Pessimists vs optimists on the future of humanity

OPINION

Pessimists

Apart from global warming, and nuclear war, there’s plenty for pessimists to worry about. We’ll grow from 7 to 11 billion people over the next 23 years. How can we possibly house and feed these hoards? All made worse by our increasing life expectancy. Where will we find the space, clean air, water, energy, and food, for all these wrinklies? Robots are on the march, throwing everybody out of work. Scientists are a problem as they are toying with parts of nature best left unexplored. If we don’t watch them, they could produce cloned babies, super soldiers or immortal cyborgs with a licence to kill. Technologists might inadvertently turn us all bright green, or reduce us to the size of flies. Spoiled by gadgets designed to meet every need, we could become more like domesticated animals, spending our days on home improvement and computer games. With far more people travelling between continents we can expect more invasive weeds, pests, diseases, and criminals to spread from country to country. With beef and mutton off the menu, we’ll be reduced to eating tofu and farmed fish. Philosophers say we have already become self-made gods with only the laws of physics to keep us company, reeking havoc with our fellow animals and on the surrounding ecosystem.

Hubristic scientists could pitch us into a potential moral chasm as governments, the wealthy, or tyrants, exploit biotech to their advantage, with drastic demographic and political consequences. Human nature could be catapulted into a dystrophic post-human era.

Optimists

Defying today’s pessimistic zeitgeist, optimists see a brighter future. Population growth is levelling off as humans are producing fewer babies. The number of poverty-stricken people has halved over the past 50 years.

With more intercontinental travel and interbreeding, humanity will become more coffeecoloured. Through improved technology, services will be delivered faster, cheaper and better.

Food will be more abundant, transport safer and people healthier. Pills will put a stop to depression, madness, loneliness, and emotional distress.

Over recent centuries, humankind has become more cooperative, more altruistic and less violent. With no wars between the superpowers, the past 70 years have been the most peaceful in our existence.

When eating beef becomes taboo, robot animals will browse the hills to produce milk, chemicals and fuel.

The day is not far off when quantum entanglement will enable us to communicate with intelligent liquids, gasses and crystals on distant galaxies – perhaps teleport to the edge of the universe.

Whatever happens, keep your fingers crossed. Expect the unexpected and hope that something of today endures – the warm intimacy of family, friends, and lovers ... and pina coladas overlooking the beach, for starters.