Scariest Current Technologies

People want smart homes that perfectly fit them. This is becoming real. But there is a danger in this dream.Smart homes.Smart homes are not always good. Digital devices hooked to the internet collect personal data about your habits. Your ISP can sell that data. People accept browsing history sales, but smart homes are worse.more invasive.If you have a home security camera, third parties get videos. Some smart TVs have microphones always on., so they record random talks even when you aren't watching TV.This means they can record conversations without you watching.

Advertisers spying on your life feels invasive enough. Hacking a smart home is scarier. Bad actors could find out when you are gone, listen to private talks, or film you naked on your camera.

Car collisions are already deadly weapons, as any driver's ed teacher states instantly.Car collisions are the fourth most common cause of death.Those numbers could rise as extremist hackers learn to control computerized vehicles. More cars now have Internet and Bluetooth. This makes cars as susceptible to hackers as average computers. A hacker could control a car remotely, deliberately crash it, and commit an assassination. The murder would be essentially...A hacker could crash a car remotely to commit murder. The death would be undetectable.

No terrorist attack used a hacked car yet. But the threat looms over the whole car industry. Researchers proved you can hack a car.You can hack a car.You can remotely control steering and acceleration. Criminals will soon use this ability.

Cyber attacks appear in news more often. Their skill and damage potential grow daily. One tool hackers use is called ransomware.Ransomware.Ransomware locks data until a ransom is paid. Hackers pretend to be from a company like FedEx or a gas provider. They send a link. The link downloads the hard drive and locks the user out, demanding payment to regain access.

WannaCry ransomware caused a 2017 cyber attack targeting the UK's National Health Service.The UK's National Health Service.An attack locked down hospitals across the country. This caused a national emergency lasting days before the virus stopped. Without better computer security, these attacks can happen often. So, use extreme care before opening attachments from familiar companies.

Drones serve many roles now. They handle package delivery and advanced military combat. As drone tech gets cheaper, people worry about individuals using autonomous drones for terror attacks. A viral video shows how easily drones can execute a large attack. A small explosive turns a simple drone into a flying slaughterbot.The flying slaughterbot presents a serious problem.

Drones already serve as weapons. Drones operate on the battlefield in the Middle East. American hackers found ways to mount guns on drones. This means a civilian might buy a drone to target and kill specific people or groups.

The Cold War ended, but its effects remain. Russia is still a nuclear power. Decades of peace did not stop them from making new, advanced nuclear weapons. The US announced Russia built a nuclear missile more powerful than any other.This system is more powerful than any other built., and it targeted coastal areas.

The missile supposedly fires from a submarine that radar cannot detect. The Pentagon says the submarine could detonate nukes on coastal cities from the ocean using a torpedo. Wondering about an Good news.Not everyone believes this doomsday missile exists. Some officials think the missile is just a disinformation effort to confuse US military forces. For humanity's future, we should hope the nuke torpedo is just false reporting and propaganda.

Genetic analysis can sell your DNA code through sites like Ancestry.com.Sites like Ancestry.com now let anyone sequence their genome cheaply. Find your genetic roots might sound good. Still, read the fine print before you hand over your DNA. Shipping your genetic sample for analysis gives companies permission to sell data from your genes to others. Companies can then run any experiments on your DNA.

Amazon launched its facial recognition system, Rekognition, in late 2016. The service identifies faces and items in images. Soon after starting, Amazon pitched the service to law enforcement organizations.Law enforcement organizations want the system to help criminal investigations.Original adapters of this program include the Orlando Police Department in Florida and the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Oregon. In Oregon, the program checks photos of unknown suspects against existing mug shots.

Some fans see this technology as a strong tool for catching criminals. Others, like the American Civil Liberties Union, view it as a weapon for mass surveillance on the public. On May 22, 2018, the ACLU and privacy supporters asked Amazon to stop giving the software to law enforcement.The ACLU believes Rekognition could easily build a system to automate identifying and tracking anyone. The ACLU suspects Rekognition could identify "people of interest," like undocumented immigrants or Black activists, for the government."Easily build a system to automate the identification and tracking of anyone," the ACLU suspects with Rekognition. This could identify "people of interest" such as undocumented immigrants or Black activists for the government.

Most Americans use social media daily. This time online affects social and political talk. Online propaganda reaches high levels, and various groups use it to shape social media political discussions. Bots are one common tool used to change public perceptions online.Bots are simple programs designed for basic tasks. These tasks include sharing links, hashtags, and comments across platforms.Bots often repost information and target audiences to sway public opinion. Bots frequently share conspiracy theories, false stories, and bad information, especially in places like Russia where propaganda is common. Always fact-check what you read; never take an article as true.

Bots repost specific information, targeting audiences to shift public opinion. Bots often share conspiracy theories, false stories, and other bad information, especially in places like Russia where propaganda is common, to manipulate citizens. Fact-check everything you read; do not take articles as fact.

Trail cams monitor endangered wildlife. These trail cams are being hacked by poachers.Trail camsTrail cams set up to monitor endangered wildlife are beingpoachers hack trail camsPeople track rare animals for black market sales. Hackers also break into wildlife tracking devices and monitor social media for animal locations. Tourists posting rare animal photos risk poachers using location tags to find vulnerable species.

Powerful computers and user-friendly programs allow people in pajamas to create Hollywood-level special effects. People use this new tech for questionable purposes.FakeApp swaps faces in videos at a Hollywood level.FakeApp lets you face swap with hyper-realistic accuracy. Users recently caused controversy by putting famous actresses' faces onto adult film stars.Michelle Obama.Michelle Obama has been victims of this practice. Nobody is safe from this technology.

Anyone can use FakeApp, creating terrifying implications. Angry exes might make revenge porn using FakeApp. New laws might need to protect people from having their likeness used in explicit videos.

Renewable energy is the future. Natural gas stays necessary for many industries.Hydraulic fracking causes massive earthquakes.Hydraulic fracking extracts natural gas from underground pockets using high-pressure fluids. This process causes earthquakes. States like Oklahoma, which saw fracking benefits, now see a sharp rise in earthquakes, which could cause death.

3D printers could lead to people making guns at home. The gun debate is intense in America. People seek solutions to gun violence. Some Americans want stronger gun crime rules, but 3D printing might make those rules useless.3D printers let people print guns at home.Assault style rifles like the AR-15 print easily. Users only need to print key parts and order the rest online. Various websites sell design files and software to help users print and assemble their own guns.Design files and software enable 3D printing.This technology helps users print and assemble their own guns.

3D printers let people make guns unregistered and easy to get. Anyone with the right parts can do this, even those who couldn't buy a gun legally. A man used a home-made AR-15 to kill five people in Santa Monica, California, in 2013. This man had been denied a commercial gun purchase because of his mental health.

Boston Dynamics engineers robot overlords.Boston Dynamics engineers robot overlords.Boston Dynamics leaves its competition behind. They built some of the most amazing mobile robots. These robots look like they want to control people. The massive quadruped BigDog acts like a slow pack mule sounding like angry hornets. PetMan is an almost human machine looking like something from a Terminator movie. Give any Boston Dynamics creation a weapon, people could die in weeks.Mobile robots are the subject.Boston Dynamics created these mobile robots. They look like they want to enslave humanity. The BigDog is a lumbering pack mule sounding like angry hornets. PetMan is an almost human machine from a Terminator movie. A weapon on any Boston Dynamics creation means death soon.

In 2018, Boston Dynamics showed a video.SpotMini is involved.SpotMini, a dog-like robot, opened a door for another SpotMini. Some found this more scary than a robot pushing through a door before. SpotMini could recognize, turn, and open a doorknob. It was programmed to ignore and beat back a man with a hockey stick trying to stop it. Boston Dynamics robots now pass barriers and ignore anything blocking them. This is nightmare fuel for those fearing robot takeover.

Ransomware can hack robots, not just computers. Researchers hacked into a SoftBank Robotics NAO humanoid robot in March 2018.Researchers hacked into a SoftBank Robotics NAO humanoid robot.as a security test. They broke in and demanded bitcoins to stop the hack. They also made the robot access data, say bad words, and show adult videos. These robots help staff in stores and classrooms and are growing. AI like Amazon Echo is also used more widely across the country.

AI makers must strengthen security. They need to protect the public. Hacking robots in stores, hospitals, and other places can stop services and expose customer data. This could potentially cause deaths.Deadly methods are known.WannaCry ransomware shut down UK hospitals in 2017. Workers had to turn away sick and hurt patients. Patients needing urgent care faced a risk of death.

Dr. Philip Nitschke called himself the "Elon Musk of assisted suicide." He announced he was working on a 3D-printed suicide machine called "An Australian physician made a 3D-printed suicide machine, The Sarco." (sort for sarcophagus.) Users climb into the device. The Sarco then slowly reduces oxygen, letting the person lose consciousness and die peacefully. The device is legal because euthanasia is legal in Australia. Users need an access code, valid for 24 hours, to prove they are mentally fit and have real reasons to end their lives. Some argue for a peaceful death, but a coffin-like device that traps users and suffocates them feels chilling.

One of the most existentially horrifying uses ofVirtual reality shows dying people what death feels like.Frank Kolkman, a designer with dark ideas, tests virtual reality. He made a simulation showing people what death feels like, helping dying patients accept their fate. Kolkman thinks "the fear and experience of death is a neglected topic." He believes treating death worries might make dying easier. Seeing a preview of your death, though, can still feel scary.

Visiting the doctor scares people normally. Add robots with scalpels, and it becomes a nightmare. People with hospital fears will struggle as medical centers introduce more and moreRobot surgeons slice people up on a regular basis.Robotic surgery is only used for minimally invasive procedures. Doctors use robots, often with mechanical arms, to perform surgery remotely. This cuts complications like infection and lets doctors work with more precision and flexibility. Some doctors call this practiceunnecessary and needlessly expensive

Surgical robots already cut people open in hospitals nationwide. These robots will get more popular. Most robots still have a human operating them. Could they one day cut us open completely on their own?

Better car batteries and more drones mean flying cars could happen sooner than expected. But what aboutTech companies may soon release flying taxis.Tech companies, aircraft makers, and car makers plan flying taxis. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wants to use flying cars for Uber service in five to ten years. Fear of flying makes people nervous about cars flying, especially with new tech risks.

Flying taxis sound spooky to many, but some companies are adding anextra fear. Self-flying cars are being discussed. Since self-driving cars cause road accidents, the idea of self-flying cars is alarming.

Zheng-Ping Li, a researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China, created a camera in 2019 with his team.a compact cameraIt takes photos with "unparalleled clarity" from 28 miles away through smog and can make 3D models of subjects.

Focusing a 1550nm low-power infrared laser on a subject and telling the computer to only take photons from that distance boosts image clarity and cuts down extra noise.

The MIT Technology Reviewstates this camera works for "remote sensing, airborne surveillance, and target recognition and identification."

Technology gets personal. Devices now look inside your body for health updates. Wearables like Fitbit surge because companies gather intimate customer anatomy data. These devices also alert users to medical emergencies.People's lives have been savedthanks to products like Fitbit, but it's still weird that one of your devices could possibly predict your untimely death.