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2020 Year in Review: World of Technology

To recap 2020, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year. Today we’re looking at stories that show how technology is changing our world.

Shimon the Robot Writes and Sings Songs

Closeup of Shimon, the musical robot, singing.
Researchers at Georgia Tech have been working to improve a musical robot called Shimon. Now Shimon doesn’t simply play music, he also writes the words to his own songs – and sings them.


Using Drones to Deliver Summer Reading

Wing drone with package in the air.
Students in Christiansburg, Virginia have an unusual option for getting books this summer – having them delivered by drone. The Montgomery County School District is teaming up with a company called Wing to deliver summer reading by drone.


Delivering the Internet With Balloons in Kenya

A Loon balloon is seen over a wide open landscape.
A company called Loon is using balloons to deliver the internet to people across Kenya. The company believes its system will be a cheap, reliable way to bring internet services to people who live in remote areas.


Robot Lab Assistant Runs Its Own Experiments

Robot Lab Assistant - University of Liverpool.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a robot that can run experiments on its own. The robot works tirelessly, stopping only long enough to recharge its batteries. Recently, the robot finished nearly 700 experiments in eight days.


Japan’s SkyDrive Shows Off Flying Car with Pilot

A pilot takes SkyDrive's SD-03 for a test flight.
Movies about the future often show people zipping around in flying cars. Last week, that vision came a step closer to reality for a Japanese company, as it showed off its flying car in action – complete with driver.


New Flying Inventions Take Off

Richard Browning shows of his jet suit in the mountains of the Lake District as he tests the suit for possible use by emergency medical workers.
The coronavirus may have slowed down a lot of normal airplane traffic, but it hasn’t stopped some new flying inventions from taking off. Today NFK looks at a hydrogen-powered plane and a jet suit for medical emergencies.


Using Computers & Robots to Help Farmers

Mineral's plant buggies roaming down soybean fields.
A research project called Mineral has created robots that move around in farm fields, collecting information about how plants are growing. The project aims to use computers to help farmers grow more food in ways that are healthy for the environment.


New AI Can Detect Covid-19 From a Cough

An illustration showing three hands over three coughing mouths.
Scientists at MIT have developed a method of telling whether someone has the coronavirus simply from their cough. The method could be especially useful for detecting people who have the disease, but show no signs of it.


Virgin Holds First HyperLoop Test With People

Virgin Hyperloop's XP-2 vehicle in front of the hyperloop tube at the DevLoop test site.
On Sunday, a company called Virgin Hyperloop held the first human test of a hyperloop system – a technology which some people believe will change transportation. In the test, a car carrying two people traveled at high speed through a special tube.


DeepMind AI Cracks Protein Folding Puzzle

This structure represents a dehydrogenase enzyme from the bacteria Colwellia psychrerythraea. The enzyme is capable of generating harmful reactive oxygen species and has been implicated in neurodegeneration, ischemia-reperfusion, cancer and several other disorders.
A research lab called DeepMind has created an artificial intelligence program which has largely solved a complicated puzzle that has challenged scientists for 50 years. The success could lead to huge advances in health care.

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