From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sun Aug 16 1998 - 08:50:00 MDT
In a message dated 98-08-14 17:43:44 EDT, Nicholas Bostrom wrote:
> How could I become a posthuman?
Although some transhumanists envision very rapid and radical transformations
of at least some humans into posthuman beings with vastly augmented powers, a
more gradual change is the most likely path and, in any case, should be
possible for individuals who reject immediate far-reaching change. Possible
scenarios of transformation include gradual adoption of more and more powerful
tools of intelligence augmentation and biological robustness and longevity,
with a step-by-step incorporation of those tools into our bodies. Eventually,
such changes will amount to a qualitative transformation into a posthuman
being. Examples include the initial use of wearable computers, gradually
giving way to incorporation of interface tools into our bodies (for instance,
retinal displays), genetic therapy giving way to more significant augmentation
through genetic engineering and use of virtual reality, combined with direct
neural-computer interfaces, eventually giving rise to full-fledged uploaded
beings.
> Isn't the possibility of success in cryonics too small?
Estimates of success for cryonic suspension vary. However, transhumanists see
even the smallest chance as preferable to the alternative.
> Will the people of the future be interested in restoring you?
This will be a function of the cost and effort required to revive a suspended
person. As technology advances, especially as powerful nanotechnology and
advanced artificial intelligence are developed, that cost and effort will
inevitably decrease. Eventually, reviving a suspended person may involve so
little effort relative to what is possible that even a future that is
relatively indifferent to those who have been suspended will undertake the
project out of scientific curiosity, of for no other reason. Furthermore,
many cryonicists subscribe to the concept of the "Life Pact", a moral
obligation of the earlier-revived to work toward reanimation of those
suspended before them.
> What recent progress has been made towards transhumanist goals?
Every week brings some news item reporting on an exciting breakthrough in one
area of the transhumanist agenda or another. The following are just a few
examples:
o Since 1996, many new developments have been made in materials science and
chip design that promise a clear path to computers with at least human-
equivalent information processing power by the end of the first quarter of the
21st century.
o Since 1995 many established scientific and industrial institutions -- in
academia, government and business -- have expressed optimistic investment in
programs to develop sophisticated nanotechnology.
o The 1990s have been declared "the Decade of the Brain" as both a statement
of goals and a description of the breathtaking progress that is being made in
understanding the detailed structure and function of the human brain.
o In 1997, development of functional neural-chip interfaces were reported.
o Also in 1997, large mammals were cloned. Since then many reputable
researchers have spoken optimistically about cloning of human organs within
the next ten years.
> How can I become involved in transhumanism?
There are a growing number of organizations that have been formed to explore
and develop transhumanist technologies and contemplate the issues on the road
to posthumanity. Extropy Institute, the oldest of these, was formed in 1988,
and publishes its magazine, Extropy Online, on the World Wide Web. The World
Transhumanist Association was formed in 1997 as an umbrella organization to
publicize transhumanist ideas and to seek academic acceptance of transhumanism
as a philosophical and cultural movement. Its publication, The Journal of
Transhumanism, is a peer-reviewed publication featuring articles that have
been rigorously researched and subjected to the scrutiny of the leading
thinkers in transhumanism. The Foresight Institute and the Institute for
Molecular Manufacturing work toward the development and understanding of
nanotechnology and its peaceful application to human affairs. The Alcor Life
Extension Foundation is a non-profit organization offering cryonic suspension
to its members and information to the public at large about cryonics.
All of these organizations offer opportunities to learn more about
transhumanism and the various technologies and ideas that transhumanists seek
to apply to human life. They organize conferences and meetings and sponsor
various electronic fora to network with other people interested in furthering
the transhumanist agenda. New business ideas are constantly being explored by
their members and opportunities for employment in work that is actively and
explicitly aimed at developing a transhuman future lie in the near future.
[There are many more that should be listed . . . This is just a list off the
top of my head.]
Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<burchg@liddellsapp.com>
Attorney ::: Director, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
"Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must
be driven into practice with courageous impatience."
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