{Radio} Future baby’s come with instruction manuals
What if every baby came with it’s own unique users guide and instruction manual? What if we could grow our own replaceable spare body parts? What if we could fix things from the inside of our body instead of the outside, without any invasive surgery?
These are some of my predictions in my 52 Imagine the Possibility Inspiration Postcards and this week Hong Kong Radio’s Phil Whelan and I continue our on air exploration, we started a few week’s back, of what a future world might look like when some of these predictions come true.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does ‘future babies come with instruction manuals’ actually mean?
It is shorthand for the trajectory of prenatal genetic screening — from detecting chromosomal conditions to sequencing complete fetal genomes to, speculatively, selecting for complex traits. The instruction manual metaphor captures both the promise (knowing more) and the peril (the illusion of control over a fundamentally unpredictable process).
Q: How close are we to designer babies?
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for single-gene disorders is already standard in IVF. Polygenic screening for complex traits like intelligence or disease predisposition is technically available but ethically contested and scientifically uncertain. The slippage between therapeutic and enhancement applications is where the foresight concern sits.
Q: What are the social equity implications of genetic selection technology?
Profound and underexamined. If access to genetic optimisation is determined by wealth, we risk biological stratification on a timescale that dwarfs any previous social divide. This is the second and third-order consequence that most technology-optimistic takes on genomics fail to address.
Q: Can Morris Misel speak on biotechnology, genetics, and human futures?
Yes. These themes feature in his keynote work on human identity, technology ethics, and the futures that require serious moral engagement. Book at morrismisel.com.
What if every baby came with it’s own unique users guide and instruction manual? What if we could grow our own replaceable spare body parts? What if we could fix things from the inside of our body instead of the outside, without any invasive surgery? These are some of my predicti.
The window between a signal arriving and it demanding a response is shortening. Future baby’s come with instruction manuals is already shaping strategy conversations in forward-looking organisations. Treating it as a future concern rather than a present one builds a preparedness gap that will have to be closed under pressure.
The most important question is not whether Future baby’s come with instruction manuals will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.
