For this week, ScienceBlogs editorial asked its cabal of bloggers to answer, if the spirit moved them, the following question:
Will the 'human' race be around in 100 years?
More consensus this week than last -- but that is the nature of a yes/no question. Luckily, there was some fine exposition along the way.
The good news: at least 7 out of 10 ScienceBloggers expect humanity as such to endure for at least ten more fun-filled decades.
Their answers, glossed and linked, below the fold.
At Cognitive Daily, the Mungers answer: yes, but.... In 100 or, more likely, 1000 years, advances in robotics, and/or progress towards radically extending longevity could challenge the definition of 'humanity' past its breaking point.
Tara Smith of Aetoilogy doesn't hesistate to say YES. "We may not be as hardy as cockroaches," she writes, "but we're adaptive as hell."
Orac at Respectful Insolence offers one word only. (Hint: it's not "plastics.")
At Adventures in Ethics and Science, Janet Stemwedel gets all philosophical and says, it depends what you mean by 'humanity.'
RPM of Evolgen flips a Cartesian answer, while
GrrlScientist at Living the Scientific Life thinks that an answer in the negative is more likely given a longer timeframe.
Tim Lambert at Deltoid also says yes, and waxes skeptical about the singularity.
Chad Orzel of Uncertain Principles believes that "we'll continue to muddle along more or less as usual."
PZ Myers writes on Pharyngula that the only real question is what kind of shape we'll be in.
Razib from Gene Expression, who proposed the question, had a three-part answer all ready to go. According to him, in the next century we'll either transcend our humanity via technological innovation, or revert to pre-modern conditions. And which of those alternatives is more likely? He says it's anyone's guess.
Last week's Ask A ScienceBlogger roundup is here.
Last week's version also got linked on kottke.org yesterday (thanks, Kottke!), and inspired this post on Deep-Sea News.
And remember, if you have a question you'd like to Ask A ScienceBlogger, send it to askablogger@seedmediagroup.com.