Humans are back in the family business
Dateline: January 2 2044
In 2024 the first baby was born using Fertilo, an ovarian support cell technology that matures eggs outside the body.
Twenty years on it’s commonplace for humans to use assisted repro tech when planning their family. We’ve gone way beyond IVF — so-called test-tube babies — with an array of bioengineered and genetically enhanced systems for improving reproductive outcomes. Why leave things to chance when technology is there to help?
As we all know, birth rates and fertility have been plummeting for decades, not only in the advanced economies but in developing nations too. That’s not surprising, as raising children has a greater financial impact than even buying a home. At the same time, life expectancy has been ratcheting up with medical breakthroughs, powered by advanced biotech and artificial intelligence.
While it’s true that robots have been taking up the slack, both boosting the workforce and caring for the aged, humanity was facing an existential crisis in the long run. Ultimately, we need babies to perpetuate the species. Natural reproduction and childbirth is such a hit-and-miss affair we can’t leave it up to nature.
Now we have the means to make it easier, simpler and more comfortable for couples to plan additions to their family, whether they are having fertility issues or not. As long as eggs are available, they can be matured and supported to ensure viable pregnancies and successful deliveries. It’s not like we’ve entered the era of designer babies — yet — but it’s painless and trauma free to have a child, with a guaranteed success rate.
With planned parenthood becoming an exact science, it’s not surprising that people are choosing the exact date for their child’s birthday, and New Year’s Day is one of the most popular. There was a record number of births on January 1, globally.
That’s a lot of new life for the New Year. Hooray!
• First published on Mindbullets January 2 2025.
No sex please, we’re Japanese
Dateline: August 8 2026
Celibacy syndrome in Japan is causing the population to plummet and now it’s going into free fall.
Most young women of marrying age would rather go shopping with each other than have sex with a boyfriend. And the sophisticated, urbane men they count as friends are mainly gay. A survey earlier this year by the Japan Family Planning Association found that 67% of women aged 16-24 were not interested in or despised sexual contact.
Men are equally repulsed by the idea of sex, preferring karaoke bars and digital entertainments to physical contact. Virtual girlfriends and love-bots are wildly popular. It avoids all sorts of social awkwardness.
This love affair with celibacy is causing Japan’s declining population to age prematurely. Young adults are living with their parents until age 40 or more, and their parents are happy to have them as they increasingly need old-age care.
In many ways Japan’s platonic disease is symptomatic of the malaise affecting affluent societies worldwide. Techno-driven hipsters are consumed with fashion and fads, ultra brand conscious and lacking the engagement skills to pursue romance. It’s almost as if the Western materialist lifestyle is trying to eradicate the species responsible.
There are just no babies to replenish the workforce, which is why this has been declared a national disaster. Corporate giants such as Sony and Canon turn off the lights at 7pm in an effort to get their staff to go home and make babies, but it hasn’t helped.
Government programmes include “love counsellors” and actively promote promiscuity, but that’s not working either. Importing nubile young adults from Thailand and putting Viagra in the water has been suggested, as Japan’s population — and economy — continue to sink.
• First published on Mindbullets October 31 2013.
Despite appearances to the contrary, Futureworld cannot and does not predict the future. The Mindbullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures, and challenge and stimulate strategic thinking.
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