This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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When we're young, we quietly take stock of those around us and reject notions that we will eventually gain weight, deflate, wrinkle and sag. When we're old, we reminisce about the smooth, taut and strong bodies of our youth. You can look to your relatives for rough facsimiles of how you might age, but ultimately, only time will tell what you might look like in 5, 15, or 30 years.
Photographer Irina Werning taps into our fascination with aging in a series of photographs she calls Back to the Future. But instead of photographing people and waiting patiently for the years to pass, she solicits childhood photographs from strangers and then recreates the scene today. The results are mesmerizing:
Werning is just now publishing a limited-edition book that documents this multi-year project. You can also apply to participate in her project; she is currently looking for residents of Korea, Tokyo, and Taiwan to add to the collection.
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