By 2050, a completely new type of human will evolve as a result of radical new technology, behavior, and natural selection.

This is according to Cadell Last, a researcher at the Global Brain Institute, who claims mankind is undergoing a major “evolutionary transition.”

In less than four decades, Last claims we will live longer, have children in old age and rely on artificial intelligence to do mundane tasks.

This shift is so significant, he claims, it is comparable to the change from monkeys to apes, and apes to humans.

“Your 80 or 100 is going to be so radically different than your grandparents’,” Last says, who believes we will spend much of our time living in virtual reality.

Some evolutionary scientists believe people could live to as old as 120 by 2050. Last claims humans will also demonstrate delayed sexual maturation.

This refers to something known as life history theory which attempts to explain how natural selection shapes key events in a creature’s life, such as reproduction.

It suggests that as brain sizes increase, organisms need more energy and time to reach their full potential, and so reproduce less.

Instead of living fast and dying young, Last believes humans will live slow and die old.

“Global society at the moment is a complete mess,” he said. “But in crisis there is opportunity, and in apocalypse there can be metamorphosis. So I think the next system humanity creates will be far more sophisticated, fair, and abundant than our current civilization.”

As well as having more child-free years to enjoy leisure time, he believes artificial intelligence will offset the need for low-skill jobs.

科学狂想：40年内进化出新人类

到2050年，因为新技术、新行为和自然选择将进化出全新的人类。

这一观点来自“环球大脑研究所”的卡德尔•拉斯特。他说，人类正在经历一场“革命性的转变”。

拉斯特声称，在不到40年的时间里，人类的寿命将延长，生育年龄将推后，而日常琐事则完全交给人工智能机器完成。

拉斯特认为，人类的这一变化意义重大，可以和猴子变成类人猿、再由类人猿变成人类的进化过程相提并论。

拉斯特说：“你的80到100岁之间的生活将和你的祖父母截然不同。”

他认为等我们老了以后，大部分生活在虚拟世界中进行。

有些进化科学家相信到2050年人类可以活到120岁。拉斯特预言，人类的性成熟时间将推后。

这指的是生活史理论，试图解释自然选择如何塑造生物一生中的关键事件，例如繁殖。

他的理由是，随着大脑功能加强，整个机体需要更多能量和时间才能生长、成熟，而性成熟的时间也随之延后。

不再速生速朽，人类将慢慢成长、活到很大年纪。

拉斯特批评当今世界“完全是一团糟，但危机孕育着机会，世界末日可能会带来质变，而人类即将创造的下一套人文系统会复杂得多，并且更加公平、丰富。”

拉斯特预言人们因为将生育推迟从而拥有更多闲暇时光，此外，人工智能将让低技术工作变得没必要。

    【平凡的】

    píngfán de

    mundane

    everyday, ordinary, or banal

    【末日】

    mòrì

    apocalypse

    great or total devastation, doom