From: Russell Whitaker (whitaker@extropia.corp.sgi.com)
Date: Wed Aug 14 1996 - 14:55:52 MDT
Extropians - especially those in the San Francisco Bay area -
might be interested in participating in this television
documentary project. I'm forwarding this to the list, as logistics
makes it difficult for me to directly participate. Additionally,
there are more eloquent champions here...
Russell
--- Forwarded mail from mbauwens@innet.be (Michel Bauwens)
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 1996 23:49:47 +0100
To: whitaker@palladium
From: mbauwens@innet.be (Michel Bauwens)
Subject: Re: Your documentary....
This sounds like a very good idea. Perhaps we could organise some groupmeet
one evening? Feel free to post the synopsis to the list, with my email, but
please add that I will be incommunicado as of the 22nd of August and that I
arrive in the Bay Area on the 29th.
Many thanks,
If you have a phone number, I might give you a ring before the 1st, is that
okay?
>
>Michel,
>
>This actually sounds very interesting. However, speaking for myself
>only, I'm actually leaving for Japan on 1 September. Here's what I
>suggest: I'd like to forward your message to the Extropians mailing
>list, and open up participation in this programme to a number of
>bright, articulate local extropians. How would this sound to you?
>
>Regards,
>Russell
>
>> >
>> >Sincere thanks for your attention,
>> >
>> >Michel Bauwens
>> >
>> ><<<Dear Sir/Madam:
>> >
>> >What follows is a generic letter to inform you about a documentary project
>> >on the post- and 'superhuman' consequencies of new developpements in
>> >technology (bio-genetics, Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology,...) as
>> >well as on the meaning and 'metaphysics' of technology. We would like to
>> >present our project to you and to request eventual assistance.
>> >
>> >1. THE DOCUMENTARY
>> >
>> >TECHNOCALYPS is a documentary project that is a joint initiative of
>> >Michel Bauwens, former editor-in-chief of the dutch-language digital
>> >convergence magazine 'Wave'; of Frank Theys, multimedia artist who recently
>> >directed a play on the 'Technological Singularity' entitled '2012'; and
>> >Eric Kint, producer of Itinera Films.
>> >
>> >The choice of title has been chosen to represent a fusion of an
>> >accelerating technological quest (the digital revolution) and utopian
>> >desires for redemption, coupled wit the apocalyptic fears which are
>> >intensifying at the end of the second millennium.
>> >
>> >The documentary's main theme is the possible future evolution towards
>> >posthuman or superhuman intelligence and ability. We want to map the
>> >philosophical
>> >implications of these matters. In discussions on the subject scientists are
>> >using terms out of the metafysical domain. On the opposite, people with a
>> >spiritual or religious background are getting interested in the new
>> >technological developments so that there is a certain convergence of
>> >technological and spiritual concerns. Our main concern is this interesting
>> >cross-over where both domains start to poach on each others territory.
>> >
>> >
>> >The documentary consists of three parts:
>> >
>> >Part 1: DEUS EX MACHINA
>> >
>> >Part 2: ELECTRIC GAIA
>> >
>> >Part 3: PREPARING FOR THE SINGULARITY
>> >
>> >Part 1: DEUS EX MACHINA
>> >
>> >Thist part will show how the Digital Revolution may be considered as a
>> >scientific/technological quest to transcend all natural limits, leading us
>> >to a kind of materialistic 'God' project. After showing some of the more
>> >far-reaching scientific advances (bio-genetics, artificial intelligence,
>> >nano-technology,=8A) we will present Extropian thought, which aims to
create
>> >a transhuman and post-human future and will discuss themes such as the
>> >eventual obsoleteness of the mind and the body. This science-based optimism
>> >will be contrasted with negative interpretations as expressed by ecologists
>> >and other types of 'neo-Luddite' schools of thought.
>> >
>> >Part 2: ELECTRIC GAIA
>> >
>> >This second part will contrast the positive and negative spiritual
>> >interpretations of technological evolution: will the technological
>> >evolution bring closer humankind's rush to the Omega Point, as predicted by
>> >Teilhard de Chardin, or will it create a kind of technological Anti-Christ.
>> >We also examine a variety of spiritual implications and aspects of
>> >cyberspace, such as the spiritual nature of cyberspace as an immaterial
>> >realm, magical aspects of interfacing with virtual worlds, and other such
>> >issues.
>> >
>> >Part 3: PREPARING FOR THE SINGULARITY
>> >
>> >This is a more social approach on the subject. Here we show how people
>> >prepare for the coming edge of time (life-extension, psychedelics and smart
>> >drugs, cryonics,=8A).
>> >
>> >
>> >2. THE AUTHORS & PRODUCER
>> >
>> >Michel Bauwens is a Belgian internet consultant who combines a longstanding
>> >flirtation with psycho-technologies and comparative religion, with a
>> >cyber-philosophical study of the implications of the digital revolution for
>> >society, organisations, and daily life. Michel Bauwens has worked for the
>> >United States Information Agency as an information analyst, has created a
>> >virtual information centre as information manager for British Petroleum,
>> >and has been editor-in-chief of the digital convergence magazine Wave. He
>> >now works as an independent internet consultant and has consulted with
>> >various organisations and companies in their migration to cyberspace
>> >environments.
>> >
>> >=46rank Theys has studied plastic arts, film/video and philosophy in
>> >Brussels.He works as a scriptwriter, theatre director and videomaker.
>> >His last play, "2012" dealt with the Internet and the 'Singularity', a kind
>> >of technological 'end-time'. As a video artist he has won a number of
>> >prizes such as the 1=B0 price for video in the Filmfestival of Locarno
1983,
>> >the 1=B0 price of the Short Movie Festival of Brussels 1984, the
>Montb=E9lia=
>> >rd
>> >Prix Art Canal in 1987, the Bleustein-Blanchet Price 1991 (for his entire
>> >oeuvre), The Signaal Price 1993 for theater, the Kultuurprijs Alken-Maes
>> >and received the name of
>> >'cultural ambassador of Belgium'.
>> >
>> >Eric Kint is producer at the independent film production company Itinera
>> >=46ilms Ltd. Eric has a legal background. After specialising in copyright
>fo=
>> >r
>> >8 years he starts up a career as a film producer with the production for
>> >Avila Ltd of a feature art film Achterland, directed by Anne Teresa De
>> >Keersmaeker (Dance Screen Award & Best registration of a Choreography,
>> >=46estival International Film & Vid=E9o, Lyon 1994; Prix de la Meilleure
>> >Adaptation, Festival International du Film sur l'Art, Montr=E9al 1995).
>> >Itinera Films is now working on the following quality projects : a feature
>> >film 'Just Judges' in pre-production (shooting 1997), the TV documentary
>> >'Technocalyps' (shooting 1996/1997) and another feature film 'St Kilda' in
>> >development (shooting 1998).
>> >
>> >
>> >3. WHERE WE ARE NOW
>> >
>> >We are presently in the information gathering phase of our project, which
>> >will be followed by a preliminary trip in order to prepare the final phase
>> >of actually filming the documentary.
>> >
>> >
>> >4. HOW CAN YOU HELP US?
>> >
>> >Do you have any particular insights on, experience with, or point of view
>> >on the themes which will be examined in this project?
>> >
>> >Can you recommend any people, resources (print, audiovisual, and online)
>> >that could help us in achieving a deeper understanding of the subject
>> >matter?
>> >
>> >Can you tell us where you actually 'live' so that we can plan our
>> >preparatory trip, if you are prepared to meet us. Broad availability dates
>> >during the summer and the fall would be helpful.
>> >
>> >Right now, we are also trying to identify visual material for the project.
>> >
>> >5. TO FIND MORE INFORMATION?
>> >
>> >Subject questions should be directed at <mbauwens@innet.be>, or
>> ><f.theys@innet.be>. A preliminary essay on the subject of Technology and
>> >Spirituality is located at the URL http://www.iocom.be/pilot/techspir.txt.
>> >
>> >We are also preparing a website on this subject. We will be using an
>> >interpretative grid juxtapositing positive/negative interpretations on one
>> >axis, and 'materialist-scientific' vs. 'spiritual-religious' points of view
>> >on the other axis.
>> >
>> > pos.
>> > +
>> > +
>> > +
>> > mat.-scient. + + + + + + + + + + + + + spir.-relig.
>> > +
>> > +
>> > +
>> > neg.
>> >
>> >
>> >If you know of any suggestions for techno-spiritual resources that fit in
>> >this interpretative grid, please forward it to <mbauwens@innet.be> as well.
>> >
>> >
>> >Michel Bauwens, Internet Consultant / Cyber-marketeer
>> >IO Communications
>> >Address: ch. de Charleroi, 182 B-1060 Brussels, BELGIUM
>> >Tel: +32-2-534.07.37; fax: 07.57
>> >
>> >Please visit the Cybrarian's Guide to Cyber-Marketing located at:
>> >URL =3D http://www.iocom.be/pilot/cybermarketing/; <mbauwens@innet.be>
>> >
>>
>> Michel Bauwens, Internet Consultant / Cyber-marketeer
>> IO Communications
>> Address: ch. de Charleroi, 182 B-1060 Brussels, BELGIUM
>> Tel: +32-2-534.07.37; fax: 07.57
>>
>> Please visit the Cybrarian's Guide to Cyber-Marketing located at:
>> URL = http://www.iocom.be/pilot/cybermarketing/; <mbauwens@innet.be>
>>
>>
>>-- End of quoted excerpt from Michel Bauwens
>
>
>
>--
>"Here the ways of men part: if you wish to strive for peace of
> soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee
> to truth, then inquire..." - Nietzsche
>
>Russell Earl Whitaker whitaker@sgi.com
>Webmaster, Silicon Junction
>Silicon Graphics, Inc. Mountain View, CA
>===============================================================
>http://reality.sgi.com/whitaker
Michel Bauwens, Internet Consultant / Cyber-marketeer
IO Communications
Address: ch. de Charleroi, 182 B-1060 Brussels, BELGIUM
Tel: +32-2-534.07.37; fax: 07.57
Please visit the Cybrarian's Guide to Cyber-Marketing located at:
URL = http://www.iocom.be/pilot/cybermarketing/; <mbauwens@innet.be>
---End of forwarded mail from mbauwens@innet.be (Michel Bauwens)
-- "Here the ways of men part: if you wish to strive for peace of soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee to truth, then inquire..." - Nietzsche Russell Earl Whitaker whitaker@sgi.com Webmaster, Silicon Junction Silicon Graphics, Inc. Mountain View, CA =============================================================== http://reality.sgi.com/whitaker
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 14:35:43 MST