Flying vehicles, quantum computers, artificial vision – they are often described by scriptwriters in science fiction films. But their popularity also has a downside – the development of skepticism and distrust in relation to real projects. Specially for “Haytek” representatives of the Russian technology business analyzed the most popular stereotypes about their developments.
1.About sleep and so everything is known
Georgy Timchenko, CEO of the company-developer of sleep monitoring and control technology Sowaa
In the field of health technology and quality of life, prejudices are often faced. They spread because of the seeming simplicity of the topic and its surface coverage in the media. This is also influenced by a large number of devices, applications that try to accommodate the maximum set of functions for monitoring health.
The most popular stereotype is that people are confident that they are aware of their sleep and its impact on the quality of life. “Go to bed early and sleep for 8 hours – that’s all science, they won’t tell me anything new,” – we are constantly faced with such an opinion. In second place is the opinion that monitoring health, and especially sleep, is very difficult and inconvenient. All these bracelets, headbands, wires, endless recharging of batteries.
The general recommendations we know (a stable sleep schedule, 8 hours of sleep, a light dinner) are mostly correct. But they don’t work on their own. We know that it is bad to gorge ourselves before bed, but we cannot objectively assess the effect of a heavy dinner on our condition. Therefore, the recommendation remains on the far border of consciousness, somewhere close to “It’s good to be healthy and rich.”
Despite the prevalence, most of these recommendations are not in the focus of our attention. In the meantime, comprehensive health trackers (if they pay enough attention to sleep) and specialized sleep trackers measure the impact of behavior on sleep quality. The user begins to track the connections between activities and how much sleep “recharges”. This awareness gradually forms the right habits.
There are already sleep monitoring complexes on the market that do not require any participation from the user. They do not need to be charged, and the sensors are attached to the body – for example, smart mattresses. Health monitoring has long been a simple and important tool.
2.The quantum computer will definitely replace the classical one
Ruslan Yunusov, Head of the Project Office for Quantum Technologies of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Head of the National Quantum Laboratory
Quantum computing is terra incognita in the world of technology. We are faced with a large number of stereotypes and not always correct expectations. But this is normal – of all quantum technologies, it is computing that is at the earliest stage of development. One of the most common misconceptions is the idea that a quantum computer will replace the usual classical devices. This means that the difference between them is only in the fact that all those operations that we perform today can be performed many times faster.
In fact, we are not talking about abandoning existing computing systems – both quantum computers and quantum computers cannot be applied everywhere. Quants have an incomparable advantage in solving problems based on parallel calculations – situations when you need to sort out a large number of options and choose the most optimal one. Quantum phenomena such as superposition and quantum entanglement make it possible to do this almost instantly.
But if we are talking about solving sequential tasks, classic PCs can show higher efficiency. This is one of the reasons why quantum devices will be the best tool for working with certain classes of problems, but not replace the devices we use on a daily basis.
3. “Chipping” with medical implants will allow you to control a person’s thoughts
Denis Kuleshov, director of the Sensor-Tech laboratory
In films, comics, science fiction, technologies associated with neuroimplantation are presented as something that controls a person, controls his brain. Specialists do not have such suspicions, people with disabilities also have no questions about why such medical systems are needed. But people who do not understand the topic at all sometimes ask questions in the style of “Why are you prying into a person’s head, what do you need from him?”. And every time we explain that our goal is to help people, and what is happening in the cinema, in science fiction, is still unattainable.
People often perceive our ELVIS implant not as a medical technology, but as a chip – a miniature device that can be imperceptibly placed in a person’s head, and then broadcast advertising to his brain and control his thoughts. Sometimes we were even asked if this “chip” could be implanted through vaccination. Of course, from the point of view of science and medicine, such questions are perplexing, but we understand that people who are not at all immersed in our field can have them.
Take the invasive systems that are put into the human brain. This is the most serious medical procedure associated with surgical intervention. Anything can be implanted into a person’s head only with his full consent, only for medical reasons, and only doctors in medical institutions can do this. And since neuroimplants that can help people with various disorders and diseases are just beginning to appear, not many institutions can afford such an operation at all.
It is long and difficult to develop neuroimplants, it takes 5-6 years. In each country, such devices need to be certified, it takes another 2-3 years. During this time, the state understands technology, thoroughly learns how it works. All this is supported by the most detailed technical documentation, which takes many thousands of pages and describes the entire operation of a medical device. And only after the state allows the use of this medical device on its territory, the stage of doctors’ work with the patient begins.
The patient undergoes examinations, he is observed for many months, sometimes even years. Then they prepare him for surgery for several months. Neuroimplants are placed in the brain by neurosurgeons; the operation takes many hours and is performed only in the leading medical institutions of the country. And after that, many more months are spent on rehabilitation. In general, this is a technically difficult operation that is only indicated for people with impairments or diseases that cannot be treated otherwise. And this cannot happen unnoticed by a person.
4.Modern plant-based meat and soy burgers from the 90s are the same
Alexander Kiselev, co-founder and CEO of the plant-based meat developer Welldone
We are often confronted with the belief that vegetable meat is a cheap analogue of an animal, reminiscent of canned food in taste and quality. This stereotype comes from the early 90s, when soy burgers appeared on the market. Then it was an affordable substitute for animal meat, with a taste and smell unlike meat, a mushy texture, and a pale yellowish color. Only the name and shape were similar to meatballs. But they were popular, since animal meat was expensive and could not be affordable for many.
Vegetable meat is a completely different product today. In fact, scientists have decomposed animal meat into its components: protein, fats, carbohydrates, elements that determine color, taste and aroma, and found a plant alternative for each of them. Instead of beef protein – soy protein, instead of animal fat with cholesterol – vegetable oils, instead of animal sugars – dietary fiber. Therefore, plant-based meat is so similar in taste, texture, and cooking to meat of animal origin that you don’t need to come up with new recipes. In almost any familiar recipe, from a burger to a bolognese pasta, you can replace an animal product with a vegetable one without changing anything else.
Vegetable meat today is no longer a product to save. Due to the use of high-quality ingredients and a complex production process, it costs 20-30% more than an animal on average.
5. Quantum cryptography can protect any data
Yuri Kurochkin, company-developer of solutions in the field of quantum cryptography QRate
We encounter biases about quantum communications almost every day. This is due to the fact that they talk about quantum technologies at different levels. The first is science fiction, often divorced from reality, the second is popular texts, and usually this is already a sufficient level to overcome prejudices. Or you can speak at the level of a specialist who studies quantum technologies.
The most common stereotype is the idea that it solves all information security problems. But already from the term it is clear that cryptography protects only transmitted data or a digital signature. Therefore, if company employees have physical access to the office to the original unencrypted data and can compromise it, quantum cryptography will not save.
As in the entire quantum world, in which an object can be in a superposition of two states, some prejudices here are both true and false at the same time. For example, the entangled photon pairs popular in quantum communication lectures. Most people believe that the technology of quantum cryptography is based on them. On the one hand, the statement is correct, because entangled quantum particles are actually built using several protocols. On the other hand, quantum communications for business use attenuated laser pulses, much more convenient and practical, which reliably work according to the recognized Decoy-state BB84 protocol.
6. Flying cars will lead to sky traffic jams
Alexander Atamanov, founder of Hoversurf flying motorcycle company
Every time in a conversation with ordinary people, questions arise related to the peculiarities of the technology of flying motorcycles. Usually these are prejudices like “No, this is definitely not for us, rather, for the next generation” – people think that flying cars are ahead of their time.
One of the common stereotypes: if cars start flying, there will be traffic jams in the sky too. This is not so, because the transition into the air provides a huge number of echelons for the separation of traffic flows in height.
To rid people of stereotypes, we are trying to paint a picture of the future: cars and motorcycles in the air will move along special dedicated routes that run in safe places. They are at different heights, and each vehicle has its own parachute in case of an accident. The main thing is that this technology is available now – for you and me. In 4-5 years, it will become safer, and the batteries will allow you to move much further and longer. As fantastic as it sounds, we will see the future very soon.
7. Artificial intelligence will replace living instructors
Alexey Kurov, co-founder of the first AI-powered yoga app Zenia
The direction of FitnessTech – smart devices for interactive fitness classes – received a powerful impetus during the pandemic. The use of neural networks and computer vision will democratize fitness, making sports at home more efficient, safer and more fun. AI already knows how to motivate a person and select a program at a level comparable to a real trainer.
Naturally, instructors do not like the technology – they see it as a threat to the profession. But this is the wrong approach: instead of hindering the penetration of new technology, it is more profitable to “make friends” with it. When a yoga teacher leads a class on the platform, the AI analyzes the technique of his students and reports errors in real time, helping to avoid missing important points and reduce the likelihood of injury. Artificial intelligence does not compete with a trainer, but helps to involve those who are not yet ready to work out in the gym into fitness.
Another obstacle to the development of fittech is the high cost of smart simulators and the marketing efforts of their manufacturers, which do not allow customers to realize that it is not at all necessary to buy an expensive device to train with a smart trainer. Therefore, some think that fittech development is limited to the upper middle income segment. We explain that today it is enough to install additional sports “brains” – an application with artificial intelligence on the phone, tablet or TV set-top box. The camera in modern mobile devices already allows you to analyze the technique of performing exercises using computer vision. For example, Zenia works with the iPhone and the SberBox Top platform.
8. Drones are only needed for surveillance
Vyacheslav Barbasov, CEO of Rusdrone.ru, member of the Moscow Innovation Cluster
We face prejudices about unmanned aerial vehicles every day. For many, the development of such technologies is an undesirable future that raises concerns about personal safety.
Drones are often associated with surveillance, it is believed that corporations and governments will spy on people not only through devices, but at any time to fly in and see who is doing what and where. But people do not consider that technology can be used for peaceful purposes. For example, in 17 Russian regions, the State Traffic Inspectorate and Rosgvardia units began using drones to ensure road safety and identify offenders.
The future of drones will come anyway. It is in our interests to develop these technologies, otherwise they will have to be bought abroad. The rest is a matter of legislation and good faith.
