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Future Humans: Inside the Science of Our Continuing Evolution
Are humans still subject to the forces of evolution? An evolutionary biologist provides surprising insights into the future of Homo sapiens
In this intriguing book, evolutionary biologist Scott Solomon draws on the explosion of discoveries in recent years to examine the future evolution of our species. Combining knowledge of our past with current trends, Solomon offers convincing evidence that evolutionary forces still affect us today. But how will modernization—including longer lifespans, changing diets, global travel, and widespread use of medicine and contraceptives—affect our evolutionary future?
Solomon presents an entertaining and accessible review of the latest research on human evolution in modern times, drawing on fields from genomics to medicine and the study of our microbiome. Surprising insights, on topics ranging from the rise of online dating and Cesarean sections to the spread of diseases such as HIV and Ebola, suggest that we are entering a new phase in human evolutionary history—one that makes the future less predictable and more interesting than ever before.
In this intriguing book, evolutionary biologist Scott Solomon draws on the explosion of discoveries in recent years to examine the future evolution of our species. Combining knowledge of our past with current trends, Solomon offers convincing evidence that evolutionary forces still affect us today. But how will modernization—including longer lifespans, changing diets, global travel, and widespread use of medicine and contraceptives—affect our evolutionary future?
Solomon presents an entertaining and accessible review of the latest research on human evolution in modern times, drawing on fields from genomics to medicine and the study of our microbiome. Surprising insights, on topics ranging from the rise of online dating and Cesarean sections to the spread of diseases such as HIV and Ebola, suggest that we are entering a new phase in human evolutionary history—one that makes the future less predictable and more interesting than ever before.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2016
43 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 7, 2017
I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Scott Solomon, and the publisher, Yale University Press, for this opportunity.
A book exploring the past evolutionary process and future possible evolution of the the human species might not sound appealing to a wide audience. For this science nerd, however, it sounded like the perfect thing!
I have been craving some intellectual non-fiction that didn't completely baffle or bore me and this delivered on that front. This managed to make for educational reading without becoming overly and unnecessarily wordy and complex. The writing is compelling and informational whilst managing not to become dense and impenetrable.
I wouldn't class myself as knowledgeable in the subject matters covered, but I had a little more than a passing awareness. I don't think it would be exactly suited to someone with no prior understanding of genomes and DNA etc. but is definitely very accessible to novice, like myself.
The area of most interest to me was the last section, that focused on humans and the colonization of other planets and the potential effect this would have on our future evolutionary process. I would have preferred a larger focus to be paid to this topic, but that is just me personal preference.
Overall, this was interesting and informative and managed to become a one-sitting book, but definitely one I can see myself returning to.
A book exploring the past evolutionary process and future possible evolution of the the human species might not sound appealing to a wide audience. For this science nerd, however, it sounded like the perfect thing!
I have been craving some intellectual non-fiction that didn't completely baffle or bore me and this delivered on that front. This managed to make for educational reading without becoming overly and unnecessarily wordy and complex. The writing is compelling and informational whilst managing not to become dense and impenetrable.
I wouldn't class myself as knowledgeable in the subject matters covered, but I had a little more than a passing awareness. I don't think it would be exactly suited to someone with no prior understanding of genomes and DNA etc. but is definitely very accessible to novice, like myself.
The area of most interest to me was the last section, that focused on humans and the colonization of other planets and the potential effect this would have on our future evolutionary process. I would have preferred a larger focus to be paid to this topic, but that is just me personal preference.
Overall, this was interesting and informative and managed to become a one-sitting book, but definitely one I can see myself returning to.
December 7, 2019
Interesting book with insights into human evolution. Not groundbreaking, but accessible for the armchair scientist. The title is mildly misleading - only the last 3-4 pages touch on the future possibilities for human evolution. I would have liked to have seen more on how modern life (e.g., medicine, diet, etc.) has impacted evolution, and, in many ways, made "survival of the fittest" a bit more complicated. Overall, though, this was a pleasant, informative read and a good introduction for those with a passing interest in evolution and genetics.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!
May 28, 2017
Despite the title referring to future humans, the author only spends a chapter or two discussing it; but I can understand why he needs to use this method because we would not be able to predict or make sense of the future while the history left undiscovered.
The book starts with the reluctance of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins when he was asked what he would think of future humans. It's true that we have no ideas what will be awaiting for us in the next decades, let alone century, but educational speculations, based on our history and the evolving habits of our civilization, will not be far off; besides, it is exciting.
Natural selection has been dominated evolution since the birth of the first self-sustaining cell on Earth, and this will continue to be the key player until the last living organism disappears. In the past, any disease or beneficial genetic mutation was not widespread, making the gene pool of humans on Earth vary from place to place.
In the last few centuries, however, natural selection is challenged by our economy, culture, medicine, vaccines and especially, gene editing technology.
Circulation of good genetic mutation gives humans advantage to develop the ability that we think not possible, but this also gives diseases a chance to spread horrifyingly fast as well, for example the breakout of HIV and Ebola.
Nowadays, environment is not the only main source of our evolution anymore. Infamous diseases like smallpox, which used to exterminate millions of children each year, was eradicated due to vaccination and the standard of living. Culture and economy help defind what we look like and how we behave. No matter how good your gene is, if you do not have anything to eat, you are out of the gene pool.
Gene editing technology is just in its infancy; yet, its impact on our civilization will be unbelievable. Gene therapy has the ability to cure dangerous diseases like cancers. Other beneficial ability embedded in genetic mutation can be inserted into embryos; this is called genetic engineering. This new technology poses concerns to people regarding ethnic issue. Is it moral to engineer our babies to look good, and smart against what they will turn out? I don't want to go deep into this issue here, but my concern would be the danger of not having variety of genes. What if a disease emerges targeting the popular gene that everyone has? It would be the end of us.
Every human on Earth is the same species regardless of our races and where we live, but this may change after a group of us inhabits other planets. After years of separation, our gene will be different enough to make our sexual intercourse not resulting in pregnancy; this is when a new species of human is born.
Overall, the book expends the horizon of my limited understanding in genetic biology by highlighting important factors on which our future will be relied. The author uses simple words in his context so even if you don't have any knowledge on this field before, you would still be able to learn something from it after finishing reading.
More reviews at https://menglongstarstuff.wordpress.com
The book starts with the reluctance of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins when he was asked what he would think of future humans. It's true that we have no ideas what will be awaiting for us in the next decades, let alone century, but educational speculations, based on our history and the evolving habits of our civilization, will not be far off; besides, it is exciting.
Natural selection has been dominated evolution since the birth of the first self-sustaining cell on Earth, and this will continue to be the key player until the last living organism disappears. In the past, any disease or beneficial genetic mutation was not widespread, making the gene pool of humans on Earth vary from place to place.
In the last few centuries, however, natural selection is challenged by our economy, culture, medicine, vaccines and especially, gene editing technology.
Circulation of good genetic mutation gives humans advantage to develop the ability that we think not possible, but this also gives diseases a chance to spread horrifyingly fast as well, for example the breakout of HIV and Ebola.
Nowadays, environment is not the only main source of our evolution anymore. Infamous diseases like smallpox, which used to exterminate millions of children each year, was eradicated due to vaccination and the standard of living. Culture and economy help defind what we look like and how we behave. No matter how good your gene is, if you do not have anything to eat, you are out of the gene pool.
Gene editing technology is just in its infancy; yet, its impact on our civilization will be unbelievable. Gene therapy has the ability to cure dangerous diseases like cancers. Other beneficial ability embedded in genetic mutation can be inserted into embryos; this is called genetic engineering. This new technology poses concerns to people regarding ethnic issue. Is it moral to engineer our babies to look good, and smart against what they will turn out? I don't want to go deep into this issue here, but my concern would be the danger of not having variety of genes. What if a disease emerges targeting the popular gene that everyone has? It would be the end of us.
Every human on Earth is the same species regardless of our races and where we live, but this may change after a group of us inhabits other planets. After years of separation, our gene will be different enough to make our sexual intercourse not resulting in pregnancy; this is when a new species of human is born.
Overall, the book expends the horizon of my limited understanding in genetic biology by highlighting important factors on which our future will be relied. The author uses simple words in his context so even if you don't have any knowledge on this field before, you would still be able to learn something from it after finishing reading.
More reviews at https://menglongstarstuff.wordpress.com
July 20, 2017
I dont understand why other reviewers have a hard time around the book title.
The book provides many research findings regarding "Our Continuing Evolution": The adaptation of breathing with larger lungs, , blood vessel dialation of Andeans in Peru, Tibetan on Himalayas, mountainous tribes in Ethiopia; Diseases adaptation (sickle cell and malaria is new to me); Adaptation of level melanin regarding sun exposure; Sexual preference; Diet Preference; Gene Editing, Microbiomes and over sanitized environment...
In short, human cultural changes directly affects our evolution.
The book provides many research findings regarding "Our Continuing Evolution": The adaptation of breathing with larger lungs, , blood vessel dialation of Andeans in Peru, Tibetan on Himalayas, mountainous tribes in Ethiopia; Diseases adaptation (sickle cell and malaria is new to me); Adaptation of level melanin regarding sun exposure; Sexual preference; Diet Preference; Gene Editing, Microbiomes and over sanitized environment...
In short, human cultural changes directly affects our evolution.
August 10, 2022
I recently took a Great Courses lecture course on DVD by this author, and I thought this book was going to lend some insight into how we humans are still evolving and make some predictions about our future species. The book dealt more with if we are evolving and did not make bold predictions about the course that evolution would take. Some of the book was a recap of the course, but still worth reading.
"Microbes have an advantage because they can evolve resistance far faster than we can develop new drugs, thanks to0 their short generation times, which can be as little as thirty minutes."
"...the emerging conclusion is that our gene pool has always been something of a melting pot. Periodically throughout history, people from different regions somehow came together and had children, and so seemingly isolated human populations never really remained isolated for very long. We now know that our ancestors swapped genes with other humanlike species they encountered in their travels. Our species, you might say, has been rather promiscuous."
"...the long stretch of similar DNA sequences suggested that the two populations - Denisovans and modern Tibetans - must have exchanged DNA fairly recently. Here was strong evidence that the beneficial genes found in modern Tibetans - the genes that Anna Di Rienzo's team knew had come from another population - actually came from another species."
"The widespread consumption of processed foods and high-calorie beverages, which began in more developed countries like the United States and are spreading rapidly into less developed regions, is closely linked to a growing pandemic of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Given that these conditions have replaced infectious diseases as the leading causes of death in developed nations, natural selection may continue to play a role in tweaking our biology through our diet."
"As of 2013, North American women averaged 1.8 children and European women averaged 1.6, compared with 5.3 and 6.7 children in Latin America and Africa, respectively. As development improves access to clean water and modern health care, reducing the burden of infectious diseases, death rates decline as well. When falling birthrates follow soon after a decline in death rates, a demographic transition occurs."
"...an emerging treatment for the vexing problem of infection with the bacteria Clostridium difficile involves transplanting a sample of feces from a healthy person directly into the patient's colon. The procedure has been very successful, presumably because of the positive effect of the donor's microbes in combatting the infection..."
"...as the world becomes more developed, urbanized, and reliant on antibiotics and Cesarean sections, we are on the verge of completely eliminating species that have coevolved with us for millennia."
"We are exposing ourselves to new, potentially harmful microbes more frequently while extinguishing our microbial partners, giving us fewer tools with which to combat them. Like all ecosystems, our bodies work better when they are filled with a diversity of life, especially species that have been there, evolving, for millennia."
"There have already been five instances in the history of our planet in which an event that was both catastrophic and global in scope triggered widespread death on a massive scale. The most devastating occurred about 250 million years ago, ending the Permian era, possibly following the eruption of a supervolcano in Siberia. Somewhere between 80 and 95 percent of all species alive at the time were wiped out entirely. Another mass extinction 65 million years ago was almost certainly due to the impact of a six-mile-wide asteroid that struck Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, killing the dinosaurs and a great many other species as well."
"...we know that an asteroid about two-thirds of a mile wide - the length of twelve football fields - will come fairly close to Earth on March 16, 2880. NASA scientists think there is no more than a 0.33 percent chance it will hit Earth, but if it did, the impact would create a crater more than three miles deep if it struck land, or if it hit the ocean, a tsunami with waves several hundred feet high."
"The Hobbit skeleton was discovered in a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. Its small size - the skeleton is that of an adult who stood about three feet high and whose brain was only about a third the size of modern humans' - stunned the paleo-anthropology community. ... ...subseuent analyses convinced most of the doubters that the fossils represent a new species of human...initial estimates suggested the species may have lived as little as eighteen thousand years ago..."
"The Mars Desert Research Station is owned and operated by the Mars Society, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to support the exploration and colonization of Mars. Teams of four to seven people spend weeks at a time engaged in simulation at the station, which is located in a remote part of the desert in Utah."
"Microbes have an advantage because they can evolve resistance far faster than we can develop new drugs, thanks to0 their short generation times, which can be as little as thirty minutes."
"...the emerging conclusion is that our gene pool has always been something of a melting pot. Periodically throughout history, people from different regions somehow came together and had children, and so seemingly isolated human populations never really remained isolated for very long. We now know that our ancestors swapped genes with other humanlike species they encountered in their travels. Our species, you might say, has been rather promiscuous."
"...the long stretch of similar DNA sequences suggested that the two populations - Denisovans and modern Tibetans - must have exchanged DNA fairly recently. Here was strong evidence that the beneficial genes found in modern Tibetans - the genes that Anna Di Rienzo's team knew had come from another population - actually came from another species."
"The widespread consumption of processed foods and high-calorie beverages, which began in more developed countries like the United States and are spreading rapidly into less developed regions, is closely linked to a growing pandemic of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Given that these conditions have replaced infectious diseases as the leading causes of death in developed nations, natural selection may continue to play a role in tweaking our biology through our diet."
"As of 2013, North American women averaged 1.8 children and European women averaged 1.6, compared with 5.3 and 6.7 children in Latin America and Africa, respectively. As development improves access to clean water and modern health care, reducing the burden of infectious diseases, death rates decline as well. When falling birthrates follow soon after a decline in death rates, a demographic transition occurs."
"...an emerging treatment for the vexing problem of infection with the bacteria Clostridium difficile involves transplanting a sample of feces from a healthy person directly into the patient's colon. The procedure has been very successful, presumably because of the positive effect of the donor's microbes in combatting the infection..."
"...as the world becomes more developed, urbanized, and reliant on antibiotics and Cesarean sections, we are on the verge of completely eliminating species that have coevolved with us for millennia."
"We are exposing ourselves to new, potentially harmful microbes more frequently while extinguishing our microbial partners, giving us fewer tools with which to combat them. Like all ecosystems, our bodies work better when they are filled with a diversity of life, especially species that have been there, evolving, for millennia."
"There have already been five instances in the history of our planet in which an event that was both catastrophic and global in scope triggered widespread death on a massive scale. The most devastating occurred about 250 million years ago, ending the Permian era, possibly following the eruption of a supervolcano in Siberia. Somewhere between 80 and 95 percent of all species alive at the time were wiped out entirely. Another mass extinction 65 million years ago was almost certainly due to the impact of a six-mile-wide asteroid that struck Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, killing the dinosaurs and a great many other species as well."
"...we know that an asteroid about two-thirds of a mile wide - the length of twelve football fields - will come fairly close to Earth on March 16, 2880. NASA scientists think there is no more than a 0.33 percent chance it will hit Earth, but if it did, the impact would create a crater more than three miles deep if it struck land, or if it hit the ocean, a tsunami with waves several hundred feet high."
"The Hobbit skeleton was discovered in a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. Its small size - the skeleton is that of an adult who stood about three feet high and whose brain was only about a third the size of modern humans' - stunned the paleo-anthropology community. ... ...subseuent analyses convinced most of the doubters that the fossils represent a new species of human...initial estimates suggested the species may have lived as little as eighteen thousand years ago..."
"The Mars Desert Research Station is owned and operated by the Mars Society, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to support the exploration and colonization of Mars. Teams of four to seven people spend weeks at a time engaged in simulation at the station, which is located in a remote part of the desert in Utah."
June 28, 2017
not a bad book to read..but neither has anything new..Microbiome (Blaser), Evolutionary process (Jared Diamond)...DNA mutations etc...are mentioned from other expertises as well..it is a good book for beginners to learn about ourselves...interesting questions that the author has raised: where are we heading? mutation? planetary colonization>>mutations? volcanic disruptions and meteors that kill off humans?
November 24, 2017
I enjoyed this book on a topic which I haven't really explored previously. It's great for the lay reader and inspires thought. I like to stretch outside my usual "box" and found that this book did that for me! It's well written and gives a good comprehensive review bringing the reader along...grab it and read it!
May 3, 2023
The book was not riveting, but it certainly was interesting. There was a lot of information to absorb and I got a lot more out of it after listening to it the second time through. The book was better than I expected in terms of real data-based and statistically based predictions of future genetic changes. Well worth listening - it has given me things to think about.
May 21, 2017
Chilling effects of self censorship are awful.
Scattershot group of examples that isn't really necessary to prove an obvious fact if it wasn't for the messing with and finessing the dictionary definition of what is and what isn't "natural" evolution.
Scattershot group of examples that isn't really necessary to prove an obvious fact if it wasn't for the messing with and finessing the dictionary definition of what is and what isn't "natural" evolution.
August 21, 2020
Doesn’t get to the point until the final chapter of the book!
April 15, 2023
In its short 234 pages, Future Humans: Inside the Science of Our Continuing Evolution examines the factors that influenced human evolution in the distant past and are likely to go on having an impact on it in the future. I admit I was hoping for a more speculative we'll-have-big-heads or our-muscles-will-atrophy-when-robots-do-all-of-our-work-for-us kind of book. What Mr. Solomon provides, however, is a science-backed, data-driven overview of the evolutionary process in modern times, including our resistance to disease, adaptations to extreme environments, and the effect of improved healthcare, global travel, and even culture on our collective DNA. He condenses some very complex topics into bite-sized, easily understandable chunks for us non-scientists, and he also introduces us to some of the major players in this area of investigation. And towards the end, he does indulge in a bit of what if regarding the possibility of humans venturing out into the universe - all of it completely supported by the latest research, of course.
In the end, I was fascinated and charmed by Future Humans, which was a relatively quick read for a book on science. I would recommend it for anyone interested in the topic.
In the end, I was fascinated and charmed by Future Humans, which was a relatively quick read for a book on science. I would recommend it for anyone interested in the topic.
March 8, 2017
Misleading title. not at all about post socialistic evolution. entirely about pre-societal evolution while vaguely saying we cant draw conclusions about future humans...
December 21, 2016
As a retired high school biology teacher I found this book compelling. With some nonfiction books, even ones you enjoy, you don't always feel compelled to pick it up and read because there are always fun mysteries or interesting dramas tugging at you to read them instead. I found myself uninterested in reading a novel during the time I read Future Humans. Every time I set it down I wanted to hurry with my chores and so I could get back to it.
That said, I don't know that this book will interest a large audience. It is very science-y, but in an interesting way. If you are familiar with the basics of cells and DNA you will do fine. I learned so much. One of the reasons I read is to cause more connections between my brain cells. I could almost feel a few of them glowing at times!
Now that the Human Genome Project is finished researcher are starting a program to map the DNA of all the bacteria and other tiny creatures that live inside and on humans. Humans living in urban situations tend to have the least diversity of microorganism. Everywhere else in nature it is better to have great diversity. Have we killed off so much of our microbiome that we won't be able to adapt a crisis? Just one of the interesting topics discussed. I've read for years about building up good bacteria in our guts and I take a probiotic every day in hopes of doing that.
There's a section about sexual selection that was interesting. Also, what is technology do to aid and hinder reprodution of the species.
Future Humans gives a great overview and provides a good basis to hook future information. I'd highly recommend to anyone who reads the jacket and feels some interest in this subject.
That said, I don't know that this book will interest a large audience. It is very science-y, but in an interesting way. If you are familiar with the basics of cells and DNA you will do fine. I learned so much. One of the reasons I read is to cause more connections between my brain cells. I could almost feel a few of them glowing at times!
Now that the Human Genome Project is finished researcher are starting a program to map the DNA of all the bacteria and other tiny creatures that live inside and on humans. Humans living in urban situations tend to have the least diversity of microorganism. Everywhere else in nature it is better to have great diversity. Have we killed off so much of our microbiome that we won't be able to adapt a crisis? Just one of the interesting topics discussed. I've read for years about building up good bacteria in our guts and I take a probiotic every day in hopes of doing that.
There's a section about sexual selection that was interesting. Also, what is technology do to aid and hinder reprodution of the species.
Future Humans gives a great overview and provides a good basis to hook future information. I'd highly recommend to anyone who reads the jacket and feels some interest in this subject.
December 13, 2016
Fairly interesting discussion of how human beings continue to evolve under modern conditions, but it reads more like a pop science summary of news items than an in-depth discussion. Still, if you are interested in the topic and looking for a place to start this wouldn't be a bad book to pick up.
April 30, 2017
Interesting, but basically says we know almost nothing yet. And I agree.
Yet, it doesn't mention zombie apocalypse as a risk :-D Several days ago read about the new CRISPR "pill" that causes bacteria to destroy its DNA. Here it is Maybe in some variation it is possible to spread some "zombie disease". Nature already had some zombies invented and "homo sapiens" is too new as a race to know "the future".
Yet, it doesn't mention zombie apocalypse as a risk :-D Several days ago read about the new CRISPR "pill" that causes bacteria to destroy its DNA. Here it is Maybe in some variation it is possible to spread some "zombie disease". Nature already had some zombies invented and "homo sapiens" is too new as a race to know "the future".
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews