What's Getting Bigger and Better All the Time?

What's getting bigger all the time?

The penis, it turns out. And by the end of the century, it may have plenty of biomedical enhancements.

Last year "a meta-analysis by Stanford University researchers found the average erect penis jumped 25 percent in length from 1992 to 2021 – from 4.8 to 6 inches," the Daily Mail reported.

"In fact, based on current rates of growth, the average penis length could push past 8.5 inches before the end of the century," the Daily Mail writes in an updated report published this weekend.

Researchers sifted through data from 55,761 men to arrive at the finding, which suggests that average penis size has increased at an "alarming rate" just over the last 30 years.

'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. 

Turning the focus on what they say has long been a "taboo" subject, the DM predicts other changes to the organ. These, though, aren't due to nature.

"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 sizable changes in store," writes the DM.

Simon Underdown, professor of biological anthropology at Oxford Brookes University, tells the tabloid that any substantial changes to penis size and shape in the next few thousand years will likely be due to self-made alterations. 

Such enhancements include 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."

Another innovation will be the buzzing penis, which would be achieved by 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," writes the Mail Online.

Lee, CEO of a company called Cyborgasmics, is working on a device called the Lovetron9000, which is already in the prototype stage. The device can be implanted under a man's pubic bone to make his penis vibrate, giving a more pleasurable experience for a partner during sex. 

Word on the innovation first emerged five years ago, but it's been slow going; the Cyborgasmics website still lists the erotic implant as something that's "coming soon" despite the long lead time that has already elapsed.

The website gizmodo.com also reports on forecasts for changes to the penis in this century. These include making it STI resistant through the use of implants "with bio-sensors that detect specific foreign pathogens, alerting the rest of the body to their presence.

"Once alerted, the heightened immune system could attack the pathogens any number of ways," the report details, "such as dispatching genetically engineered viruses, nanobots, or chemical compounds toxic to the offenders.

"What's more, a cybernetic penis – which would be more synthetic than biological – is less likely to be susceptible to infection. (Then again, any penis with blood flowing through it would probably give pathogens access to the rest of the body.)"

Another proposed innovation is in-house birth control. "A future male reproductive system might feature a fertility toggle switch that could block the passage of sperm to the seminal fluid," reports Gizmodo. "This could be done by stationing nanobots in the vas deferens, the channel where semen and sperm combine; a simple command, either via chemical circuits or some other chemical or viral signaling mechanism, could mobilize them to construct a sperm-blocking barrier–like a temporary vasectomy. Or, the nanobots could be on the hunt for sperm-specific proteins, and take evasive action."

Erectile Dysfunction also could be addressed in ways that would eliminate the need of ED meds. The concept is to make the penis self-healing, which would help alleviate ED issues caused by age-related degradation.

And what of multiple orgasms? It is often the case that men go limp (for a while, at least) after an orgasm; but in the future, scientists plan on introducing prolactin inhibitors that would help a man regain his erection in a more timely fashion.

As for size and appearance, Penis 2.0 may evolve to a place where it resembles a "French tickler, with modifiable ridges, grooves, and bumps to enhance the sexual pleasure of the receiver."

Gizmodo concedes that science may not be at the place where such technological advances are even feasible, but not out of the question. "But penis transplants are not as outrageous as they may seem," the writeup adds; "physicians have already transplanted fully functional penises in patients. In the future, a synthetic penis, composed of both natural and artificial components, could be prepared in the lab for eventual transplantation."

Mail Online adds that there "could even be internet-connected and bluetooth-enabled penises that let people participate in virtual sex or transmit biometric stats to an app."