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Here at Popular Science we celebrate innovation. Whether it’s a new medical treatment, infrastructure project, consumer product, or big idea, they almost always spring up as the solution to a problem. Some honorees address age-old annoyances while others speak to larger and even existential issues that profoundly affect people around the globe. This year, we’ve selected honorees that exemplify this desire to improve people’s lives, just as we have every year since 1988. Here are the innovations that affected our world in 2023.
Health
It takes time for scientists and drug makers to move the needle in medicine. But during public health emergencies like the pandemic, they need to act urgently without compromising safety, quality, and effectiveness. Opill is a shining example of that. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter contraceptive in just 13 months (some approvals take longer than a decade). The open access will benefit millions of people, which is why PopSci chose it as the 2023 “Innovation of the Year.” Timeliness also factored into the FDA’s decisions to green-light extraordinary new treatments for RSV, Alzheimer’s, and muscular dystrophy this year. Finally, the budding field of space medicine took a big leap with a successful 3D printing experiment in microgravity.
Innovation of the Year
Opill by Perrigo: The first over-the-counter birth control pill in the US
When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Americans were stripped of a crucial female reproductive healthcare right. Nearly half of the 6.1 million pregnancies in the US are unplanned. But the release of an affordable birth control pill means that anyone can get contraceptives anywhere in the…
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