The Molecule of More

PROGRESS

But  even in  developing countries birth rates are  falling. Brazil, China, 
Costa Rica, Iran, Lebanon, Singapore, Thailand, Tunisia, and Viet-
nam have all transitioned to below-replacement fertility rates.
Governments are doing what they can to prevent their countries
from becoming ghost towns. During the Syrian refugee crisis, Germany
famously opened its borders to all comers. Denmark responded to the
baby crisis by creating commercials showing a sultry model wearing a
black negligee, encouraging viewers to “Do it for Denmark.” Singapore,
which has a birthrate of only 0.78, made a deal with Mentos (“The
Freshmaker”) to promote “National Night” in which couples were told
to let their “patriotism explode.” In South Korea couples earn cash and
prizes for  having more than one  child, and  in  Russia they  get  a  chance 
to win a refrigerator.

DO NOTHING, EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING

Finally, the decline if not the end of the human race may be acceler-
ated by virtual reality (VR). VR already creates compelling experiences
in which the participant is transported to beautiful, exciting locations to
become the hero of the universe—instantly.
VR produces images and sound, with other sensory modalities com-
ing online soon. For instance, researchers in Singapore have developed
what they call a “digital taste simulator.” It’s a device with electrodes
that deliver current and heat to the tongue. By stimulating the tongue
with varying amounts of electricity and heat, it’s possible to trick it into
experiencing salty, sour, and  bitter flavors. Other groups have managed 
to  simulate sweet as  well. Once scientists master all  the  basic flavors, 
they’ll be  able to  combine them in  different proportions to  allow the 
tongue to experience the sensation of tasting almost any food imag-
inable. Since what we perceive as taste is, in large part, smell, there’s
also  a  device that  features an  aromatic diffuser that  simulates smells. It 
comes with what the inventors call a “bone conduction transducer.”
They say that it “mimics the chewing sounds that are transmitted from
the diner’s mouth to ear drums via soft tissues and bones.”