The Second Big Bang

Technology is putting humanity on a path to infinity.

In recent years, there has been an increasing push towards developing digital copies of humans, or digital twins. This technology offers the potential to advance humanity in unique and fascinating ways. In its latest Hype Cycle, Gartner places the “digital human” of the accent, yet still early on it’s precarious path forward. Yet, the functional digitization of the human cognition and experiences provides a tantalizing perspective for the decentralization of humanity itself—beyond the individual and beyond the earth.

Simply put, digital twins recreate the physical world. They can help us test new ideas and scenarios that match our human reality. And importantly, reducing the physical risk for trial or engagement. For example, if we want to test out a new medical treatment, we can use digital twins to see how it would affect a person before trying it out on anyone for real. Clinical trials can be modified, more rapidly conducted, and simulated in ways that can supplement human-based trials, drive insights and even new therapies.

This also has implications for things like space exploration. If we want to send people to Mars, for example, we can use digital twins to test out the journey and even become “techno-astronauts” to travel the distance without the functional and…