We have now entered the year 2016. While hoverboards are still not ubiquitous (real hoverboards, that is) and we’re not quite sporting the fashion predicted to be haute couture in the movie Back to the Future, many developments in the science community are bringing us from science fiction to science reality.

The Manitoban’s science and technology team have decided to cover three topics that we believe will be important in the upcoming year: CRISPR technology for gene-editing, the Ocean Cleanup Array which will be implemented to help cleanup the Pacific garbage patch, and the second space race among billionaire eccentrics.

These are only a small few innovations among many important developments in the science community. The year 2016 appears to be a promising and exciting year for humankind, and we’re all excited to explore and cover these developments. For now, enjoy this brief preview of science in 2016.