They're coming (as you will see if you watch the video on YouTube, mine has already arrived ;-). But the clones of the near future won't actually be copies of our bodies, but rather algorithms designed to copy our thinking.

https://youtu.be/B4hwb1ELvXY

Sometime in the future, we will develop the technologies to allow us to create copies of humans. But that's probably a long time in the future. More practically, we should be able to copy the way that people think, and digitise their personas, styles, knowledge and thinking. Using Large Language Model type tech, we could make these algorithms searchable and interactive, and in that way clone their thinking.

It's September 2082, and we mark the 50th anniversary of the official start of what has become The Great 50-Year Global Drought. Cities have been emptied, country borders changed, wars fought and entire economies gutted... and there seems to be no end in sight.

This episode of ThrowForward Thursday is based on historical facts. Back in 1177BC, a 300 year drought caused the almost complete collapse of multiple civilisations in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean areas. You can listen to Dan Snow's History Hit podcast, as he interviews Eric Cline, the author of '1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed': https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-bronze-age-collapse/id1042631089?i=1000664352855

It's a sobering lesson from the past. It's an alarming possibility for our future.

Sports News Headlines for 4 September 2039: Jet Pack Drone Racing League Suspended

Just ahead of the first African Olympic Games in 2040, the latest Olympic sport of Jet Pack Drone Racing has been dealt a blow as two more deaths results in the suspension of the European League.

What might the future of dangerous sports look like? How do we push the boundaries of human endeavour while minimising risks?