Some admire futurists for their audacity; others mock them for their frequent and spectacular inaccuracy. The latest predictions of futurist-cum-transhumanist Gray Scott in are certainly daring. But are they accurate?
According to Scott, Human ectogenesis - the growth of an embryo or fetus outside of the human womb - will be possible by 2033. "The debate over ectogenesis", says Scott, "will heat up around 2020, once scientists are allowed to birth the first full term mammal inside an artificial uterus." Scott refers to the research of Juntendo University academic Yoshinori Kuwabara , who with his research team has managed to keep goat fetuses growing for ten days.
Scott also claims that 'age reversal' in humans will be possible by 2025:
"For the wealthy, reversing age will be common by 2025. It may be extraordinarily expensive and risky, but for people who want to turn back the clock, it will be worth it."
Scott wrests support for his predication in a recent article on age reversal published in the journal Cell. The study, completed by a group of US and Australian researchers, discusses the successful reversal of ageing in the muscle tissue of mice.
In a more general prediction, Scott claims that transhumanists will outnumber Christians by the year 2035. For this prediction he utilizes a rather controversial definition of a transhumanist - someone with any bio-upgrade or human enhancement (including anyone who has undergone the banal medical process of hip-replacement or dental implants).
Will all or some or none of these predictions come true? Retrofuturist scholars make light of the myriad of failed predictions from the past, but they also note that a number of extremely precise and supposedly 'crazy' predictions have come true. Time will tell where these transhumanist visions fall.