What’s A Moonshot Anymore? These Are the Next Frontiers to pay attention to

We used to say “moonshot” to mean aiming for the impossible, but our sights are set way beyond the moon now. Look no further than the James Webb Telescope: to see just how far we've come in 30 years, compare its recently-released images to those of the Hubble. 

Moonshots have become commonplace. Companies like Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX are making space tourism a reality, with hundreds on their waitlists. What were once our most far-fetched ideas have become mainstream.

WHAT’S UP ⬆️:
Setting our dreams higher. Not long ago, these innovations were unimaginable. Now, they’re turning science fiction into science fact. While we still have a long way to go, it’s proof that the sky isn’t the limit, it’s the floor.

• Virtual Reality: VR tech has already been integrated into a wide range of industries, from construction to medicine to higher education. It’s getting to the point where VR can make people feel genuinely transported to a whole new virtual world… one where they can go shopping, travel, and even get married. Of course, those are all things we can do here on Earth; next, the metaverse will get even more imaginative, giving us experiences that transcend the limits of the physical world.
  
  Simon Aytes, one of our Data Scientists, has firsthand experience with VR: “During my time at NASA, I created a VR 'laboratory' where data scientists could perform their work in a completely virtual environment. With it, they could actually visualize their data in three-dimensional space and achieve true immersion.”

• Flying Vehicles: We may finally have an answer to "Where's my flying car?" The airworthiness-certified AirCar — which its creators claim can be mass produced — has wings that extend and retract like a convertible, allowing it to transform from car to aircraft in just over two minutes. Then there’s the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicle, or eVTOL. It’s a prototype “air taxi” (think a drone crossed with the Batplane) built to travel between helipads, parking garages, and roofs.

• Artificial Intelligence: At Decode_M, we’re obsessed with AI. Take it from Isiah Cruz, our Director of Data Science: “This is one of the most significant technological developments in human history, and we are applying it at Decode_M in a way that helps our clients make more informed and precise decisions."

  The tools we're developing accomplish what once seemed unimaginable. Take Named Entity Recognition (NER), our machine learning technique that analyzes millions of data points within queries to identify the next big thing. We even use it to inspire entire pitch decks from nothing more than a couple keywords! It goes hand in hand with our Digital Architecture, artificial neural networks that forecast trends up to 24 months beforehand. Even seeing the future is now within the realm of possibility.

  
  On top of that, our AI Storytelling tool allows machines to create narratives. The technique uses quantitative data and an autoregressive language model to intelligently and strategically answer questions. In other words, we can input a bunch of open-ended questions or data points on complicated topics, and it spits back out the key findings in a concise, easy-to-understand summary. For those of us who haven’t started Duolingo for technospeak, this is a game-changer! 🤖
  
  
  

WHAT’S DOWN ⬇️:
Thinking small. The best ideas come during times of uncertainty. Between inflation, war, civil unrest, and a pandemic that just won’t end, people’s concerns are decidedly earthbound… but these innovations show how much we can achieve if we dare to dream big.

WHAT’S NEXT ➡️:

D Disruption	For decades, the space industry was solely the domain of government agencies. But in recent years, it’s become dominated by the private sector: right now, SpaceX is ranked behind only NASA and China’s space program, with other companies eagerly diving into the fray. We’re in the middle of a billionaire space race.
I Innovation	Let’s take a moment to appreciate just how innovative the James Webb Telescope is. As a technological system, it truly stands alone — with major implications across many other industries. If nothing else, these photos will change the way the public and scientists alike understand the universe.
P Polarization	The average person is far less interested in space travel than Elon Musk or Richard Branson. If anything, they’re more likely to resent these billionaires sinking so much money into it with so many problems to solve here on Earth. Even Jeff Bezos, one of the most vocal proponents of private space exploration, seems aware of the optics.
S Stickiness	It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… Jetpack Man? In a bit of scifi come to life, a mysterious jetpack-strapped UFO has been spotted at least five times in Los Angeles over the past two years, soaring at altitudes of 5,000 ft. Is it one person? Is it several? Is it a mannequin strapped into a balloon? No one seems to know.
S Social Impact	The Senate just passed a $280 billion bill to invest in “cutting-edge technologies and innovations to bolster the nation’s industrial, technological and military strength.” If all goes well, the bipartisan bill will create thousands of American jobs, increase competition with China, and accelerate changes in party orthodoxy across both sides of the aisle.