Future of Human Species/3001: The Final Odyssey

I've just read a very interesting article in the BBC News based upon a theory by Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics. He predicts that the human race will split in two: a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass will emerge. Can this really be true?

This is slightly worrying seeing as I more resemble the chap on the right! Apparently the human race will peak around the year 3000 and then decline due to its dependence on technology. Which is quite interesting seeing as I am currently reading Arthur C Clarke's 3001: The Final Oddysey. The protagonist, Frank Poole ends up floating in space for about a thousand years due to a bungled mission. Because it's so cold, his metabolism stops completely meaning that he is effectively pickled in space, only to be revived in 3001. By this time there have been major technological advances including people's immune systems being severly weakened.

Back to the article. Apparently, the human race will evolve into giants between 6ft and 7ft tall, while lifespans will have extended to 120 years. Physical appearances will also change in men and women. The former will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises. Blimey. The same sort of thing goes for women. I suppose one good thing in my opnion will come of this: racial differences will be ironed out producing a uniform race of coffee-coloured people. To me, this all points towards breeding with a tall, blue-eyed, white woman. I'm thinking Scandi
navian or Northern European. To be honest, my preference has always been to go for women shorter than myself, but could still go for a little Nordic beauty!

What is more worrying when considering the human race in say 10,000 years is that we will have had such a reliance on technology and medicine that we will have lost most of our social skills: communication, love, empathy, trust, respect and so on. Now I suppose I am propagating this myself by merely spending so much time on this blog and my laptop! So I suppose it's really important to get the right balance between interacting with technology and interacting with our fellow man. Which is pretty obvious I guess.

I suppose what else is interesting is when we think human race will reach its 'peak'. Obviously Science & Technology have advanced the human race massively, and I have always found Moore's Law rather fascinating, but at what point will our reliance on this really start to become detrimental? Or has this already happened? In which case, when was the 'Golden Age' of mankind? Personally, I am happy being a citizen of the 21st Century.

I am 27. And I already feel old. Watching the 'kids' play with technology is slightly disconcerting. I consider myself reasonably 'tech-savvy' without being a geek. But isn't it a little worrying that kids out there are almost entirely communicating through the medium of the web? And mobile phones. Where will it all end? I can envision a human race devoid of any real 'feelings', communicating through highly developed computers that their brains are connected to. Living in aritificially created environments to minimise bugs and infection. A highly sterile world where the only thing you can hear is the 'click click' of super-advanced computers. I suppose I'm getting rather dystopian. Like the classics '1984' and 'A Brave New World.'

'A pig, in a cage, on antiobiotics....' as some band or other once famously sang.

Definitely food for thought.

Currently listening to an old radio show of Rednetic Records on Resonance FM. Illuminating and interesting.

Peace,

F.