HP Innovation Journal Issue 10: Fall 2018 | Page 57
n:
We are moving toward a tipping
point in human life and health spans,
as a cascade of innovations make
it possible to extend our mental
and physical capabilities beyond
anything our previous generation
could have imagined.
Around the globe, the world’s older population continues to
grow at an unprecedented rate. Today there are more than
962 million people over the age of 60, twice as many as in
1980. That number is expected to double again by 2050, which
means there will be more seniors over 60 than youth in the
10-to-24 years range. 1
At the same time, this aging population is expected to live
longer and work longer. In 1950, the average person in the
Megatrends Center of the Future
United States lived for eight years after retirement. Today
the average person lives for 18 years. 2 As global technology
advancements continue to improve our health spans, we are
put under additional pressure to sustain global economic
growth. How will an aging labor base compete with its
younger counterparts? Bio and cyber technologies may
be arriving in the nick of time, enabling us to go “Beyond
Human,” augmenting our physical abilities to overcome
limitations and increase well-being and efficiency.
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