Re: Futurists

From: John Grigg (starman2100@lycos.com)
Date: Tue Jul 31 2001 - 23:15:22 MDT


Olga Bourlin wrote:
I've wondered at times (this article made me remember) if there are any extropians who are "futurists" as in this organization. Connections? Disparities? All the same caboodle? One group more technologically/scientifically weighed than another?
(end)

We do have professionals among us like Robin Hanson(professor of economics), Robert Bradbury(biotech entrepreneur), and Anders Sandberg(commercial thinktank co-founder) who have published in academic journals and also done media appearances.

And as for the "marketing/anthropological" futurist forecasters as was talked about in the article, I would say Max More and Anders Sandberg are prime examples of this.

The WFS is a much larger group then ExI, and has a more mainsteam image to the public. I would say ExI has a much more insightful "long view" then the WFS. Not to say the latter group is by any means overly conservative.

They have a magazine you can buy at local bookstores which I enjoy. I have been reading it since I was a teenager.

Even Anchorage, Alaska has a local chapter of the World Futurist Society. Though a friend of mine warned me about possible socialist leanings. lol!

I need to finally actually attend a meeting before their ninety-one year old chapter president dies on me! I have had some phone conversations with him and he is a cool guy. Leon was quite fascinated by ExI and also cryonics.

best wishes,

John

P.S. As I wrote this post my roommate's four year-old son is played with a robotic dog toy. He is only mildly impressed by it, but I bet he would love a toy on the level of "Teddy" from the latest Spielberg effort. Give technology time...

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