Technology rapidly changes our lives and how we work, play, and live. Every day, new inventions and paradigms emerge. Cutting-edge technology is disrupting the traditional concepts that we have been using as humans for decades, or even centuries.
Computers were not even invented half a century ago and were used only for research or scientific purposes. But today, they are everywhere. Computing power is everywhere we look and feel. There are portable and small ones, such as smartphones. There are also large ones, such as mainframes and desktops. This computing power is also being used in wearable devices, such as Snap Spectacles or Google Glass.
We can see its impact on our daily lives, regardless of whether we like or dislike this technological revolution. The interesting question is: What are the long-term consequences of this technological revolution? This is not a discussion about a decade or a hundred years from now. Instead, I want to know what the implications are on a human evolutionary timeline that could span many millennia.
The patterns of our lives are changing due to technology. We used to be physically active in the past, but we now rely on technology for most of our work. These technological advancements could be the main driving force behind the next phase of evolution for our species’ behavioral patterns and adaptations.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin believed that evolution was the alteration in characteristics of a species over many generations. This could occur over many centuries or over eons. Natural selection is the key to evolution. Charles’ theory of evolution is based upon the belief that all species change slowly over time. Evolution is complex because genetic variation within a population can affect the physical characteristics of an organism. These characteristics can give an individual an advantage over others members of the same species, which they can pass on to their offspring. This is known as “Continually adopting advantageous characteristics by future generations.” “natural selection.”
People who have won the evolutionary lottery and are best suited to their environment will be more likely to survive. They will find food, avoid predators, and resist disease. These members of the species are more likely than others to reproduce and to pass on their genes to their children.
The losers of this race are more likely to die and not reproduce if they aren’t well-adapted to their environment. Their genes are less likely be passed on to the next generation.
The species evolves slowly and the members who are the most compatible with their environment will survive.
Although Darwin’s theory was able to explain many species’ evolutionary cycles, including homo sapiens, it seems that it is not working as well as it should. This is especially true for humans. This could be directly due to the growing power of technology in healthcare. Antibiotics have helped to eradicate many deadly diseases. Even the most vulnerable and weakest can now live comfortably. They may also be able to reproduce using advanced techniques such as in vitro fertilization. The survival of the fittest no longer applies here.
Although Darwin’s theory was able to explain many species’ evolutionary cycles, including homo sapiens, it seems that it is not working as well as it should. This is especially true for humans. This could be directly due to the growing power of technology in healthcare. Antibiotics have helped to eradicate many deadly diseases. Even the most vulnerable and weakest can now live comfortably. They may also be able to reproduce using advanced techniques such as in vitro fertilization. The survival of the fittest no longer applies here.
The evolution of nature is happening in two different ways.
- Efficiency-Based
- Transhumanism
Efficiency-Based:
The vast majority of mainstream medical treatments, drugs and surgical procedures are accessible and affordable to the vast majority of people. However, there is a small minority of the world’s population that does not have access to reliable and affordable healthcare. For argument’s sake, let’s say that every human being has the right environment to live a healthy and happy life.
Even with these universal benefits, we can see that every person is unique. Some people are more able to adapt and accept technology faster than others. These are the traits that make one person more productive in today’s world. These adaptability characteristics can impact the quality of one’s life and other factors such as their financial situation and place in the modern world. Even someone with slight physical handicaps can thrive in this world if they have strong mental abilities.
However, many of the physically demanding tasks have been removed from our plates. No longer do we have to hunt for our food. No longer do we have to face formidable predators every day. Our physical demands and stresses have decreased. The intensive work role of machines in industry, agriculture, transport has been taken over by machines.
In today’s world, the most distinguishing factor is the mental abilities. The mind has become the focal point of attention, with less emphasis being placed on physical abilities. The human mind is responsible for designing and operating the automated machines. Our minds process information at an ever-increasing rate. This knowledge can be passed down through the generations as written and oral words and text. The human race is building on its collective experiences at an increasing rate. It would be fair to say that the human brain is gradually evolving to adapt to this new world of complexity, automation, and knowledge.
Evolution is slow and natural. However, by studying this phenomenon in many species over long periods of time, we can make predictions about its likely course.
We have seen that the most used organ in the world is the human mind. Complex computations at work to the fast decision-making we need to make every day.
The brain’s analyzing portion is often used for many reasons. However, information retention is facing many problems. It is amazing how much information is being thrown at us. We are constantly being surrounded by sensors that inform us about our surroundings. News and social media bombard us with information about the world. There are many choices about what we eat, drink, and how healthy we are. It’s like drinking from a firehose. It is very difficult to understand, store, and analyze this explosion of information.
These two factors are likely to influence how our brains evolve. The human brain could actually begin to favor its analytical power and less on its ability to retain information over time (since computers already provide this ability). It is similar to saying that humans will have better CPUs and RAM, but smaller hard disk space.
There may be an additional effect on other organs or limbs. Our hands, legs and feet could experience a significant change. In the past, hands were used to build shelters and hunt food. Our legs and feet were used to move and track our food across continents. These ambulatory organs are now used for less tedious tasks. It is possible that these organs will be modified to improve their efficiency.
Patricia Piccinini, a Melbourne artist, created “Graham”, an interactive sculpture that depicts a future human. It is a life-size interactive sculpture that shows he has overcome obstacles to travel in fast cars and can survive crashes.
Transhumanism:
Transhumanism, a futurist concept, is an analogous to artificial evolution. It involves studying the internal software of the human body and tweaking it to achieve better results.
Humans did not just appear by chance. They are the result of thousands of years of evolution. Many mutations occurred prior to the appearance of modern humans, some of which took place over 200,000 years. Some of these mutations were very beneficial and lasted a long time, while others were only temporary or outright harmful.
Transhumanism is the modification of a person’s genetic structure to remove inefficient mutations or insert better genes. There are many mutations that are harmful, which can lead to different diseases and conditions. Transhumanism addresses these mutations and extends a person’s life expectancy. Transhumanism acts as an active counter to the effects of aging. It makes people smarter, more energetic, and stronger.
Transhumanism is more than genetic engineering. Many other technologies are available that can enhance the mental and physical capabilities of humans beyond what is biologically feasible. This is evident in Google Glass and bionic body components. Google Glass provided cognitive information that was not possible for humans to access in such a short timeframe. Bionic arms and legs, on the other hand allow for a person’s ability to tolerate loads that aren’t possible by normal people.
We can conclude that technological advances will have a significant impact on human evolution. These technologies have made standard evolution much faster and have already changed our lives in significant ways. All abilities and physical strengths can lead happy and healthy lives. This allows their mental genes to evolve and produce better results. Artificial evolution is also possible in the near future. Soon, people may be able select different characteristics from their offspring, such as mental abilities, physique, energy level, and more.
About
Manuj Aggarwal, an entrepreneur and investor, is a tech enthusiast who enjoys startups, business ideas and any high-tech. He loves solving difficult problems and learning new technologies. He has worked as a technical architect, business owner, CTO, coder and startup consultant over a span of two decades.