We rank the technologies most likely to change the world by 2028

The team at Lux Research started with the simple question: "What technologies have the greatest potential to transform the world over the next decade?" From there, they applied in-house data analysis to identify and rank the 18 most transformative technologies.

We count them down here, starting with #18: Syngas and Power-to-Gas. producing fuels from CO2 to drive the energy transition

Tech to read and stimulate the brain will see growing validation in 2018.

Over 162,000 patents aim to combat health ills from too much sugar.

Innovation has grown at an 87 percent annual rate to improve on PET.

Growing demand and renewables require tech to balance the grid.

When milliseconds matter, analytics can be local, not in the cloud.

Patents are up 13 times as connected devices proliferate.

Using IT and AI to break out of slow material development cycles.

Here now for consumer electronics, with R&D pushing for EV uses.

Patents soar from near zero to over 23,000 in less than five years.

Enterprise applications are coming now, on heels of $4.4 billion in funding.

A recent $275 million round for Ginkgo Bioworks highlights the potential.

Safer and better batteries, pursued by start-ups and giants like Toyota.

Harnessing the power of microbes for nutrition, agriculture, and more.

Over 70,000 patents set the stage for 5G network launches in 2018.

$1.2 billion in VC funding to impact industries from food to health care.

Lux expects 3D printing to be a $20 billion market by 2025.

The top transformative technology of the next decade, driven by a 30 percent annual increase in machine learning patents.