What will humans look like in 10,000 years?
What will humans look like in 10,000 years?

What about in 1 million years?
What about in 1 million years?

Will we look like this guy?
Will we look like this guy?

Probably not.
Probably not.

But we'll definitely look different than we do now.
But we'll definitely look different than we do now.

It took roughly 6 million years
It took roughly 6 million years

for humans to become what we are today.
for humans to become what we are today.

And modern humans
And modern humans

have only been around for about
have only been around for about

12,000 of those years.
12,000 of those years.

Even in that short period of time,
Even in that short period of time,

humans have evolved slightly.
humans have evolved slightly.

We've become about 10 cm (4 in.) taller,
We've become about 10 cm (4 in.) taller,

and now we can eat dairy foods after childhood.
and now we can eat dairy foods after childhood.

So if those things can happen in 12,000 years,
So if those things can happen in 12,000 years,

where might we be
where might we be

hundreds of thousands of years into the future?
hundreds of thousands of years into the future?

First, we should probably figure out
First, we should probably figure out

exactly what evolution is.
exactly what evolution is.

Evolution is all about changes
Evolution is all about changes

in the genetic makeup
in the genetic makeup

that happen to a species over time.
that happen to a species over time.

Species with more advantageous traits
Species with more advantageous traits

will tend to have more offspring.
will tend to have more offspring.

So those genetic traits will tend to
So those genetic traits will tend to

carry on to later generations.
carry on to later generations.

For example, giraffes with longer necks
For example, giraffes with longer necks

who can reach more food
who can reach more food

will be able to survive better than giraffes with short necks.
will be able to survive better than giraffes with short necks.

And they'll be able to have more babies,
And they'll be able to have more babies,

who will likely have longer necks, just like their parents.
who will likely have longer necks, just like their parents.

And as time goes on,
And as time goes on,

the short-necked giraffes will die out,
the short-necked giraffes will die out,

and the long-necked giraffes are the only ones left.
and the long-necked giraffes are the only ones left.

That's why all our giraffes have long necks today.
That's why all our giraffes have long necks today.

So how does this apply to humans exactly?
So how does this apply to humans exactly?

Well, evolution, in this sense,
Well, evolution, in this sense,

is actually very hard to predict.
is actually very hard to predict.

In the world we live in,
In the world we live in,

we don't need to worry about survival of the fittest.
we don't need to worry about survival of the fittest.

Technology has effectively canceled a lot of that.
Technology has effectively canceled a lot of that.

You no longer need to worry about
You no longer need to worry about

being the fastest or the strongest.
being the fastest or the strongest.

This isn't 100,000 years ago,
This isn't 100,000 years ago,

when you had to fight for your food.
when you had to fight for your food.

Things like houses to live in,
Things like houses to live in,

and clean running water,
and clean running water,

make surviving so much easier.
make surviving so much easier.

You never think to yourself,
You never think to yourself,

"how am I going to survive today?"
"how am I going to survive today?"

But that's something our ancestors
But that's something our ancestors

had to worry about constantly.
had to worry about constantly.

It's not guaranteed that
It's not guaranteed that

1 million years from now,
1 million years from now,

humans will be stronger, faster,
humans will be stronger, faster,

and bigger than ever before.
and bigger than ever before.

After all, having children today
After all, having children today

is generally decided by culture and personal choice,
is generally decided by culture and personal choice,

rather than the need for our species to survive.
rather than the need for our species to survive.

Our future
Our future

will be decided by the traits
will be decided by the traits

of people who have children,
of people who have children,

and how many children they have.
and how many children they have.

If people who are naturally overweight
If people who are naturally overweight

and have health problems
and have health problems

are the only ones having kids
are the only ones having kids

over the next million years,
over the next million years,

then that's how the human race will end up.
then that's how the human race will end up.

But,
But,

we might not need to worry about any of these natural occurrences.
we might not need to worry about any of these natural occurrences.

Instead, we could become completely
Instead, we could become completely

fused with technology before any of this happens.
fused with technology before any of this happens.

Cybernetic arms,
Cybernetic arms,

brain chips, and laser eyes
brain chips, and laser eyes

could all become possibilities.
could all become possibilities.

Not only that,
Not only that,

but we also might be able to
but we also might be able to

alter a baby's genes before they're born,
alter a baby's genes before they're born,

completely getting rid of evolution altogether.
completely getting rid of evolution altogether.

This would allow us to get rid of diseases,
This would allow us to get rid of diseases,

and any other genetic traits that might harm us.
and any other genetic traits that might harm us.

But if we didn't have this luxury,
But if we didn't have this luxury,

and we had to evolve the old-fashioned way,
and we had to evolve the old-fashioned way,

there's a few things that might happen:
there's a few things that might happen:

we just need to look at how modern humans have evolved
we just need to look at how modern humans have evolved

in the past 12,000 years.
in the past 12,000 years.

We know we've been getting taller,
We know we've been getting taller,

most likely due to nutrition,
most likely due to nutrition,

and that our brains have been getting smaller.
and that our brains have been getting smaller.

But don't worry, we haven't be getting dumber,
But don't worry, we haven't be getting dumber,

our brains are actually becoming more efficient.
our brains are actually becoming more efficient.

In a million years
In a million years

we might be incredibly tall humans with
we might be incredibly tall humans with

tiny heads.
tiny heads.

Does that remind you of anything?
Does that remind you of anything?

At the end of the day,
At the end of the day,

human evolution is incredibly difficult to predict.
human evolution is incredibly difficult to predict.

That's because,
That's because,

evolution is primarily based on our environment,
evolution is primarily based on our environment,

and who knows what might happen to the Earth
and who knows what might happen to the Earth

in the next million years?
in the next million years?

We might need to evolve to survive fires,
We might need to evolve to survive fires,

as the planet will become so incredibly hot.
as the planet will become so incredibly hot.

I so hope I'm not around for that.
I so hope I'm not around for that.

Or, in the next million years,
Or, in the next million years,

we might live on other planets, like Mars.
we might live on other planets, like Mars.

Humans would evolve to look completely different there,
Humans would evolve to look completely different there,

as they'd be living in entirely different conditions than here on Earth.
as they'd be living in entirely different conditions than here on Earth.

Wondering what living on the red planet would be like?
Wondering what living on the red planet would be like?

Well, that's a story for another WHAT IF.
Well, that's a story for another WHAT IF.