It's no secret that they've been working on artificial wombs for decades, but where will this lead us? Will we see humans completely removed from reproduction altogether?
Just look at the content I have compiled and tell me what you think.
First and most disturbing is this video; "Par-tu-ri-ent", a concept incubator that could be "The Artificial Womb of the Future"
Artificial Womb
The couple in the pictures (and in the video below) whose outfits bear a striking resemblance to the outfits in the 80's film adaptation of the book; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The two play a couple who are expecting a child, however the child is gestating in a capsule that simulates the environment of woman's womb.
The couple can interact with the fetus with a type of microphone that can record and play their voices, music, etc. In one screen shot the mother to be is wearing a portable version of the recording device but with an additional feature of simulated motion. This means that when the mother rocks the device back and forth, this motion will be mimicked by the incubator at home.
In the next couple frames you can see what looks like a purée being poured into a container that can be inserted into the artificial womb to provide sustenance to the growing fetus, developing the child's food preferences in the future.
"The pod will keep track of what the baby has eaten and what it needs to stay healthy"
"At night the pod will go through the updates made by the hospital with the information obtained throughout the day"
You can watch the promo video below.
Par-tu-ri-ent
The connotations of artificial birth are quite disturbing and listening to the scripted interview in this next video just adds to this effect.
PARTURIENT INTERVIEW
After the interviewees reveal that they cannot conceive a child themselves and wish to adopt an embryo, the interviewer offers the option of specifying the embryo, meaning you can adjust and design the embryo up to 80%, practically making it appear as if it was their own child. The couple decides to go with 50% to leave for some surprise.
The interviewer goes on to ask what gender would they like the child to be, even suggesting 'gender neutral' as it is a "popular option these days". They decide on a boy but would like it to have some feminine features.
The interviewer then asks what life purposes would they like their child to have? They respond with a hyperbaric welder (They heard about it on the news), something they figure makes sense due to the 'rising sea level'.
The interviewer says he can't guarantee that would happen but what he can do is increase lung capacity, a feature available in the 'talent package' in addition he will include part of the 'workshop package' which will give the child a high skill set in tools. He also offers to give the child hyper focused capabilities. After that They move on with eye color options and that's basically the end of the interview.
Aside from the parents it's all very similar to the story line in 'Brave New World'. If you haven't read this book, now's the time.
Although this was all a concept piece made by students for a Biodesign Challenge Summit it's still very indicative of the direction we are heading in science and the mentality that goes with it.
Don't just take my word for it, Take a look through the other articles I have included and please do some searching of your own and see what you can find. Feel free to tag me if you come across anything interesting.
"Men redundant? Now we don't need women either"
"The pace of progress in the field has startled experts. Artificial wombs could end many women's childbirth problems - but they also raise major ethical headaches which will be debated at a major international conference titled 'The End of Natural Motherhood?' in Oklahoma next week."
"'It may also turn out that artificial wombs provide safer environments than natural wombs which can be invaded by drugs and alcohol from a mother's body. Health insurance companies could actually insist that women opt for the artificial way."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/feb/10/medicalscience.research
"A ROBOT has had its first period in an incredible scientific feat which brings us a step closer to creating robots in our own image."
EVATAR A.K.A. "THE TAMPONATOR"
"Lamb fetuses can now grow in artificial wombs. Will humans be next?"
"Artificial wombs: The coming era of motherless births?"
"Scientifically, it’s called ectogenesis, a term coined by J.B.S. Haldane in 1924. A hugely influential science popularizer, Haldane did for his generation what Carl Sagan did later in the century. He got people thinking and talking about the implications of science and technology on our civilization, and did not shy away from inventing new words in order to do so. Describing ectogenesis as pregnancy occurring in an artificial environment, from fertilization to birth, Haldane predicted that by 2074 this would account for more than 70 percent of human births."
"His prediction may yet be on target."
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/06/12/artificial-wombs-the-coming-era-of-motherless-births/
"Sperm counts in the West plunge by 60% in 40 years as ‘modern life’ damages men’s health"
"Scientists use skin cells to create artificial sperm and eggs"
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/24/science-skin-cells-create-artificial-sperm-eggs