What will happen in the future. Strategic Forecasting about Russia

People have not stopped developing. Although many of the changes that occur to a person are invisible, over time many of them will manifest themselves in full force.

We are still subject to natural selection, despite the development of modern medicine and technology.

What features will we have in the distant future, based on current trends? Here are the 10 biggest changes that could happen in a few hundred thousand years.

1. Race mixing

The development of modern transportation and communications means that fewer and fewer people remain isolated from others. Race mixing is increasingly occurring between representatives whose ancestors came from different parts of our planet.

As a result, genetic differences between people begin to disappear, and racial differences become less noticeable. In other words, people of the future will be even more similar to each other.

2. Weakened immunity

As people become more dependent on medications for survival, our immune systems begin to weaken.

People of the future will more susceptible to pathogens. Modern medical technology and the discovery of antibiotics have improved our health and life expectancy, but have meant that our immune systems have to work less hard to stay healthy.

From a biological perspective, our immune system is no longer as essential as it once was and we will be even more dependent on medical technology.

3. Muscle atrophy

Evolution gets rid of those traits that are no longer needed. One candidate for elimination in this sense is physical strength. People no longer have to rely on strong muscles to perform labor-intensive tasks. We are increasingly dependent on technology to do this work for us. Research has already shown that we much weaker than our distant relatives, and in the future, perhaps, we will become even more frail.

In addition, if we begin to explore more and more other places in space, then most likely we will lose most of our muscle mass. Cosmonauts who had been on a long space flight returned to Earth having lost 40 percent of their ability to perform physical work.

4. Tall

Human height has increased rapidly over the past two centuries. Only in the last 150 years, people have become on average 10 cm taller. The main reason for this is believed to be the abundance of food available to us.

The more a child eats, the more energy he has to grow. As long as humans are able to eat in abundance, we will continue to grow even taller. Evolution will show whether there is a limit to our growth.

5. Little hair

People are already called hairless monkeys. However, like all mammals, we have hair, but there is much less of it than those of our anthropoid relatives and ancestors.

Clothing and modern technology have made the warming function of hair obsolete. Women are considered more attractive without hair in certain parts of the body, and it is possible, over time, to have no hair at all.

6. No wisdom teeth

The main reason why wisdom teeth are removed is because Most modern people's jaws are too small to accommodate them without interfering with other teeth. They are thought to be vestigial molars that early humans developed when their jaws were larger and their diet consisted mostly of tough foods.

It's no wonder that wisdom teeth are starting to disappear. Moreover, 35 percent of people are already born without wisdom teeth, others have only one, two or three wisdom teeth (4 in total).

In addition, our teeth will become even smaller. Our teeth have almost halved in size over the last 100,000 years ago, and this trend may continue into the future.

7. Memory impairment

Technology is already influencing the way our memory works. The human brain, being a machine that strives for maximum efficiency, tends to remember where information is stored, not the information itself.

In the Internet age, this feature has become even more important. How often have you tried to remember something and instead just looked up the answer on Wikipedia or a search engine? The habit of checking everything on the Internet has taught us to use computer and internet as “external memory”, relieving our brain of the need to store information.

8. Fewer fingers
legs

Before humans learned to walk upright, our toes were used for grasping, just like our hands. As we climbed less and walked more, our toes began to shrink to their current size.

While the thumb maintains balance and helps with walking, the little finger has no special purpose. Perhaps for this reason, over time, people will become creatures with four toes.

9. Larger or smaller head size

Scientists are still arguing whether humans in the future will have a larger or smaller skull. Most are of the opinion that a person cannot develop a larger head, as this would make natural childbirth impossible, and increase mortality in mothers. For this reason, The size of a person's head will most likely remain the same and may even decrease.

But it is worth considering the fact that more and more caesarean sections allow children with large heads to survive. Many even believe that over time, C-sections will become safer than natural births, and small-headed babies born naturally will be less likely to survive than those whose mothers had surgery.

10. Self-improvement

People can reach a stage where they can control human development with the help of technology. Bionic organs and genetic selection will allow future parents to choose the characteristics of the child even before birth.

It may eradicate all defects and undesirable signs. Once this practice becomes widespread, it can lead to the disappearance of many negative qualities.

What will the man of the future look like?

This is exactly how, according to some experts, our body and face will change after thousands of years:

— Height is about 180 -210 cm due to improved nutrition and advances in medicine

— More short intestine to absorb less sugar and fat and prevent obesity

— Smaller testicle size due to decreased male fertility.

— More long arms and fingers, to save us from having to reach for objects. More nerve endings on the fingers for using various devices such as the iPhone.

— Smaller brain size due to the fact that the task of remembering and thinking is mainly performed by computers.

— Big eyes will compensate for a small mouth. Communication will be based on facial expressions and eye movements.

— Fewer teeth, since the food becomes softer and does not require much chewing.

— Quad chin due to the fact that our body is designed to eat less and use more energy than it does now.

— Same nose shape, since the climate has less impact on the body thanks to air conditioning and heating.

— Less hair or baldness due to the use of warm clothes and heating products, but more wrinkles due to the use of electronic devices.

— Loose skin on the neck and bags under the eyes due to strong exposure to the Sun.

— Darker skin color due to race mixing.

The world is changing, each subsequent decade, century or millennium brings its own, characteristic changes, and the speed of change only increases. And just as the world changes, people change. Evolution continues. At the moment, there are many different theories that give their own options for human development in the future. However, some anthropologists and researchers still believe that evolutionary processes no longer play as important a role as they once did.

Biological evolution is a natural process of development of living nature, accompanied by changes in the genetic composition of populations, the formation of adaptations, speciation and extinction of species, transformation of ecosystems and the biosphere as a whole (c) Wikipedia

For example, according to Professor Steve Jones from University College London, evolution is fading into the background. If in the distant past, the strongest survived, then in the modern world, a person surrounded by comfort is unlikely to continue the mutation. At the same time, scientists do not exclude the possibility of changes and development of our bodies.

In addition, we must not forget about the existence of the Hardy-Weinerg law, which states that evolutionary change is mathematically necessary as long as the genetic population remains under the influence of at least one of five factors:

• Mutation
• Non-random mating
• Gene flow
• Genetic drift
• Natural selection

Based on this law, we can draw a simple conclusion - there will be evolutionary processes. That is why many scientists do not dwell on the debate “for” or “against” evolution, but put forward their assumptions about what a person will look like in the future and what evolutionary changes threaten us over the next millennia.

Height change

The tendency to increase growth is known and studied for certain. If we take into account at least the last 100-150 years, then it is not difficult to calculate that humanity has become taller by an average of 10 centimeters. For example, every fifth resident of Italy is taller than 180 cm, and in the post-war period (after the Second World War), the number of people with such height was no more than 6% of the total population.

Average height of men on the world map

According to researchers, one of the main reasons for this change is the abundance of nutrients that are available to modern humans. And if earlier hunger prevented the body from developing, now in a large part of the world such an issue is no longer of secondary importance.

Human head size

It is interesting that there are two opinions on the issue of changing the size of the skull. The first says that the size of the skull will increase. This is primarily due to the development of man himself, because technological development implies the need for intellectual development and brain development. That is why, according to some scientists, in the future we will look like real standard “aliens.”

However, there is also an opinion opposite to this assumption, which states that the size of the cranium, if it undergoes changes, will be insignificant. Paleontologist Peter Ward, from the University of Washington in Seattle, thinks otherwise. The reason is very simple - any woman who has given birth at least once in her life will tell you with complete confidence that the baby’s head is already quite large. This is why the Caesarean section method is increasingly being used these days, and this is why evolution is unlikely to take such a step (no, we do not consider evolution to be something that has its own will - editor's note).

Skin color and facial features

Monoethnicity is the word that comes to mind for many scientists when it comes to the distant future of humanity. Mixed marriages have long ceased to be something out of the ordinary and “purity of blood” is preserved only among certain ethnic groups, which are usually in a certain isolation, territorial, religious or any other.

However, globalization and cultural fusion, together with the availability of free movement, are doing their job and sooner or later all this will lead to an averaging of facial features and skin color. Yale University professor Stephen Stearns says this. According to various researchers, skin and hair color will darken. Therefore, it is believed that in a few centuries or a little later, most of the world's population will look approximately like Brazilians.

There is also a parallel point of view, whose adherents believe that over time, humanity or individuals will be able to acquire the ability to mimicry, and therefore, it will be possible to change the color of their skin at will. Such statements could be considered science fiction, but scientists are already experimenting with the introduction of chromatophores (pigment-containing cells that are present in amphibians, reptiles, etc.).

Human hair

It's no secret that ancient people were much hairier than us. No, this does not mean that they had very long hair, far from it, it’s just that the hairline was much more noticeable than it is now. The famous scientist Charles Darwin once said that the hair on our bodies is nothing more than a vestige, a kind of greeting from the past of humanity.

In those distant times, hair replaced a person’s clothing, but over time, such a need disappeared due to the spread and availability of clothing and heating. Therefore, there is a good chance that in the future humanity will become almost bald. However, even here we cannot talk about confidence in such changes. So, for example, hair acts as one of the indicators when choosing a sexual partner, which means that if the need for hair does not completely disappear, then the hair will not go anywhere, unless there is a little less of it.

Teeth

If you look at the jaws of a person who lived about 100,000 years ago and at the jaws of a modern person, you will notice changes even with the naked eye. In the past, the size of human teeth was twice as large. This was necessary so that you could crack nuts, tear raw meat with your teeth, etc. Later, the human brain developed, his diet changed, and as a result, the jaws, like the teeth, began to shrink.

One of the most noticeable changes is the disappearance of wisdom teeth. Already, almost 25% of people are born without the rudiments of wisdom teeth, which can be attributed to the influence of natural selection, and in the future, this percentage will only increase. According to scientists, human teeth will continue to shrink, and perhaps even disappear.

Muscles

It is only a matter of time that humanity will lose muscle mass, scientists are almost sure of this. Already, humanity is weaker than its past self. This is due to ever smaller volumes of physical labor, which is gradually being replaced by technology. The faster technology and automation advance, the faster humanity will become in terms of physical strength.

Meanwhile, serious developments are already underway to create artificial and reinforced body parts, muscle tissue, exoskeletons and other things. All this can lead to the fact that people's limbs may begin to change. Reduction in muscle mass, legs will become shorter and feet will become smaller.

In addition, there is a second scenario, which suggests that humanity will lose muscle mass due to the “relocation” to space. Many people know that after returning to Earth from space, astronauts have to regain their physical shape. Now imagine what will happen if such a flight drags on for a very, very long time.

Brain functions

Naturally, the brain will not remain unchanged. In the modern world, we can already see the influence of technology on our thinking. The human brain works in such a way as to perform a task as efficiently as possible, therefore, instead of remembering a certain amount of information, the brain prefers to remember directly the source from which the necessary data can be taken. So, for example, it is much easier to remember where you put the book, and not what is written on page 329 in paragraph 3. Therefore, in the future, there is a high probability of our memory deteriorating. On the other hand, humanity has not revealed its full “brain” potential, so there is no need to be too afraid for future generations.

Another interesting change may affect our hearing. Throughout the evolutionary process, man has learned to focus his attention on certain sound waves captured by the ear and isolate what he needs most. Although, of course, such a skill is not omnipotent, however, during a noisy party, we are able to distinguish the speech of our interlocutor among the many conversations and noises. Of course, such a mechanism is not possessed by the ear, but by our brain, which plays the role of an analytical filter. At the same time, the development of media and the Internet is increasingly clogged with unnecessary “noise” and useless information that people are trying to sort right now. Based on this, we can come to the conclusion that in the conditions of such an information environment, humanity will have to more effectively learn to determine what is useful for it and isolate it among the turbulent general flow.

That's all. No, of course, there are many more options for evolutionary changes, but it is quite difficult to list them all, and it is not really necessary. We tried to briefly describe the most noticeable of them and give a general idea of ​​what awaits our descendants in the distant (or not so distant) future. Good luck and evolve!

"Incessantly crazy girl

She shouted: “I clearly see the fallen ashes of Troy!”

But clairvoyants, however, like eyewitnesses

Throughout the ages people have been burned at the stake."

V.S. Vysotsky, “Song of Things to Cassandra”

Isn’t it easier to take the “ostrich” position and not know anything in advance? After all, it seems like you can’t run away from fate...
Or is it still better to know, at least approximately, what is ahead, and take your own path in life, finally turning away from someone else’s? At least we have the opportunity to try to do this. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Great Forecasters

Nostradamus

For example, genetic engineering until the middle of the 21st century will develop by leaps and bounds. What will this give us? Hope. In my opinion, this is the most precious thing that can be given to humanity.
By 2035, doctors will be treating malignant oncological diseases at any stage.
HIV-infected people can calm down a little - they will finally find cure for AIDS.
A tablet will be invented that can recognize viruses from a distance. That is, we will say goodbye to all colds.

Sick people can only wish them patience and wait for this wonderful moment.

Vanga

China will become a world power in the very near future. Well, it’s enough to just be a seer to predict it.

Polar ice is melting. The level of the world's oceans is rising. We are already seeing this trend.

Our parents witnessed the first manned flight into space. And you and I can become not just eyewitnesses of flights to Venus, but also direct participants in trips to the planet of beauty! By the way, according to scientists, Venus is the most suitable planet for human habitation. So, let's get ready!

Her more interesting predictions concern subsequent centuries and end with the year 5079, in which Vanga promises us the end of the world. Well, let's hope that you and I won't live to see that.

Edgar Cayce

But if you dig around, you can find good news here too. For example, in his book “Memoirs” Casey writes: “The mission of the Slavic peoples is to change the essence of human relationships, to free them from selfishness and gross material passions, to restore them on a new basis - on love, trust and wisdom...” So, Slavs, keep your heads up!

Great science fiction writers

Biorobots can join the usual pets. These new family members will be able to do all the housework for us, 24 hours a day. By the way, these same robots are able to replace us at work. So, gentlemen scientists, be careful, please! Besides, the world is already saturated with all sorts of technical bells and whistles. So it won’t be surprising if one day machines turn against their creators. Well, never mind, by that time we will already be on Venus!

As Ivan Vasilyevich said from the famous film: “I am tormented by vague doubts.” So I ask myself the question: I wonder if these writers were so cool that they accurately predicted the future in their books? Or are these scientists using the ideas of science fiction writers?

Let's wait and see. But let's not forget that the future, regardless of any predictions, will be a direct consequence of our thoughts, words and actions today.

1. Everything you say or do will be recorded. Humanity will be united into a truly global network, consisting not only of computers, but also of people themselves: everyone will be assigned their own IP address, or other constant, through an embedded nano-chip, which will give access to the global network to every “cog” - be it a machine or Human. It will be possible to record your every step and reproduce it after a while if necessary.

2. Genetically modified organisms will appear everywhere, despite the attempts of many scientists and ordinary people to stop this process. At present, the development of genetic engineering cannot be stopped by anything, unless a nuclear war breaks out (God forbid), or an asteroid falls on Earth (let’s knock on wood three times).

Biofarms with genetically modified plants and animals will produce tens and hundreds of times more food than is happening now.

3. Cars as we know them will disappear from our roads. In fact, the roads themselves may disappear from the face of the earth, leaving space only for air transport.

4. The specialization of scientific activity and office work will reach its maximum - the position of “stapler chief” or “mop manager” will no longer be anecdotal. Smaller and more specific niches of activity will be occupied by appropriate specialists.

5. Most likely, there will no longer be legislation localized by country and region - the cybernetic legal system will control the life and death of criminals living both in Alaska and in the middle of Australia.

6. Professions and specialties will be updated almost every day - we feel an increasing need for additional training and education today. In the future, retraining and additional training will cease to be innovations.

7. Genetic improvement of the human body will most likely take its rightful place in the system of sciences, despite the current ban on eugenics (the science of improving the human race).

8. Urbanization will reach 60% by 2030. The vast majority of the population will live in megacities and large settlements; a limited number of farmers will live in the suburbs and small villages, farming with the help of robots and automated control systems.

9. The influence of religion on human life will increase. In a completely technogenic, cybernated society, the role of religion will increase many times: firstly, a person needs to believe in something, and secondly, methods of preaching are constantly being improved and strengthened by technology.

10. Electrification of our planet will increase by 83%. Electricity will penetrate into the most inaccessible corners of the globe. Naturally, the consumption of electrical energy will also increase, but by then alternative energy sources will take their rightful place.

Of course, all these predictions indicate the general direction of development of our civilization, but they are all based on research and progress trends that are relevant at the moment.

How will people's appearance change in the distant future? Artist and scientist Nicola Lamm asked this question and, together with another scientist, Dr. Alan Kwan from the University of Washington, who specializes in computational genomics, created a visualization of people of the future. See eye-popping illustrations of future people living in 20,000, 60,000 and 100,000 years.

4 PHOTOS

In the photo: this is what people look like now. (Photo: Nickolay Lamm).

1. Nikolai Lamm believes that in the future people will control biology and human evolution in the same way that electrons are in our control today. According to the scientist, people will “be torn out” from the process of natural evolution, because they themselves will try to change human biology so that it meets their needs.

2. Nikolai Lamm made the illustrations after conversations with Dr. Alan Kwan, who presented him with his vision of the people of the future. The scientist based his scenario on assumptions and predictions about what the environment, climate and technological progress might look like in the future. One of the biggest changes to a person's appearance will be in the forehead and head - they will enlarge to accommodate a larger brain.

3. Dr. Kwan emphasized that in 60,000 years, genetic engineering will be the norm, and “the fate of the human face will be largely determined by a person’s taste.” The scientist believes that people's eyes will become larger due to attempts to colonize other planets located further from the Sun with dimmer light. For the same reason, the skin will become darker and more pigmented to reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation beyond the Earth's protective ozone layer. Kwan suggests that people will also have thicker eyelids and a more pronounced brow ridge to cope with the damaging effects of cosmic rays outside the Earth's atmosphere.

4. For the next 40,000 years, or 100,000 years from now, Dr. Kwan believes the human face will reflect "total dominance over human genetics." That is, a human face will look the way people would find attractive: strong, regal lines, a straight nose, large eyes, perfect symmetry. The eyes from our current point of view will be incredibly large. This will be necessary in order to increase twilight and peripheral vision, as well as to further protect the eyes from the destructive effects of cosmic rays. People will have larger and wider nostrils to make breathing easier in other environments, thicker hair to reduce heat loss from a large head.

In the future, parents will not discuss the child's name, as we do now, but his appearance - eye color, hair, teeth and other features that they can genetically change.