A: Science fiction authors have explored many patterns for the medium and far future: humanity progressing and adapting (e.g. Michael Swanwick,Vacuum Flowers; Dune), possibly with setbacks (e.g. Anne McCaffrey's Pern cycle); humanity stagnating for lack of challenges (e.g. a lot of stuff by Arthur Clarke); humanity dying off or devolving for some reason (e.g. H.G. Wells: The Time Machine, Empire of the Ants, etc.); humanity reaching a varied but overall stable steady state (often with help from very long space travel times); humanity remaining more or less the same in a different environment (e.g. a lot of pulp period novels and short stories).KAI wrote:Q: Do you think humans have reached their evolutionary limit?
Many of these perspectives are "tainted" by narrative gimmicks, or obviously influenced by progressive or conservative ideology; realistically, the only thing that can be safely projected is the vast amount of scientific questions and technological developments that are obviously within reach: for example, barring catastrophes we will develop genetic engineering to marvelous levels (because even a small scientific community accumulates knowledge faster than evolution can make it obsolete), but it could require centuries of work.
