PHIL/HUMOR: The Extropian Banner

From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Sun Mar 07 1999 - 01:34:01 MST


Recently, there has been massive popular agitation for a memetic core
statement of our philosophy. Some of us disagree with parts of the
Extropian Principles, others think they are too vague, and still others
think they are too complex and philosophical to serve as a combination
rallying point and recruiting brochure.

I offer, for your consideration and eventual virulent rejection, "The
Extropian Banner", after the style of "The Book of the SubGenius".
After reading this, you'll be GLAD to take the Principles.

==

WE are the EXTROPIANS.

WE are the advocates of ULTRATECHNOLOGY.

WE are READY and EAGER for the coming age of neurohacking,
nanotechnology, immortality, space colonization, Artificial
Intelligence, transhumanity, uploading, superintelligence, and the Singularity.

WE believe in intelligence, science, rational thought, freedom, and the FUTURE.

WE do NOT believe in ignorance, pain, stupidity, death, or income tax,
and we intend to DO something about it.

WE will MESS with our genes, WIRE our brains, PROGRAM self-modifying
Artificial Intelligences, UPLOAD ourselves into computers, become
TRANSHUMANS, and then use our enormous brains to enhance ourselves EVEN MORE.

WE will move ALL of Earth's heavy industry into space, end pollution,
and disassemble toxic waste with infinitesimal robots.

We will CRUSH the rainforests ANYWAY, just to GET BACK at the
environmentalists for trying to outlaw every form of technology more
advanced than AGRICULTURE.

WE believe that YOU should have the right to build yourself a spaceship
using nanotechnology, travel across the galaxy, stake out your own solar
system, DISASSEMBLE it, and use the mass to build a supercomputer TEN
BILLION TIMES SMARTER THAN THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, all WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE.

WE see NO REASON to slow down the Inexorable March of Technological
Progress simply because someone ELSE thinks we are getting uncomfortably
close to GODHOOD.

WE would rewrite the LAWS OF PHYSICS if we could find the source code.

WE will LAUGH at limits.

WE will LAUGH at the foolish protests of namby-pamby technophobes.

WE will drag this planet, KICKING and SCREAMING, into the AWESOME AND
UNKNOWABLE FUTURE, and do it BEFORE our parents die of old age.

YOU can help us.

==

Does everyone agree with that?

ASIDE from the part about the rainforests.
That was a JOKE, ha ha.

-- 
        sentience@pobox.com         Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
         http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html
          http://pobox.com/~sentience/sing_analysis.html
Disclaimer:  Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.


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