What’s the best technology that doesn’t exist yet? Most funding is pouring into AGI right now. But there's much more being built that could be truly transformative, and almost no one is paying attention. Some technologies can guide funding, coordination, and what feels possible long before they're built. The internet did; so did the Human Genome Project; AGI is doing it now. @michael_nielsen calls these hyper-entities. We went looking for new ones in 100 podcasts, worldbuilding scenarios, and essays from Existential Hope, a project that has been mapping positive futures for over 5 years. From 300 ideas, here are the 10 we’re most excited about: • Chemputing – Chemistry made programmable: write code, a robot runs the reaction, same result everywhere. • Machine-readable science – Scientific publishing made usable to AI, so that it can verify claims and build on findings directly. • Open science networks – Infrastructure that rewards scientists for sharing data and replicating results, not just publishing first. • Epistemic stack – A system that lets anyone trace a claim (in science, policy, the news, etc) through chains of evidence. • Fiduciary AI assistants – An AI assistant that is bound to you and legally required to act in your interest. • Immune-computer interface – Continuous real-time monitoring of your immune system. • Conflict de-escalation protocol – AI mediation that finds fair outcomes before disputes escalate. • Deep fission – Car-sized nuclear reactors built to be highly safe and to run autonomously for decades, installed underground. • Digital twins – Living simulations of cities, ecosystems, supply chains, and other complex systems to test decisions before committing. • Interspecies communication – Decoding what other species communicate to each other. More info in the reply ↓

There are world-leading AI companies being founded in Britain, but we can do so much more. Today I'm delighted to be announced as Chair of the UK Government's Sovereign AI Unit, backed by almost £500 million in investment to help build and scale AI capabilities on British shores . This is a new type of Government initiative - one which aims to be the first choice of partner for founders building essential parts of the UK’s AI infrastructure, growing our economy. One which will use the awesome power of the British state to help scale our AI breakthroughs. And one which aims to make a meaningful return for the British taxpayer. I look forward to working with the team to build and launch this initiative in the coming months to make this critical technology work for all of us in Britain. We will announce job opportunities with the unit and more on the DSIT website and social channels, so please follow along. You can read more about this, and the huge package of support for AI in the UK just announced by the Secretary of State @leicesterliz and Minister @KanishkaNarayan in the links below.

New from @instituteGC: a proposal for Lovelace Disruptive Invention Labs Is a better science possible, & how can we build it? 🏗️ Britain should pioneer a complementary model for research at the intersection of science & engineering – inverting core assumptions of modern public R&D

Marco's Beetroot Juice.

The BiTS UK cohort, powered by @ARIA_research, kicked off — taking on brain waste clearance, molecular self-assembly, methane emissions & more. Over the next 15 weeks, they’ll turn bold visions into actionable programs. Meet the brilliant cohort & their big-if-true ideas 👇

Proud to have been a tiny part of this amazing team (@PulisGroup) over 8 years ago! Check out new advances in B(C6F5)3 catalysis: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs…

From 25 August 2025, UK citizens aged 12 will be able to use eGates at German airports if they register for EasyPASS-Registered Traveller Programme. Registration must be done in person at a Federal Police service office at a German airport. ℹ️ easypass.de/EasyPass/EN/Easy…

A pleasure getting (most of) the band back together and presenting our recent work at @acceleration_c

Grateful to see a fun and highly collaborative project from my PhD featured in this special editorial!

Very excited for Chemify, with the University of Glasgow, to be part of the UKRI EPSRC Prosperity Parternships. ukri.org/news/uk-businesses-…

Moments to celebrate, be proud of and thankful for

Online now: A programmable modular robot for the synthesis of molecular machines dlvr.it/TJsSjt

Had an absolute blast (glitter and all) in Puerto Rico with @foresightinst's Vision Weekend. Amazing collection of people!

En route to @foresightinst's Vision Weekend in Puerto Rico! Excited for a great conference and thankful to be amongst the 2025 Fellows

There's no more fitting way to celebrate @GerlachTabea's viva than with delicious food. Thanks for a lovely evening @CailBruich

Excited to start the year with the successful defence of my thesis. Many thanks to the examiners @d_castagnolo and Simon Webb, my supervisors and all those I worked with in the past 4 years.

Much of the chemicals sector (particularly in Europe) has struggled in a downward cycle of high costs coupled with sluggish demand, leading to overcapacity and squeezed margins. Catch up on anything you missed in our 2024 roundup. chemistryworld.com/news/chem…

Thanks to @UofGAlchemists and @chorye of @DukeU for the invites to talk #DigitalChemistry in the past week