There is no nature anymore; every corner of the globe bears human influence. Microplastics in rainforests, melting permafrost in the far north, and even polar bear bodies filled with artificial substances—these are just a few stark reminders that our actions have shaped our world like never before.

But it’s not just about pollution or degradation; we’ve also transformed ourselves. Pharmaceuticals extend lifespans, gene-editing technologies alter DNA, and mind-controlled prosthetics blur the line between human and machine. We’re redefining what it means to be ‘natural’ in ways both terrifying and liberating.

The question then arises: should we use technology to revert the world back to a pre-human state? Or is nature now defined by our constant intervention?

MIT Technology Review grapples with these issues head-on, from the effects of solar geoengineering on global climates to the ethical implications of altering human traits. The future may lie not in undoing our impact but in understanding and working within the new world we’ve created.