It’s often seen as a taboo subject.
But scientists are finally lifting the lid on the male penis – and how it could look in the future.
For blokes worried about the size of their member, researchers have recently revealed that the male penis is getting longer.
In fact, based on current rates of growth, the average penis length could push past 8.5 inches before the end of the century.
But this may not be the only change in store to the human manhood.
Already, a whole global community of sci-fi-inspired ‘biohackers’ are making tweaks to the body using technology such as implants.
And experts predict that the biohacked penis of the future – dubbed ‘penis 2.0’ – will have some sizeable changes in store.
From dildo-style vibrations to enhanced sensitivity and even better sperm, here’s how it might look.
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The human penis looks ‘plain’ and ‘dull’ in comparison with the rest of the animal kingdom, scientists say. However, as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, technology could dramatically alter what the human phallus looks like (file photo)
Already, a whole global community of sci-fi-inspired ‘biohackers’ are making tweaks to the body using technology such as implants. Experts predict that the biohacked penis of the future will have some sizeable changes in store
ENHANCED SEMEN
According to Simon Underdown, professor of biological anthropology at Oxford Brookes University, any substantial changes to penis size and shape in the next few thousand years will likely be due to self-made alterations.
Already in the 21st century, a whole global community of sci-fi-inspired ‘biohackers’ exist who have implanted DIY cybernetic devices.
In the future, medical enhancements could potentially improve how well sperm moves (‘motility’) or even its shape to make it better at penetrating the cell membrane of the egg.
‘If there is enough demand, driven by fashion or societal trends, for tweaking bits of the body then we’re probably not that far away from being able to genetically do that,’ Professor Underdown told MailOnline.
‘That’s what makes humans really interesting – we’re close to the point at which we can mess about with biological processes because we want to rather than there being a strong biological selective pressure.’
Biologists could also take inspiration from the plant kingdom – namely the exploding cucumber – to work out how to make ejaculate travel faster and further.
The quirky plant ejects its seeds at a whopping 44mph – much faster than the human ejaculate (around 28 miles per hour).
In the future, medical enhancements could potentially improve how well sperm moves (‘motility’) or even its shape to make it better at penetrating the cell membrane of the egg (file photo)
Mark Maslin, professor of palaeoclimatology at University College London, says the human penis is ‘extremely dull’ relatively speaking. This image shows more complex primate penises – brown lemur (a), white-bellied spider monkey (b), black-capped squirrel monkey (c), macaque (d, e, f), baboon (g) and chimp (h)
LONGER LENGTH
The human penis could get longer sooner than we expect – putting the average size well above that of our closest living relatives.
According to a 2023 Stanford University study, men’s penises on average have grown at an ‘alarming rate’ in the space of just 30 years.
Referring to data from 55,761 men, the researchers found the average erect penis jumped 25 per cent in length from 1992 to 2021 – from 4.8 to 6 inches.
At this rate, the average length could push past 8.5 inches before end of the century.
‘If we’re seeing this fast of a change, it means that something powerful is happening to our bodies,’ said lead author Dr Michael Eisenberg.
Environmental rather than evolutionary factors – such as pollutants or inactive lifestyles – may somehow be causing this rise, according to the authors.
And if you think this is good news for the lady – and a confidence boost for the man – scientists are concerned it’s actually a bad thing.
Researchers found that penis length has increased in men over past 30 years, from 4.8 inches in 1992 to 6 inches in 2021. While that may seem like a positive, they fear it is linked to growing infertility levels
Kris Kovarovic, researcher at Durham University’s department of anthropology, said larger penises could in fact impede reproduction without accompanying changes to the size of the female vagina.
‘That would definitely have a negative impact on reproductive success – and smaller penises would likely be selected for,’ she told MailOnline.
ON-DEMAND VIBRATIONS
Similar to vibrating love eggs, tiny biohacking implants could potentially make the penis buzz on demand.
Rich Lee, a salesman from Utah who describes himself as the ‘Elon Musk of sex-tech’, is one fearless biohacker exploring this avenue.
Lee, CEO of a company called Cyborgasmics, is working on a device called the ‘Lovetron9000’, already demonstrated as a prototype.
Lovetron9000 can be implanted under a man’s pubic bone to make his penis vibrate, giving a more pleasurable experience for a partner during sex.
According to the Cyborgasmics website, the Lovetron9000 vibrating pelvic implant is still ‘coming soon’, although it was first promised more than five years ago.
Utah businessmen Rich Lee wants to build a device known as the Lovetron 9000 which can be implanted under a man’s pubic bone
Similar to vibrating love eggs, tiny biohacking implants could potentially make the penis buzz on demand (file photo)
IN-BUILT CONTRACEPTIVE
Another enhancement could be an in-built contraceptive system that could be turned on and off depending on whether you’re trying for a baby.
Canadian bioethicist George Dvorsky speculates that future enhancements could involve a ‘toggle switch’ that blocks the passage of sperm to the seminal fluid.
This could be done by injecting nanobots – tiny programmable devices the size of a red blood cell, invisible to the naked eye – in the vas deferens, the channel where semen and sperm combine.
‘Or, the nanobots could be on the hunt for sperm-specific proteins, and take evasive action,’ Dvorsky wrote for Gizmodo.
Dvorsky also hopes we’ll be able to increase pleasure by triggering brain areas that receive sensory information from the penis.
There could even be internet-connected and bluetooth-enabled penises that let people participate in virtual sex or transmit biometric stats to an app
Realistically, biohacking may be the only way the human penis substantially changes in the next tens of thousands of years, assuming we still exist as a species.
Nanobots are tiny programmable devices the size of a red blood cell, invisible to the naked eye. Pictured, the nanobots in the film ‘No Time to Die’
The human penis hasn’t evolved in the tens of thousands of years since the days of the Neanderthals, the extinct archaic human species
According to experts, the human penis has likely got longer since our distant ancestors started walking on two legs (about five million years ago).
However, it hasn’t really changed in the last tends of thousands of years since the days of the Neanderthals, our closest ancient human relatives.
Scientists consider the human penis ‘dull’ because it does not have lumps, ridges and kinks or any other unusual features that other primates such as chimps and lemurs have.
Dr Emily Willingham, author of ‘Phallacy: Life Lessons from the Animal Penis’, said humans have ‘fairly plain penises’ in the animal kingdom.
Thousands of years of human evolution has favoured bigger brains rather than any substantial changes to the human phallus.
‘We went our separate evolutionary, genetic and behavioral ways from our closest living relatives at least 6 million years ago,’ Dr Willingham told MailOnline.
‘We are on our own and are our own lonely species, but what’s clear is that in shaping us, nature favored our brains over … well, a lot of other things.’
