Polar explorers, aquatic and Martians
Paleoanthropologist Matthew Skinner from the University of Kent (Dr Matthew Skinner, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Kent) and artist Quentin Devine, who joined him in assistance, presented three types of earthlings on display. Supposedly, this is how our distant descendants will look like, finding themselves in certain environmental conditions. Namely, if the next ice age comes on Earth and it gets very cold everywhere. If, on the contrary, as a result of global warming, ice will melt and the world will become watery. And if a person moves to Mars - to a planet with less gravity than on Earth. Or at least to the moon, where it's even easier.
The settlers who have taken root on Mars, Skinner believes, will become smaller than us. But they will stretch out their arms, which can be used to grab onto the surrounding objects in order to move more agile and faster in conditions of weakened gravity. Anatomically, our alien descendants will resemble today's orangutans.
By the way, with the same - grasping - purpose, the "Martians" will develop a big toe, set aside from the rest of the fingers.
An Ice Age man - let's call him a polar explorer, on the contrary, will noticeably increase in size, his skin will become very pale - for better absorption of vitamin D, he will be covered with light hair, a layer of subcutaneous fat will appear - to save heat. The noses of our frost-resistant descendants will grow in width - for more efficient heating of the air entering the body.
The growth of "aquatic" will not change. But membranes will quickly appear on the arms and legs - similar mutations are still found now. There will be no hair on the body that inhibits movement in the water. The feet will be lengthened - like the current record-breaking swimmers. The shoulders will narrow and the lung capacity will decrease. And the eyes in their structure will resemble a cat's - in order to better see underwater in low light conditions.
As Skinner assures, the predicted changes will affect, of course, the weaker sex. Which is unlikely to be approved by the representatives of the strong - at least the current ones. But over time, men will get used to their own, pardon the pun, contemporaries. As they say, fall in love will endure. After all, there will be no others.
The current Earthling (far left). Further - people of the future: "Martian", polar explorer and water.
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Women will change too. And not for the better.
The scientist does not exclude: if the current trend in nutrition continues and people continue to actively consume ready-made processed foods, then their jaws will greatly decrease, and their teeth will disappear altogether as they do not need to chew anything. In this case, the faces of our distant descendants will resemble today's babies - with tiny chins and small mouths. Or on the faces of aliens - as we usually portray them.
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Raking hands, envious eyes
Recently, a large group of British scientists figured out what we might be like in just a thousand years.
Osteopath Garry Trainer believes that people of the XXXI century will definitely get taller. Average height - from 185 centimeters for women and up to 215 for men. Now on our planet, the average height of the fairer sex is 154 centimeters, the strong is 164. The tendency to increase is persistent. Already, the average American is nearly 3 centimeters taller than in the 1960s.
Dentist Dr Philip Stemmer predicts a contraction of the digestive tract. They say that in this way our descendants will protect themselves from catastrophic obesity. Because the shorter intestines will absorb less nutrients that contribute to weight gain.
Anatomist Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum echoes Matthew Skinner - he also prophesies lengthening of the hands and fingers on them. And not only for the future "Martians", but also for those who will remain on Earth. The reason is the need to often reach for something, for example, various gadgets and other assistive devices. This will increase the sensitivity of the nerve endings. Because manipulating gadgets will require more complex hand-eye coordination.
“Culture and the environment will largely determine our biology,” echoes the prophets philosopher Francesco Cavalli Sforza. And he agrees with the popular prediction that all people will eventually grow long thin fingers. After all, they will be convenient to press the keys, poke screens. Maybe you won't even need five fingers on your hand - two or three are enough.
A descendant sits on the porch with an expression on his face
The offspring's eyes are likely to enlarge as well - to compensate for the shrinking mouth that most experts predict. According to Cary Cooper, of Lancaster University, direct communication will be based on facial expressions and eye movements.
It is not necessary that the brain of our descendants will grow. May decrease. It is possible that computers will take over part of its functions. Then the heads themselves will decrease. What will entail a decrease in the size of the genitals.
Plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover (consultant plastic surgeon) promises that people will get cheekier. That is, the offspring will still recover, despite the decrease in the length of the digestive tract, since they will spend much less calories than they should have.
And here are the unexpected predictions: there is a possibility that people's noses will become the same in shape and size. The reason is allegedly in the spread of air conditioners, which negate the influence of the climate. According to the highly controversial opinion of British scientists, the shape and size of the nose somehow depends on climatic conditions.
An alternative scenario assumes that noses can disappear altogether - as unnecessary. Two holes will remain from them. At best, with hardly noticeable tubercles. The reason is mutations, which have already led to the fact that a person has lost three-quarters of his sense of smell over several thousand years.
Descendants risk being left without hair, not yet waiting for the new Flood. Both the strong and the weaker sex will completely lose them - they will not grow anywhere, even on the genitals. Not to mention the head, armpits and beard. Allegedly, evolution will dare to take such a step in order to save water resources for washing and shaving. Such a deficiency will lead to the fact that the kidneys will have a new function - to extract water from urine and store it in the body.
The skin will become the color of coffee with milk due to the mixing of races, which has become inevitable after the current migration of Africans to Europe.
The faces of our descendants will be covered with wrinkles due to the increased radiation triggered by ozone holes. And also due to the fact that people will squint, peering at the screens of all kinds of gadgets.
The artists tried to take into account the forecasts of British scientists as much as possible and depicted our distant descendant. His portrait was published by the newspaper The Sun in due time.
Alternative option: our distant descendant, incorporating the features predicted by a number of British scientists.
Handsome men and beauties or disgusting goblins?
The famous futurist professor Oliver Curry of the Center for Natural Philosophy and Social Sciences of the London School of Economics in his Report on Evolution, in fact, echoes the Soviet science fiction writers of the middle of the last century. Looking into the bright communist future, they painted incredibly beautiful people with an ideal physique.
And Curry talks about proportional, broad-shouldered, athletic-looking men with square jaws and large genitals. About sexy women who have grown up to 190 centimeters - taller than the current supermodels. With lush breasts, long and not crooked legs, huge eyes and smooth skin.
There is a chance that the people of the future will become tall and beautiful - the way Soviet artists portrayed them.
The professor expects life expectancy to increase to an average of 120 years. And without early decrepitude - at 80 we will look 40.
True, the scientist does not place the political system at the origins of super-beauty and longevity.
- In the direction of a more beautiful humanity than the current one, improvements in the nutritional system, the development of medicine and genetic engineering will push, - says the professor. - But the main thing is sexual preferences.
It is they - these preferences - that will spoil the appearance of most of the people of the future in the future.
According to Curry, humanity will be divided into two subspecies - those "graceful" and "rough". But this will not happen soon - in about 100 thousand years.
The Graceful ones will represent the elite caste of the beautiful, smart, healthy, prosperous and creative, which will breed exclusively within their group. Like the frivolous Eloi that Wells's hero met when he arrived in 802 701 in a time machine.
Another subspecies - "gross" - will gather lower beings who will not be up to preferences. Scary, stupid, poor undersized freaks will look like goblins. Or the Morlocks, who lived underground in the science fiction novel.
It is possible that not very attractive people will live next to handsome men and beauties.
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We will change more inside than outside
Anthropologists are now divided into two large camps. Representatives of one assure that human evolution is over. And for a very long time. Others believe it continues. Moreover, it is accelerating.
If you believe the scientists from the first camp, then people of the future will practically not change outwardly. You will find yourself, say, in the 40th century, and there are exactly the same on the streets. As we are today. Well, almost the same. In general, not scary.
“People in general will retain their familiar appearance in a million years,” Italian anthropologist Giorgio Manzi reassures.
“Unless some cataclysm happens,” corrects colleague Steve Jones from London University College.
A global catastrophe, according to the scientist, can nevertheless give a start to harsh natural selection. And he, in turn, will be able to greatly influence the human appearance. Other "incentives", except for a significant change in the environment, it seems, and no.
Camp 1 futurists believe that internal changes are more likely. In this connection, the following is predicted.
First, terrible diseases like cancer and AIDS will disappear. But it will weaken the immune system. And he will "get hooked" on numerous medications that will have to be taken for any reason.
Second: the development of information technology threatens the psyche. The Internet of the future, virtual reality, all sorts of gadgets and devices will make it possible to establish and develop relationships without any problems, and satisfy many needs. Up to sexy. Even sitting alone. But from such ease feelings of love, sympathy, trust, respect will dull. People will become less and less able to care for others and not seek to act together. They can generally look like pets. But not devotees, but indifferent. It is predicted that all of this can lead to depression and obesity. Like in the cartoon "Valley".
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No need to chew
The right step towards reducing the size of the esophagus, mouth and number of teeth has already been taken. Rob Reinhard, a computer programmer from California, created food that you don't have to chew. This is a powder called “soylent”, which, according to the inventor, contains all the elements necessary for normal life: fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins. Reinhard dilutes his powder with water and has been using three 200-gram jars a day for several months. He says he feels great. No stomach problems, no discomfort and allergic reactions.
The face of our distant descendant will be most similar to an alien in the modern earthly view.
We can turn blue
Research at the University of Oslo has shown that Europeans had very dark skin about 6 thousand years ago. Barely lighter than Africans. But suddenly she began to turn white.
The author of the work, Johan Moan, argues that the "lightening" was caused by changes in the food system, when people from the consumption of food obtained from hunting and fishing switched to food grown in the fields. And she did not provide the body with the necessary amount of vitamin D. To fill the gap, evolution provided people with white skin, thanks to which the vitamin was produced under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
The current skin is not the last. Futurologists are truly confident that in the distant future there will be no white, no black, no yellow, no red. The "colors" will eventually mix. And the middle one will appear - "coffee with milk". Everyone has.
But what if something happens to the food again? And in order to feed humanity, will it be necessary to grow an exotic nutrient substance in reactors? Then the color of the skin can change to any. Let's say green, blue, or gray, like aliens. Certain chemicals and oxygen starvation are capable of providing this transformation.
The skin of the people of the future can take on any color.
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