Project Vision 21

In a small valley in northern Tajikistan, Asia, our ancestors lived alongside two other human species—Neanderthals and Denisovans—around 150,000 years ago, according to a recent archaeological study. Of those three species, only we remain, paradoxically calling ourselves Homo Sapiens Sapiens. And that’s troubling.

Experts from the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and other organizations have determined that in the Zeravshan Valley, the three human species coexisted for tens of thousands of years because the area served as a "meeting point" along the "route of human expansion" between Europe and Asia, at least until about 20,000 years ago.

Later, from the 4th century BCE to the mid-15th century, the Zeravshan Valley became part of the Silk Road—a vast network of cultural and commercial connections by land and sea linking Europe with Asia. Modernity ended that exchange, but the Silk Road could be revived, though in a different form and for a different purpose.

Recently, Dr. John Vervaeke, a neuroscientist and philosopher from the University of Toronto, proposed embarking on a “philosophical Silk Road,” describing it as “This pilgrimage seeks to rediscover the sacred, exploring the dialogos between Zen and Neoplatonism as a response to our modern Meaning Crisis.”

This is neither the time nor place to delve into, even superficially, what the Meaning Crisis entails or how it affects us. But one thing is certain: one aspect of this crisis is that both humanity (as inhabitants of this planet) and our humanity (what makes us human) are rapidly changing, and we don’t know how to respond.

For instance, in his book Living Matter, Thinking Life (2020), Spanish paleontologist and archaeologist Eudald Carbonell predicts that at some point in this century, there will be “a new human diversity.” This won’t involve coexistence with other "natural" human species, as our ancestors experienced for about 100,000 years.

According to Carbonell, we will soon be living alongside "constructed" humans of our own making—entirely biological humans, "biomechanical hybrid humans," and fully artificial humans, synthetic or digital. For Carbonell, this reveals “a growing contradiction” between our biology and our intelligence. And that’s not good.

Why isn’t it good? Because, as Carbonell points out, the last time there was a shift in human species diversity—40,000 years ago—all but one species (us) disappeared. Now, as the sole surviving species, we are actively "destroying diversity."

It’s no surprise, then, that new studies already speculate about which species might become the planet's dominant species if humans disappear. Recently, Professor Tim Coulson of Oxford University announced that octopuses would take over due to their “physical and mental attributes.”

It will take millions of years, but octopuses will eventually “develop their own methods of hunting on land in much the same way as humans have done at sea.” By that time, they will “colonize the world”. Perhaps they will write about us.

Perhaps there is still time to reconnect with ourselves. We need to find our own small valley to once again coexist with other humans.