“We, the biological “Homo sapiens,” will disappear; “Supermen will replace us.”
Having left his leadership position at Atapuerca and retired from the University of Rovira i Virgili, archaeologist Ewald Carbonell now devotes his time to “thinking and writing, which is what I like best.” In his latest book, From Cave to Space (Ara Llibres; soon in Spanish at RBA), he argues that humanity will evolve from its current state. Homo sapiens towards transhumans, and then posthumans.
Is Homo sapiens destined for extinction?
Not yet. In the coming decades, we will evolve towards greater diversity. People who do not want to be modified will coexist with other groups of people who have been modified to keep them from getting sick or to improve some of their characteristics. And perhaps also with humans created through synthetic biology techniques, which may involve both organic and inorganic materials.
And after?
Humanity will evolve towards transhumanity, which is defined by the artificial enhancement of our species. Natural selection will be replaced by artificial selection as the engine of evolution.
When do you think the transition to transhumanity will occur?
Technological progress is accelerating, I think there will be little left. I estimate that this will happen within one or two centuries.
What about the transition from transhumans to posthumans?
This will happen when transhumans stop operating from individual consciousness and gain collective consciousness. A new state of human consciousness will appear. It will take longer, I don’t know how long, maybe 400 or 500 years.
Will it last Homo sapiens biological?
Let’s disappear. It doesn’t scare me, on the contrary. This is the only option we have to overcome. Chance made us human, logic will make us superhuman.
Do you think this is desirable?
I think this is inevitable.
But would you like to slow down this process so that the transition occurs later?
I don’t understand how this can be stopped; technological progress is accelerating and has enormous inertia.
Regulating technology development?
It may be able to slow down the process a little, but the transition to transhumanity will happen the same with or without regulation.
“Chance made us human, logic will make us transhuman”
Does this make you feel futile?
First of all, it gives me a feeling of fragility, of being unable to do anything to stop it. Writing is my way of dealing with insignificance. My biggest goal is to turn knowledge into thought. I strive to transcend through thought.
The book is called “From the Cave to Space.” Did 2001: A Space Odyssey inspire you?
This is a film that made an impression on me and I have watched it many times. I think humanity will reach Mars, then other stars in the solar system, and then other solar systems.
His vision of the future sounds like science fiction.
I know it can give that impression. But I worked on this book for four years and found it to be a well-informed reflection. I speculate about the future of humanity based on what I have learned about human evolution from studying the past.
“Writing is my way of dealing with insignificance.”
Do you think life on Mars will be better than on Earth?
It will be lived differently. The body of transhumans can be modified to adapt it to the conditions of Mars. And in the future we will be able to go to Mars, just as we can now fly to the Moon.
Wouldn’t it be better to devote efforts to caring for the Earth than to find a way to emigrate?
It is true that there are many problems on Earth for which we must find solutions. I completely agree. But people have a desire to explore, to always go further. Mars is the next frontier, and it also has enormous symbolic appeal.
What makes you think that the ultimate fate of Homo sapiens is evolution rather than extinction?
I have high hopes for our species. Humanity appeared two and a half million years ago and survived all the bottlenecks of evolution. He is stable.
Doesn’t the transfer of technologies of mass destruction into the hands of unruly minorities open the way to the self-destruction of humanity?
We have a danger: billions of people could die. But people are more creative than destructive. And if we evolve towards greater diversity, rather than homogenizing as globalization does, some groups will survive.
His previous interviews: