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The article discusses 10 technologies that are changing the world. Topics include a system by U.S. medical device developer AliveCor, called the iPhone ECG, that monitors an individual's heart rhythms in real time and sends a signal to family members, patients, and physicians in the event of heart rhythm irregularities, a research program, called SyNAPSE, in which researcher Dharmendra S. Modha and colleagues are trying to develop a microchip modeled after neurons, and a vein biometric authentication device by Japanese technology company Fujitsu, called Palm Secure, that recognizes individuals by the patterns of veins in their palm.

This article discusses materials scientist John Rogers and engineering firm mc10's development of flexible silicon microchips that could potentially be worn on the skin or on clothing. Topics include the applications of the chips in medical monitoring, food information, and solar power, the potential development of the circuitry to be placed within the body to correct medical condition such as arrhythmias, and the impact that consumers will have on future iterations of the technology.

This article discusses the development of a type of big data analysis called reality mining, which uses the location data from smartphone devices to analyze human behavior and could potentially lead to drastic changes in advertising, the control of disease outbreaks, and natural disaster relief.

The article discusses an innovation in financing that would enable homeowners who want to reduce their carbon footprint, while reducing their electricity costs, to get solar panels for free. Topics include an overview of how the plan works, brief details on the U.S. solar panel company SolarCity, which is the largest installer of household solar panels, and various U.S. cities offering their own versions of solar panel financing. INSET: ENERGY: MORE IDEAS TO WATCH.

The article discusses the invention of femtocell base stations which U.S. cellular telephone and smart phone customers can use inside their homes to help eliminate dropped calls.

The article discusses the impact of bunker fuel, which is a low-grade petroleum product used in cargo ships, on public health and the environment and efforts by the International Maritime Organization to regulate its use.

The article discusses what happens to garbage after its discarded. Topics include an overview of how much waste is produced yearly in the U.S. and the environmental conditions at U.S. landfills which have prompted some companies, such as Unilever's Lipton Tea plant in Suffolk, Virginia to enact a strict waste reduction policy.

The article presents a list of human inventions and innovations that the world does not need including daylight savings time, the space shuttle, and the invention of Teflon.