When study subjects encountered themselves through age-progressed renderings, they were more willing to change their behavior and increase their savings. The study found that someone who has engaged with their older self will forego the near-term satisfaction to benefit their older self.

Technologies ability to generate our future self will only become more lifelike. Imagine standing at the Burger King counter and your future-self pops up on the screen and asks you to reconsider the BK triple meat, bacon, and cheeseburger, for the salad. The future-self can morph into how you would look if the trend continues. The extra pounds riding in your mid-section, a few more gray hairs, and your Life Expectancy Indicator drops...