The transhumanist future -- image by Hyolee2
Radical science and technology are changing everything around us. The field of transhumanism is dramatically growing in size and impact--and the implications for our species are enormous. In just a decade's time, many things may change in how we live our lives. The coming innovation is going to be startling.
In an interview with award-winning journalist Anthony Cuthbertson, I recently made some tech and science predictions. I wanted to share them:
1. Within a decade, babies with augmented intelligence will be alive
There's already technologies out there that may improve or outright replace CRISPR gene editing technology but, no matter what happens, genetic editing of the human embryo is here to stay.
What's more, it may well prove to be the most important scientific advancement of the 21st century. Through these technologies we will be able to eliminate hereditary disease and improve human performance, but perhaps most importantly, we will be able to improve human intelligence and boost our own IQ - even potentially creating a new generation of Einsteins.
2. Exoskeleton suits will allow quadriplegics to run faster than Olympian sprinters
Exoskeleton technology is at its infancy right now but because a third of the worlds population suffers from mobility issues, a massive amount of money is going to be poured into these technologies. Recently, a quadriplegic person at the World Cup kicked the first soccer ball, and this is just a sign of things to come.
In 10 years time, through improved EEG technology and new exoskeletons., even someone who once couldn't walk could run at speeds faster than the fastest natural sprinter. Such incredible technology will enable a whole new form of competitions and perhaps even a transhumanist Olympics one day.
Zoltan Istvan gets a RFID chip implant -- video by Roen Horn
3. Within a decade, half of Americans will have microchip implants in them
As the world becomes more technologically orientated, fewer people will want to carry around purses and wallets, when all this info can be contained in a microchip the size of a grain of rice that can be implanted in a person's hand.
Besides identification and improving day-to-day efficiency, one of the most important reasons a person will have a chip is for health reasons. They could alert people about irregularities with their pulse or a drop in body temperature, or monitor glucose levels - as well as contain a person's entire medical history when they are admitted to hospital in the event of an accident.
4. A third of people will post on Facebook and other social media after they die
In 10 years time, Facebook won't just be Facebook, it will be a virtual reality system, and personal avatars will continue to post after a person is dead - and even keep wandering around VR worlds mimicking the person.
Companies like ETER9, Terasem and Lifenaut will provide the type of software where people can download themselves and the amount they want to contribute to social media, giving family members and loved ones still alive a sense that the deceased is still present in their lives. Furthermore, new types of algorithms may not only contribute to social media but could develop some form of their personality to continue the essence of the deceased.
5. Robotic hearts will become the holy grail of medicine
The artificial heart, and other robotic organs, have been around for decades but only in the last few years has a company actually permanently replaced a heart with this technology. French-based Carmat has already successfully installed two completely artificial hearts in people. The world's number one killer is heart disease, responsible for 35% of the world's population's deaths.
Within 10 years, people will begin to electively replace their biological heart with a mechanical heart in order to stave off a possible heart attack out of the blue. The artificial heart business is the holy grail of medicine and eliminating heart disease could change the very nature of being alive, as the heart is so responsible for the function of all organs, Additionally, artificial hearts will be Wi-Fi enabled and could be sped up with a smartphone to have wild sex when you want it and sped down to sleep better at night. The greatest challenge with artificial hearts is making sure they don't get hacked.
10-minute Fusion TV video on Zoltan Istvan's presidential campaign
A version of this interview first came out in International Business Times UK in December 2015