Rowan

Rowan values freedom. A self-taught biohacker and scientist, Rowan demonstrates a changing education system. We already have access to expertise for any problem we face — thanks YouTube. But going forward, learning in the traditional sense will be revolutionised.

How much can learning change?

It’s going to be pretty different. Education in the future is life-long and personalised. We will learn from anywhere and the content will personalised to our individual needs. Learning will be project-based and collaborative to reflect a changing workforce. As we adapt to a freelance economy, students will spend more time applying their knowledge in real-world situations.

Rowan has benefited from these changes. Working remotely from the lab, they take advantage of the vast expertise available online. This is how Rowan was able to create their bio-implant. After a life-long struggle with anxiety, they created a bio-sensor to keep their emotions in check.

Bio-hacking is a DIY manipulation of your brain or body to optimise performance. Rowan might be ahead of the curve here, but it’s not a far jump to make from wearing a Fitbit on your wrist. Saying that, there are already about 10,000 people around the world with chip implants. These chips hold personal details and credit card numbers, and can be used to travel or in place of money.

Now Rowan has created this bio-implant, their attention has turned to synthetic meat. This is something that is increasingly a part of the current dialogue around food today. There are dozens of Silicon Valley start ups racing to be the first to bring this meat to the mainstream. Beginning as a sample of animal muscle, lab-grown meat is grown in petri dishes. While it is a more ethical way of eating meat, it’s not sure yet whether it is more eco-friendly.

While we aren’t quite there yet, it’s likely that we will be eating lab grown meat much sooner than 2050. In the meantime, do you mind giving Rowan a hand to un-lock the lab computer?