The 100 Thousand Years Prediction
In 2017 artist and researcher Nickolay Lamm teamed up with computational geneticist Dr. Alan Kwan to speculate on this growing controversy. They based their hypothesis on three illustrations of what humans might look like in 20,000, 60,000, and 100,000 years.
Source: NickolayLamm.com
According to Lamm, this is “one possible timeline,” considering that the human living environment would have changed drastically and people would have more control over human biology thanks to advancements in genetic engineering.
A Larger Forehead
Both researchers believed that evolution would cause adjustments to the human physical structure. One noticeable change would be a larger forehead. According to Kwan, scientists claim the human forehead is one part of our bodies that have been growing since the 14th and 15th centuries.
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These days, people have less notable facial features and higher foreheads. So it’s only logical that the forehead will keep swelling in the coming years to accommodate our ever-expanding brains.
Changes in Facial Structures
Another interesting prediction is that humans could change their facial structures thanks to their ability to control the human genome. According to Dr. Kwan, the human face will vary depending on preferences for what is genetically trendy at the time. For example, larger eyes, a straighter nose, and more balance between the sides of our face.
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He also mentioned the development of wearable technology to help achieve natural-looking human faces. Discreet implants that look naturally human would replace Google Glass and the Apple Watch.
Predictions for Environmental Impacts on Facial Structures
Dr. Kwan also stated that 100 years from now, as humans are forced to colonize other planets and live in dimmer environments further away from the sun, their eyes would grow larger in anime-style proportions.
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Also, for people dwelling in places not protected by the Earth’s ozone layer, their skin would become darker to reduce damage from UV rays. Additionally, he suggested that humans would have thicker eyelids and more pronounced brows.
An Uproar Among Geneticists
Since the release of their artistic predictions, there have been condemnations brewing among some geneticists. Forbes writer Matthew Harper argued the researcher’s hypothesis was less science and more science fiction.
Source: tiffytaffy.com
“He’s doing so somewhat naively, predicting that the only changes that will happen will be an enlarged braincase and enlarged eyes so we can use the computerized contact lenses that will apparently replace Google Glass,” Harper said.
Dr. Kwan Responds to Criticism
In response, Dr. Kwan maintained that his work was merely speculative instead of predictive.
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“The operative word ‘might’ makes the statement an existential statement, which means there is a non-zero possibility that a given event may occur. Given that we agree that no one can make an absolute statement about the future, by the same token, you cannot claim to know the negation of an existential statement,” he said. Ultimately, no one can absolutely predict the future—we’ll just have to get there to find out.