Future Stories: What’s Next?

In this erudite and immersive study, Big History Project cofounder Christian (Origin Story) examines the science and history of “future thinking” and sketches what the distant future might look like. Noting that the mysteries of the future are a fundamental concern for all living organisms, Christian examines how bacteria, animals, and plants manage the future by setting goals, assessing trends, and taking action. For example, E. coli cells contain “whiplike tails,” or flagella, that sense the presence or absence of food up ahead and propel the cell in the appropriate direction. Christian also delves into philosophical disagreements over whether change is real or a “seductive illusion”; explains how Einstein’s theory of relativity shows that “there is no absolute way of specifying when the past ends and the future begins”; and differentiates between the human experience of natural, psychological, and social time. Looking ahead to the 22nd century and beyond, Christian poses intriguing if hard-to-grasp thought experiments, such as whether “transhumanist technologies and evolutionary adaptations to different environments will split humanity into many subspecies.” Though actionable insights are few and far between, Christian lucidly explains complex scientific, philosophical, and historical concepts. The result is a stimulating look ahead. Agent: Max Brockman, Brockman, Inc. (June)