
With 6 in a bed. From polyamory to lovedrugs and avatarflirts.
THE FUTURE OF INTIMACYTo love is to be human; it is an experience that robots and algorithms can imitate, but are not yet able to experience. Love is one of the most compelling, guiding forces in our existence: we commit crimes for love, take risks, break hearts, as well as our own boundaries.
Loving and being able to connect with others is the essence of being human: it makes us who we are. But the experience of love is changing. Medicines are currently being invented that can make you fall in love; there are robots to befriend and avatars that promise to be your perfect partner. Polyamory is on the rise; people have longer, healthier sexlives, thanks to new technology you can date anyone, everywhere, and at the same time there is a growing group of people who consciously live alone: the sologamists.
In With Six in a Bed, future anthropologist Roanne van Voorst investigates first-hand how love is changing. In the clear manner that characterizes her work, she discusses sociological and philosophical literature, shares her interviews with futurists, experiential experts, inventors and above all, gives an insight of her own, longterm anthropological research. From the time she hired a sex doll to the day she tested and matched her DNA with her partner's; from experiencing what it's like to have a digital partner to the testing of all sorts of love drugs; from sexwork to genderfluidity: Van Voorst offers a fascinating and titillating preview of the future of love and intimacy.