What Will You Look Like In 100,000 Years? Computational Genomics Reveals
Between parallel universes and alien life, many of us science fiction geeks have never really cared to consider the possibility that 100,000 years later we could still be in our human form. Not entirely human, at least. A cyborg maybe? But if we continue to swat extinction out of our way, what do you think we will evolve into? Nickolay Lamm collaborated with Dr. Alan Kwan, who has a PhD in Computational Genomics from Washington University to speculate human appearance in the year of 102,013.
While there are one too many variables into play including the chances of our own survival, Nickolay Kamm predicted one possible timeline in which the future-humans would be able to control evolution and biology like present-day humans control electrons, through zygotic genome engineering technology. So, natural evolution would be tweaked to suit our needs.
This way or that, 100,000 years later, we are sure to be much more knowledgeable than today. And it's not implausible to think, that humans would indeed push for a bigger brain to accomodate the sea of data. With a bias towards cranium growth, expect #-Link-Snipped-#.
Moving on, Kamm flirts with the idea of wearable computing becoming kind-of-like integrated computing. Communications lenses will have replaced devices such as Google Glass. Traveling through Space, inhabiting other planets might require some fine-tuning after all. Norms would include larger eyes in response to planets with dimmer environment, more pigmented skin to fight UV radiation in space and thicker eyelids to counter the effects of low or no gravity that are known to disorient the eyesight of today’s astronauts on the International Space Station. Technologies like communications lenses and miniature bone-conduction devices implanted above the ear will leave the human face biased towards certain features. Especially the eyes, with potential “eye shine†from the tapetum lucidum. That's not going to look very nice. I'm afraid Mr. Kamm has chosen #-Link-Snipped-#.
Via: #-Link-Snipped-#
Our Present.
While there are one too many variables into play including the chances of our own survival, Nickolay Kamm predicted one possible timeline in which the future-humans would be able to control evolution and biology like present-day humans control electrons, through zygotic genome engineering technology. So, natural evolution would be tweaked to suit our needs.
Some 20000 Years Later. Not bad.
This way or that, 100,000 years later, we are sure to be much more knowledgeable than today. And it's not implausible to think, that humans would indeed push for a bigger brain to accomodate the sea of data. With a bias towards cranium growth, expect #-Link-Snipped-#.
60000 Years Later. Creepy Anime Eyes.
Moving on, Kamm flirts with the idea of wearable computing becoming kind-of-like integrated computing. Communications lenses will have replaced devices such as Google Glass. Traveling through Space, inhabiting other planets might require some fine-tuning after all. Norms would include larger eyes in response to planets with dimmer environment, more pigmented skin to fight UV radiation in space and thicker eyelids to counter the effects of low or no gravity that are known to disorient the eyesight of today’s astronauts on the International Space Station. Technologies like communications lenses and miniature bone-conduction devices implanted above the ear will leave the human face biased towards certain features. Especially the eyes, with potential “eye shine†from the tapetum lucidum. That's not going to look very nice. I'm afraid Mr. Kamm has chosen #-Link-Snipped-#.
100000 Years Later. This Is The Darkest Timeline.
Via: #-Link-Snipped-#
Replies
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loveboxHmm.. Interesting.
I wonder which spoken language will prevail for communication at that time, or, thinking deeper still, wouldn't the human race have lost the power of speech by that time, as most of the communication would be through some form of electronically mediated telepathy? What say? -
Smriti JhaLike, "Look into my eyes, they tell my story"? Sure, why not. Your face IS eyes.
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Kaustubh Katdare...1000 years? I think in the next 10 years we'll have bigger eyes because our retinas & iris are constantly being stretched looking at our phones.
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Ankita Katdare#-Link-Snipped-# - Your comment makes me wonder - Doesn't telepathy require a language? Since we are conditioned to believe that words or facial/hand expressions are the way to communicate your thoughts. Do you mean to say that impressions or feelings can be conveyed via telepathy without using a sign/verbal language?
I don't think so. Telepathic communication is linguistic communication.
Even when the information to be transmitted is presented to the sender in pictorial form, the sender will makes use of language in transmitting it. Of course, information transmitted in an incomprehensible language is not of much use to the receiver.
PS: Sorry for being off the topic. I think the article and the topic of research is a remarkable one! -
loveboxAbraKaDabra#-Link-Snipped-# - Your comment makes me wonder - Doesn't telepathy require a language? Since we are conditioned to believe that words or facial/hand expressions are the way to communicate your thoughts. Do you mean to say that impressions or feelings can be conveyed via telepathy without using a sign/verbal language?
I don't think so. Telepathic communication is linguistic communication.
Even when the information to be transmitted is presented to the sender in pictorial form, the sender will makes use of language in transmitting it. Of course, information transmitted in an incomprehensible language is not of much use to the receiver.
PS: Sorry for being off the topic. I think the article and the topic of research is a remarkable one!
@#-Link-Snipped-# - Yes, indeed it is a remarkable topic of research and does interest me a lot.
But what I had mentioned about was 'spoken language' and 'power of speech'.
Anyways, much of what I know about telepathic communication (and believe me, I don't know much) is that it is in the form of some generic language that the brain uses for thinking. Experiments have been carried out to set up telepathic communication between people from different linguistic backgrounds. When the brain thinks, it does not do so in any particular language used in our daily communication, that's what psychology tells. That's the reason why tests of visuo-spatial ability, numerical ability and other such logic are free from the bounds of any spoken language. Any one who possesses the ability to think can attempt them irrespective of the linguistic background.
Think of a person who has been living alone on a marooned island since the time he/she was born. The person has not communicated with another human ever and does not know of any language that we speak. Would that person not be able to think or carry out tasks requiring visuo-spatial ability? Or, would the person not be able to judge that 10 fruits are greater in value than 5 fruits? Yes, the person would certainly be able to do that, despite the fact that he/she has never been taught counting in any particular language.
Its a lot similar to the fact that no matter what language you write the code in, finally it gets converted into bits before processing. And, if we could directly code in the form of bits, would there have been a requirement to learn any language?
Enlighten me with your insight guys. -
Ankita Katdare😀 Nodding and smiling at your comment #-Link-Snipped-#
From what I have read about telepathy - Communication is just 'mediated' by language. People with hearing and speaking impairments converse through sign language, don't they? It's just a medium.
Many assume that the result of a telepathic message is, or can be represented as, language. This serves as the starting point for the discussion that follows. Problems with 'direct' or 'pure thought' communication will be dealt with later. The human capacity for decoding and encoding 'normal' (nontelepathic) language, would also be used with telepathic language. There is no compelling argument at this time for the existence of a separate 'telepathic language decoding' organ in the human brain.
I think telepathy is more trouble than we thought. -
Ankita KatdareBtw, here's a link from TED Conversations worth reading - #-Link-Snipped-#
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