever for businesses to print replacement parts, or even all-new ones. And that means they don't have to keep huge inventories of things they might someday need.