One of the world’s most famous futurists, award-winning author Amy Webb shared her predictions for the future with The Washington Post the other day. The predictions of Webb, founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute, included that the way humans reproduce in the future will change dramatically and smartphones will disappear.
Web, which recently published a book in which he discussed the possibilities of synthetic biology based on DNA manipulation with the geneticist Andrew Hessel, offered some of his thoughts based on this book. About his book The Genesis Machine, Webb says, “What we’re talking about is technology that unlocks our ability to be more selective and consciously design life. ” he said.
“People can have more parents, not just two”
Webb said that this could mean producing an embryo using one’s own genetic material, or even unlocking the opportunity to select traits from more than two parents. He also explained that the advances in genetics can enable those who want to have a baby to do so regardless of age:
“Until now, having a baby required a man, a woman, and the necessary structures to be real. Now synthetic biology offers us other options. I think that 40 years from now, it may be possible for a child to have multiple parents, or to have a 70-year-old and his 60-year-old spouse decide to have a baby. ”
Webb, who did not deny the existing concerns of some experts about genetic manipulation, stated that the advantages outweigh the risks. Webb explained that it should be recognized that some countries may seek to gain an advantage by raising the intelligence and physical characteristics of their populations.
“Smartphones will disappear”
In addition, Webb also made a statement about the future, which is not so difficult to predict. Referring to popular consumer electronics products, the futurist said that smartphones will be replaced by futuristic, wearable technologies in the near future.
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