The Future Of is a science & nature documentary series which was released on Netflix on 21 June 2022. It is created in collaboration with 21 Laps entertainment, Vox Media Studios and The Verge. The series had released only 6 episodes initially and the following 6 episodes were released on 28 June.
Each episode of The Future Of has a runtime of about 20-22 minutes respectively. It is produced by Michael Lebowitz and executive producers Shawn Levy of 21 Laps Entertainment along with Josh Barry and others. The narration is voiced by Jurnee Smollett, an American actress and each episode features various scientists, innovators and reporters who specialise in the specific topic.
-The Future Of Review Does Not Contain Any Spoilers-
Episode 7: Life After Death
Death is a painful process that we all have to go through. Letting go of a loved one is often difficult, but what if we could still be in touch with them digitally? That’s what we are going to explore in this episode of The Future Of. With the increase in population, the number of burial grounds is also decreasing. Cremation is heavy on the cost as well, making it a $20 billion industry.
Due to these reasons, people are looking for ways like human composting as a solution. But in this digital world, we only leave the physical world but the digital remains. It is presumed that at one point the number of profiles of dead people on social media will be equal to the living ones. It will create more footprints and is not good for the environment. But what do we do with our sentiments that are attached to our loved ones’ profiles?
That’s where the digital afterlife comes into place, where could be buried in a garden, where your remains would nurture and grow into a plant with your data stored on it and your loved one could connect with you through artificial chatbots, attached to the tree. Sounds incredulous? But it could be our reality in a few decades.
Episode 8: Sports
In this episode of The Future Of, athletes and engineers examine new developments in artificial intelligence and robotics that can make career-ending injuries a thing of the past. It could help many athletes who have to take early retirement due to various injuries. But if your digital twin, created by the AI could predict all your body requirements beforehand, then athletes could have a longer career.
And going a step further, what if we could use technology that would enhance our skills and prevent any injury altogether. But sports is all about human narrative and the use of AI in the field could make it Robo sports, as compared to the traditional one that pushes the limit of a human capacity.
Episode 9: Fashion
If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you must have heard the terms like fast fashion or sustainable fashion and their impact on the environment. This is because the clothing industry is churning out clothes more than ever while chasing the trends that get replaced every few weeks or months. But it’s not just the quantity but the quality that’s harming nature.
Most of the clothes are made of synthetic fibres which are essentially microplastics that get drained out into water bodies in every wash. To curb this, designers have been trying to use sustainable fibres that would get bio-degraded quickly or even clothes that you could grow or upcycle the current one. Some companies like Auroboro have even delved into making virtual clothes that you could show off on your social media.
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Episode 10: Skyscrapers
Again, for the ever-increasing population that could reach 10 billion in a few years, the living space could become a major problem, if proper planning is not done now. And architects think that a vertical living situation, like a skyscraper, might be the answer to that. But the current skyscrapers use concrete and steel extensively which contributes highly to the greenhouse gases.
Then what is the solution? The answer is to make it a self-sustaining community. To make a greener alternative which would have everything from a garden, football field to a theatre, all in the same building. Making use of the environment in a sustainable way is the key to smart future city planning.
Episode 11: Health
Since the pandemic started, health has become the major concern on everybody’s list and has even pointed out many faults in our healthcare system. But what if you could live for 100, 200 years, absolutely disease-free through the means of body augmentation? Well living for a longer span is not exactly the priority but doctors have been researching making organs in the lab.
They have been experimenting with the idea of making a complete organ by extracting a few cells from the person’s body and culturing them to become whole. This could help many patients on the various organ transplant list, as they are not able to find a suitable donor. The experts break down 3D-printed super organs, genetic upgrades and other medical breakthroughs that will revolutionize health care as we know it.
Episode 12: Headphones
Headphones, which were once considered as a communication device has become a modern necessity nowadays. When you go out and forget your headphones or air pods at home, that becomes the most boring and regretful day. They are our mode of escaping reality by entertaining us through transmitting sounds and even cancelling the exterior noise.
But in the last episode of The Future Of, doctors and scientists wonder if they can become much more than a transmitting device to a device that could interpret our brain activity in real-time. Instead, they could read our emotions and listen to our bodies, better than ourselves and predict patterns in our behaviour.
Final Thoughts: Stream It or Skip It?
The Future Of on Netflix is a sneak peek into our near and far future and what innovative developments we can expect. Each subject has endless possibilities for incredible advancements but at the same time, they pose a danger to our lives and privacy. Especially if we are opting for a digital solution, the main concern is our privacy.
If every aspect of our lives is present in the virtual world and its ownership is not in our control then it could cause a big problem for us. They could be used in illegal ways or infiltrate our lives with whatever the big corporates want. That’s why we need to consider every step carefully and take care that they don’t fall into bad hands or create more carbon footprint. The Future Of, the science and nature docuseries, is an ambitious one and presents the hope of a new and better world.
The Future Of Part 2 is streaming on Netflix.
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