This month, The Verge is bringing you a new way to look at the future.

We call it The Big Question, an animated video series devoted to the most important questions of humanity's future. Think of it as a quick tour of the puzzles and wild ambitions that will shape the next few centuries, whether it's Martian colonies, lab-grown steaks, brain implants or genetically engineered mammoths. Every Wednesday in October, a new writer will take on a new question, starting next week.