In 1964, the British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke made a number of uncanny predictions about the 21st Century.

"The most intelligent inhabitants of the new world will not be men, but machines," he said, seeming to predict AIA computer programme that has been designed to think. . He imagined remote work. In 1945, he had even become the first person to suggest using communication satellites all the way up in space.

Not all of Clarke's predictions have come true. We do not yet have a "space elevator" to whisk ourselves into the stars, nor have we encountered extraterrestrialAnything from outside Earth. life in deep-space missions.

But by 2024 - the year we discovered new corners of the cosmos, took the first steps towards quantum computing, and found a way to cure a decades-long pandemicAn outbreak of disease which occurs across a wide geographic area, as opposed to an epidemic, which is confined to a particular region. - Clarke would surely not be disappointed in our progress. Here are four key developments from 2024:

1. Miracle shot. In 2015, the UNUnited Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security. adopted an ambitious goal to end AIDSAcute Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It interferes with the immune system, leaving sufferers more vulnerable to common diseases. Around the world, almost 40 million people are believed to be living with the disease. by 2030. But it remains one of the world's most deadly pandemics, killing 630,000 people every year. In 2023, 1.3 million people acquired HIVA virus that damages your immune system., a virus that attacks the immune system and causes AIDS.¹ A new miracle drug has now changed everything. Named lenacapavir, it is an injectable drug that protects its patients from contracting HIV for six months at a time - with a near 100% success rate. Science Magazine named the development its "2024 breakthrough of the year", calling it "a pivotal step towards diminishing HIV/AIDS as a global health crisis.²

2. Quantum multiverse. Google has unveiled a new chip which it says can solve problems that would take the world's current fastest supercomputers 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 - or ten septillion - years... in five minutes. The modest little chip, dubbed "Willow" by the tech giant, is part of an experimental field called quantum computing, which tries to use complex particle physics to solve problems that are currently impossible even for the most powerful supercomputers. It could signify a new age of mind-bogglingly powerful computers. And one Google scientist even suggested it could prove the existence of parallel universes.³

3. Smart sample. There are over 55 million people living with dementiaA syndrome associated with memory loss and other declining brain functions.  worldwide, with Alzheimer's diseaseA progressive disease that causes brain damage over time. It is a common cause of dementia. the most common form. But statistics show that just 2% of people with dementia receive a definite diagnosisThe process of identifying a condition, injury or disease by looking for the signs and symptoms of that condition. based on scientific technology. Instead, dementia is usually diagnosed by symptoms such as memory problems or cognitive difficulty. But this means treatment has to wait until after symptoms have kicked in. Medics have long been searching for a cheap way to diagnose Alzheimer's. And this year saw a huge breakthrough. Researchers in Sweden have found that a commercial blood test can detect Alzheimer's disease with great accuracy before symptoms.⁴

4. Baby planet. This year, scientists found one of the youngest planets ever discovered. The giant planet, which is 520 million light years away, is believed to be about three million years old - or around two weeks old in human years.

Is progress speeding up?

Yes: Look at how far we have come in recent years. We have made advancements we could never have imagined. And we continue to develop the technology we need to accelerate our discoveries even further.

No: In fact, this year for the first time in 30 years, global life expectancy has declined. UK life expectancy has fallen to the lowest level in a decade. What use is it researching space and technology if we are not using our new knowledge to help people live longer, better lives?

Or... We can make amazing discoveries, but there is no guarantee that they will actually benefit most of the population. If you take the AIDS injection as an example, the biggest challenge now will be ensuring that the people who need it - who are disproportionately in the developing world - have access to it.

AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think. 

Extraterrestrial - Anything from outside Earth.

Pandemic - An outbreak of disease which occurs across a wide geographic area, as opposed to an epidemic, which is confined to a particular region.

UN - United Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security.

AIDS - Acute Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It interferes with the immune system, leaving sufferers more vulnerable to common diseases. Around the world, almost 40 million people are believed to be living with the disease.

HIV - A virus that damages your immune system.

Dementia - A syndrome associated with memory loss and other declining brain functions. 

Alzheimer's disease - A progressive disease that causes brain damage over time. It is a common cause of dementia.

Diagnosis - The process of identifying a condition, injury or disease by looking for the signs and symptoms of that condition.