As the Economist's latest survey points out this week, "the trouble with people is that they want to be healthy, and they want their food to be tasty, cheap and convenient." The problem they assert is that these are all contradictory things.

"Once people are used to fatty, sugary and salty foods, they find it hard to give them up."

In sensoceuticals and super tasters I suggest that we are on the verge of being able to influence our evolutionarily defined neural chemistry. Our sense of taste will be one of the first targets as sensoceuticals begin to trick our pallet. Combine this with the coming end of addiction and maybe you'll be able to have that protein-infused nicotini after all.

So whether you are doing the low carb thing, or you are addicted to laughter, in 20 years you'll be able to taste and feel a lot more how you want. Or maybe we won't need these tools after all, as new figures suggest that over the past year Americans got very slightly thinner for the first time in recorded history.

Regardless of the current war on fat, advances in neurotechnology will surely change our lives and throw a wrech into projections like the U.N.'s latest population report Population 2300 as people live longer, happier lives.