Mormon Transhumanist Association News

Mormon Transhumanist Association Rosetta@Home Team Rank - 2 September 2010

Mormon Transhumanist Association at boincstats.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Our team ranks 139 out of 8917 teams in the world.

Speaker Selection for Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010

Lincoln Cannon at feeds.transfigurism.org — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:24:00 -0700

Speaker selection for the Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010 has been completed. As announced previously, the keynote speakers will be Terryl Givens, James Hughes and Max More. Additional speakers are listed below, along with biographical information. Don't miss this excellent speaker lineup. Register today!

Richard L Amoroso

Richard L Amoroso is director of Noetic Advanced Studies Institute, centered on "cosmology of mind". Amoroso is also executive editor of Noetic Press, including the peer reviewed Noetic Journal; author of over 30 technical volumes and over 100 scientific papers on astrophysics, quantum theory, medicine, philosophy of mind and transcendence.

Lincoln Cannon

Lincoln Cannon is president of the Mormon Transhumanist Association, and co-author of the New God Argument. He's a professional software engineer, Internet marketer and information technologist, leading technical teams to success and satisfaction. He holds a masters degree in business and a bachelors degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University.

Malcolm Dean

Malcolm Dean's research in Cognitive Thermodynamics provides a consistent and scalable physics of cognitive, cultural, and religious systems. Dean is a Research Affiliate of UCLA's Human Complex Systems program and a member of the Brain Research Institute's Higher Cognitive Affinity Group.

Dorothy Deasy

Dorothy Deasy is a Methodist who came to God late in life. Her study of the Historical Jesus led to an awakening experience that initiated her spiritual journey. She is in the process of getting her Master’s of Applied Theology from Marylhurst University.

Michael Ferguson

Michael Ferguson is a PhD student at the University of Utah, specializing in neuroimaging. He completed undergraduate training in biochemistry at Brigham Young University, and attended medical school at SUNY Health Sciences Center. He is passionate about the human brain and the potential for transhuman aesthetics to promote prosocial dynamics.

Roger D Hansen

Roger D Hansen has graduate degrees from USU in Civil and Environmental Engineering and an undergraduate degree in History from BYU. He has worked for 30 years as a water resource planner. His blog (rogerhansen.org) is titled “Tired Road Warrior” which explains a lot about his current emotional status.

James Felton Keith

James Felton Keith is an author, economics analyst, engineer, and entrepreneur. Keith's education is rooted in mathematics. He's Chairman of the Enxit Group and a specialist at the Land Policy Institute. His 2010 book Integrationalism: Essays on the rationale of abundance is raising eyebrows in analytic philosophy and ecology communities.

James Mclean Ledford

Author of Technical-Jesus.com and Hyper-Evolution.com, two websites dedicated to Christian Transhumanism. James is also a Nuclear Operations Instructor with 20 years of experience teaching the science, technology, and procedures necessary to safely operate Nuclear Reactors; where effective learning and teaching is critical.

Ugo A Perego

Ugo A Perego is Senior Researcher at Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received a PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Pavia, Italy, and has authored and co-authored numerous publications on the use of DNA to reconstruct ancient population migrations and recent family histories.

Giulio Prisco

Giulio Prisco is a technology consultant, physicist, computer scientist, writer and futurist. He is a director of the IEET and the Associazione Italiana Transumanisti, and was executive director of the World Transhumanist Association. As a founder of the Turing Church, Prisco proposes transhumanist "cosmic visions" as alternatives to major religions.

H+ Magazine Interviews Lincoln Cannon on Mormon Transhumanism

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:55:00 -0700

H+ Magazine today published an interview with Lincoln Cannon, president of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. In the interview, Lincoln shares thoughts on parallels between Mormonism and Transhumanism, including Mormon views of the afterlife, immortality and contemporary ethical issues raised by emerging technology. He also discusses Mormons in science and technology, passages of the Book of Mormon with Transhumanist themes, and hopes related to a Mormon futuristic transhuman utopia.

Travel, Lodging and Tourism for Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010

Lincoln Cannon at feeds.transfigurism.org — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:31:00 -0700

The Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010 will be held in the Gould auditorium of the Marriott Library on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, 1 October 2010.

The conference web site is now updated with travel and lodging information. The travel information includes maps of the University of Utah campus and the Marriott Library, as well as public transportation routes. For attendees that wish to lodge near the University of Utah campus, we recommend Chase Suites Hotel, Marriott University Park Hotel, Skyline Inn or University Guest House. Register for the conference, and make your travel and lodging arrangements today.

While you're in Salt Lake City, consider visiting some of the historical, outdoor and entertainment attractions in the area. If you have questions or require assistance, don't hesitate to contact the conference organizers. We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Keynote Speakers for Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010

Lincoln Cannon at feeds.transfigurism.org — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:38:00 -0700

Max More will replace Natasha Vita-More as a keynote speaker at the Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010. Below is more information about each of the exciting keynote speakers. Register for the conference today!

Terryl Givens

Terryl L. Givens was born in upstate New York, raised in the American southwest, and did his undergraduate and graduate work in Comparative Literature (Ph.D. UNC Chapel Hill, 1988), working with Greek, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English languages and literatures. As Professor of Literature and Religion, and the James A. Bostwick Professor of English at the University of Richmond, he teaches courses in Romanticism, nineteenth-century cultural studies, and the Bible and Literature. He has published in literary theory, British and European Romanticism, Mormon studies, and intellectual history.

Dr. Givens has authored several books, including The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (Oxford 1997); By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (Oxford 2003); People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture (Oxford 2007); The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2009); and When Souls had Wings: Pre-Mortal Life in Western Thought (2010). Current projects include a biography of Parley P. Pratt (with Matt Grow, to be published by Oxford in 2011), a sourcebook of Mormonism in America (with Reid Neilson, to be published by Columbia in 2011), a history of Mormon theology, and a study of the idea of human perfectibilty in the Western tradition. He lives in Montpelier, Virginia.

James Hughes

James Hughes Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, is a bioethicist and sociologist at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut where he teaches health policy and serves as Interim Director of Institutional Research and Planning. He holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Chicago, where he also taught bioethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Hughes is author of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future , and is working on a second book tentatively titled Cyborg Buddha. Since 1999 he has produced a syndicated weekly radio program, Changesurfer Radio.

He is a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of Humanity+, the Neuroethics Society, the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities and the Working Group on Ethics and Technology at Yale University. Dr. Hughes speaks on medical ethics, health care policy and future studies worldwide, and appears often on radio and television.

Max More

Max More, PhD, is a strategic philosopher widely recognized for his thinking on the philosophical and cultural implications of emerging technologies. Max’s contributions include founding the philosophy of transhumanism, authoring the transhumanist philosophy of extropy, and co-founding Extropy magazine and Extropy Institute, an organization crucial in building the transhumanist movement since 1988.

Max is been concerned that our escalating technological capabilities are racing far ahead of our standard ways of thinking about future possibilities. Through a highly interdisciplinary approach drawing on philosophy, economics, cognitive and social psychology, and management theory, Max developed a distinctive approach known as the “Proactionary Principle” a tool for making smarter decisions about advanced technologies by minimizing the dangers of progress and maximizing the benefits.

Max has a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from St. Anne’s College, Oxford University (1984-87). He was awarded a Dean’s Fellowship in Philosophy in 1987 by the University of Southern California and received his PhD in Philosophy from USC in 1995.

Mormon Transhumanist Association at Sunstone

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:26:00 -0700

The Mormon Transhumanist Association will sponsor two sessions at the upcoming Sunstone symposium at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City, 5-7 August. You may pre-register for the conference on the Sunstone web site.

Roger Hansen on "Toward a Mormon Theological Justification for Environmental Activism"

Response by Dan Wotherspoon

Saturday, 7 August at 8:45am

The creation of the earth was not a static event but is very much a dynamic process. According to LDS doctrine at least through the 1960s, we are not only stewards of the earth but co-creators with God. Brigham Young taught that the roles God gives human beings are designed to test them, enabling them to show to themselves, to their fellow human beings, and to God just how they would act if entrusted with God’s power. We are here to work in conjunction with God on the continuing creation of a living earth.

Lincoln Cannon on "Reasons for Technological Interpretations of Mormonism"
Response by Mark Olsen
Saturday, 7 August at 3:30pm

When it comes to technology and spirituality, who decided that hope, faith, and heaven must be supernatural? How were so many of us persuaded that we can experience the spiritual but not measure it, or that we can promote such experience but not manage it with greater precision? When did we convince ourselves that machines must be cold metal and hollow plastic, forever in contrast to the warmth and beauty of the human
soul? Can technology and spirit be brought together?

Call for Papers for Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010

Lincoln Cannon at feeds.transfigurism.org — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:46:00 -0700

Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference
1 October 2010
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

The 2010 Transhumanism & Spirituality conference will take place in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah on 1 October 2010. Keynote speakers for the conference include Natasha Vita-More, James Hughes and Terryl Givens. Vita-More is the founder of Transhumanist Arts, Sciences & Culture, and is on the board of directors for Humanity+. Dr. Hughes is the founder of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technology (IEET) and a former executive director for the World Transhumanist Association from 2004 to 2006. Dr. Givens is a professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond, and a scholar of deification paradigms throughout Western civilizations.

The host school, the University of Utah, is pursuing an aggressive science and technology agenda through the state-funded Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) investment initiative. The University spun out 23 companies in the 2009 fiscal year, and 82 companies over the past four years—more than any other US school during that period except for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In addition to being a fast-rising technology hot spot, Salt Lake City is also a major hub in both the American and global spiritual landscape. Most well-known as the headquarters of the Latter-day Saint religious movement, Salt Lake City hosts a rich diversity of spiritual traditions. Settled by Mormon pioneers, the history and culture of Salt Lake City are inseparable from its spiritually-driven founding, making Salt Lake City an exceptionally appropriate host city for the 2010 Conference on Transhumanism & Spirituality.

With renowned keynote speakers and world-class facilities, the 2010 Conference on Transhumanism & Spirituality provides an international forum for presentation and discussion of key concepts shaping the transhumanist movement.

We call for scholarly papers on the intersection between transhumanism and spirituality. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

technological enhancement of ritual or meditation
affects of emerging technology on established religious traditions
theological and mythological analogs in transhumanist thought
historical figures or precedents exemplifying a spiritual transhumanism
relevance of religion and theism in posthuman futures
transhumanist ethics and esthetics

Proposals must be submitted no later than 11 July 2010. A proposal may be either a full paper or an extended abstract, submitted with the understanding that it will be suitable for a presentation time of 20-30 minutes. Please send proposals in a standard format to admin@transfigurism.org and include the author's full name and contact information, as well as the title of the proposal.

The conference committee will choose a limited number of proposals for presentation at the conference, based on the applicability of and compatibility between received proposals. Authors will be notified of acceptance no later than 1 August 2010.

For more information, visit the conference web site at transhumanism-spirituality.org.

Announcement of Transhumanism and Spirituality Conference 2010

Lincoln Cannon at feeds.transfigurism.org — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:51:00 -0700

New Web Site Host and Content Update

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 09:45:00 -0700

The Mormon Transhumanist Association is pleased to announce that its web site is now hosted on a new server with refreshed content. The new server will enable the site to scale to a larger audience. The refreshed content reflects the latest association news and events. The association thanks Carl Youngblood, director and webmaster, for the time and effort he has donated to make this happen. As always, we invite you to email admin@transfigurism.org with any feedback regarding the MTA web site.

First of a new series of discussions on topics related to Mormonism and Transhumanism

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Sun, 23 May 2010 14:54:00 -0700

Please join us for this month's discussion on the topic of Social Change in the advent of Radical Life Extension OR How things will be when we live the as long as Methuselah.

Date: Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 9:00 pm Mountain Daylight time.
Location: SecondLife, an online environment, http://maps.secondlife.com/ secondlife/Los%20Pinos/123/7/ 29

The Mormon Transhumanist Association is hosting a series of open discussions on various topics relating to the intersection of Mormonism and Transhumanism. The first of these discussions will address the topic of Social change in the advent of Radical life extension. Everyone interested is eagerly invited to attend. Bring your ideas or questions to discuss, or just bring yourself and listen. After a brief introduction of the topic we will have a discussion where everyone is free to participate, share their perspectives and ask questions.

The discussion will be hosted in the online environment Second Life. An internet-connected computer with speakers and a microphone -- as either a headset or with echo cancellation -- are prerequisites, while the SecondLife software may be freely downloaded from the internet. If you do not yet have the software, download it from www.secondlife.com.

The two following TED talks may be of interest on the subject:

Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+ - Dan Buettner (2009)
http://video.ted.com/talks/ podcast/DanBuettner_2009X.mp4

Aubrey de Grey says we can avoid aging (2005)
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/ eng/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_ can_avoid_aging.html

MTA Director Election Results

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:32:00 -0700

Each year, the Mormon Transhumanist Association holds an election for three of the nine seats on its board of directors. This year, voting members of the association elected Bryant Smith, David Foster and Michael Ferguson to serve as directors for the 2010 - 2013 term. Karl Hale, previously a director, will continue to serve in the appointed office of Treasurer.

Humanity+ Affiliation Program Terminated

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:33:00 -0700

Humanity+ terminated its affiliation program on 6 April 2010. Consequently, the Mormon Transhumanist Association and Humanity+ are no longer affiliated. Over the next few weeks, this change will be reflected on the MTA web site and in the MTA constitution, pending amendment by voting members of the association.

Here is a copy of the termination notice:

Affected by this change, former affiliates of Humanity+ include:

BLTC Research
Immortality Institute
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technology
The Longevity Meme
Mormon Transhumanist Association
The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Transhumanist Arts and Culture

For historical reference, here is a copy of the former Humanity+ affiliation program web page:

Also for historical reference, here is a copy of the original World Transhumanist Association announcement of affiliation with the Mormon Transhumanist Association:

Lincoln Cannon on the New God Argument at the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology Conference

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:39:00 -0800

Lincoln Cannon will present the New God Argument at the annual conference of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology at Utah Valley University in the Library Lecture Hall (LI 120) on 26 March at 4:00pm. Admission to the conference is free.

Abstract of the New God Argument

If prehuman life is probable then we should trust that posthuman civilization is probable. If any posthuman civilization probably has increased in destructive capacity faster than defensive capacity, and if any posthuman civilization probably creates many worlds like those in its past, then we should trust that a posthuman civilization more benevolent than us probably created our world. The alternative is that we probably will go extinct before becoming a posthuman civilization, which is an immoral position. Thus, trust in our posthuman potential, coupled with a set of empirically assessable assumptions stemming from contemporary science and technological trends, should lead us to trust in the present existence of posthuman civilizations that may qualify as God within religious traditions like Mormonism.

Bio of the Presenter

Lincoln has fourteen years of professional experience in general management, software engineering and information technology, working in the medical device and software industries for companies such as Merit Medical and Symantec. He holds a masters degree in business administration and a bachelors degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University. Lincoln served a mission to France for the LDS Church, is married with Dorothée Vankrieckenge, a French national, and is father to three bilingual children. In his spare time, Lincoln promotes awareness of philosophical implications of emerging technology, and serves as president of the Mormon Transhumanist Association.

LDSTech Developers Conference 2010

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:59:00 -0800

The inaugural LDSTech Developers Conference, conveniently scheduled for the Thursday and Friday before general conference (April 1-2), will be held at the Riverton Office Building in Riverton, Utah. This event is for those who want to contribute their talents to LDS Church-sponsored technology projects. You will learn about the tools and services available and how to get started on projects that interest you. There is no charge for this event. However, seating is limited and those interested should register as early as possible. If you are traveling from outside the Salt Lake City area, discounted hotel rates are available in downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy areas. Learn more about the LDSTech Developers Conference.

UVU's Symposium on Technology and Ethics

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:18:00 -0800

Can a robot be moral? Come explore the ethical dimension of technology.

Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Time: 8:30am - 2:05pm

Location: Library 120

ALL EVENTS WILL BE ON TUESDAY FEB 2ND. SEE SCHEDULE BELOW:

Session One
Ethics and the Robots of the Future
Ernest Carey, Dean, College of Technology and Computing, UVU
Joseph R. Herkert, Lincoln Associate Professor of Ethics and Technology,
Arizona State University
Michael S. Pritchard, Professor of Philosophy, Director, Center for the
Study of Ethics in Society, Western Michigan University
8:30‑9:45 a.m., Library Auditorium (LI 120)

Session Two
Keynote Speech:
Ethical Challenges of Emerging Technologies
Joseph R. Herkert, Lincoln Associate Professor of Ethics and Technology,
Arizona State University
10‑11:15 a.m., Library Auditorium (LI 120)

Session Three
Panel Discussion on Ethics and Technology:
Chuck Allison, Associate Professor, CNS‑Computing/Networking Sciences
Cheryl Hanewicz, Assistant Professor, Technology Management
Joseph R. Herkert, Lincoln Associate Professor of Ethics and Technology,
Arizona State University
Ray Walker, Associate Vice President of Information Technology/CIO
1:00‑2:15 p.m., Library Auditorium (LI 120)

MTA Member Survey Results 2009

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:28:00 -0800

The Mormon Transhumanist Association announces publication of the results of the 2009 member survey. The survey asked participating members about their perspectives on matters of religion, science, spirituality and technology, as well as for feedback on the association. The survey results contain aggregated responses and demographics, without individually identifying information. The survey result document also contains general statistics about the Mormon Transhumanist Association. Questions may be directed to admin@transfigurism.org.

Candidates for the 2010-2012 Humanity+ Board of Directors seats

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:40:00 -0800

Jeff L Jones, PhD
Joel Pitt
Natasha Vita-More
Manas Roy
Victor Fersht
Kristi Scott
David Orban
Amy Li
Michael Vassar
Paul Grasshoff

Jeff L Jones, PhD

I have been an active member of the transhumanist community for a number of years. In 2005, I co-founded the Santa Cruz Futurists, a branch of the Acceleration Studies Foundation’s Future Salon Network. With Miguel Aznar of the Nanotech Foresight Institute, I served as moderator for the Santa Cruz Future Salon from 2005-2007. Through this and other outlets online and off, I have long enjoyed exchanging ideas with other thoughtful people, interested in exploring the future possibilities for technology and humanity.

I have a BS in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech, and just completed a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2009. I view science and technology as essential to the progress of humanity, whether that means understanding the laws of nature, or applying that understanding to solve the challenges we face and help create a better world for our children.

Having spent the past 5 years focusing on the academic/scientific side of things, I have recently accepted a position in the private sector. I will be joining the team at Wolfram Research in January, where I hope to become more involved in the applied/technology side of things, helping to make knowledge more computable. My plans for the long term are still open, and my interests diverse, but I am considering moving more toward bioinformatics or machine learning.

I place a high value on bringing community together, and keeping myself and others informed with as broad a view as possible of the landscape of ideas which hold promise for extending the capabilities and possibilities for humanity. While I have long been an advocate for technology as a positive transformative force in society, I also recognize that it is important to be aware of the potential risks and pitfalls of rushing forward with solutions that are not fully thought through. Together, through public discussion and communication, through local and global action, I believe that we can build greater awareness and a positive future for humanity over the next century. I would be pleased to serve on the Board of Directors for Humanity+ for you, as it would mean working towards all of these goals.

Joel Pitt

What do you think of when you think of a transhumanist? No doubt it depends on how many transhumanists you’ve met. I live in New Zealand but I’ve also been fortunate to visit the Bay Area several times, and during those visits I’ve met some really interesting people, some of whom would identify with the transhumanist label. These people with dazzling minds and unique perspectives on life, people who I really appreciate existing in the world.

However, I’m also aware of the impression that some of the general public has of the whole idea and to that end, I often come across as pretty normal. I don’t proselytize about the future to everyone I meet, I don’t think life and human beings are shitty and future technology is our only salvation. Right now I’m human, and so I enjoy the experience that affords me. I may be one of the first to leap at new ways of experiencing the universe, but I’m in no overwhelming rush to change things for the sake of change.

So what I’m trying to get across is, I come across as a normal 27 year old guy. Despite growing up feeling somewhat neural atypical among my peers, I fit in with social situations and feel comfortable around almost any group. My friends joke that I emit “zenogens”, a particle that calms and soothes those around me and I think that for anyone that’s talking about high-technology that’s an important, uh, trait. It’s important to try to alleviate future shock in order to get people interested rather than scared about the new society-changing devices that are on the horizon, since scared people don’t always make the most rational decisions.

I would relish the opportunity to contribute to Humanity+. Why am I appropriate? I’m a multi-disciplinary scientist, I did a double major in Computer Science and Molecular Biology. I then turned around and did a PhD in Ecology. After that I was funded by SIAI and Novamente to work on the open-source AGI framework OpenCog. Now I’m currently taking stock and will either develop a start-up using OpenCog, or do a post-doc related to AI, natural language processing, or robotics.

In my “spare” time I create electronic dance music, DJ, and run a sound camp at the New Zealand equivalent of Burningman. I also contribute to, and helped to found DrugR which is a organization to work towards treating drug abuse as a health issue instead of a criminal one. I think this is also relevant as more people begin using prescription medicines for off-label uses, and as we develop technology that interfaces with the mind.

Natasha Vita-More

Already Humanity+ has a substantiated position as being a diverse network of expertise and talent. Coupled with this characteristic is the underscoring benefit of transhumanism’s knack for critical thinking and activism. The more skilled we are at explaining, educating, illustrating and arguing issues, the more likely transhumanism will become a truly acknowledged and respected worldview. At the recent Summit, there were many discussions about the influence of narrative/story-telling, a need for more emphasis on the arts, culture, and delving more deeply into the nature of behaviors, such as empathy. I’d like to work with you all to bring this about!

I am a university lecturer, media spokesperson, and committed activist for transhumanism. A few of my affiliations include: Fellow, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies; Advisory Board, Lifeboat Foundation; and Advisor to the Singularity University. The past couple of years, I have been invited to speak about transhumanism in the US, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Brazil, UK, Russia, Norway, Australia, Canada, and South Korea. Please refer to my CV.

Related Background.

I was one of the early contributors to the Transhumanist FAQ and the Transhumanist Declaration, which are currently sponsored by Humanity Plus. (I wrote the Transhuman Statement in the 1980s.)

Since the 1990s, I have produced and hosted the cable TV show “TransCentury Update” on transhumanism, which viewing audience exceeded 100,000 in the Los Angeles area. I was a council member of the International Interactive Communications Society (LA/Santa Monica), which spearheaded VR and the VRML users group. I launched the Transhumanist Art & Culture website, which formed a nexus for artists, designers, scientists and science fiction enthusiasts. One of the projects was to produce “Timothy Leary in Conversation” which exhibited at the London’s Institute of Contemporary Art. In 1997 I designed the future human prototype “Primo Posthuman” which has become a stable in both academic and popular publications, including mentioned Raymond Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Near, amongst other books which contextualize the sciences and technology of human enhancement. In 2003 I was elected as President of Extropy Institute and held that position for four years. I am currently a Fellow of IEET, on the Scientific Board of Lifeboat Foundation, and an advisor to such organizations as Alcor Life Extension Foundation and SIYM International.

Persona Info. My research concerns the aesthetics of human enhancement and radical life extension, with a focus on NBIC+. I am currently writing my dissertation as a PhD Candidate, University of Plymouth, Faculty of Arts, School of Art and Media. I hold an MPhil, University of Plymouth, Faculty of Technology, School of Communications, Computers and Electronics and an MSc, University of Houston, Future Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities. I was filmmaker-in-residence, University of Colorado and currently hold Certificates in Nutrition and Sports Training, American Muscle & Fitness Association. I am a strong proponent human rights and ethical means for human enhancement, which view I have written about and published in Artifact, Technoetic Arts, Nanotechnology Perceptions, Annual Workshop on Geoethical Nanotechnology, Death And Anti-Death, and my bi-monthly column in Nanotechnology Now. In 2009 I was Guest Editor of The Global Spiral academic journal.

Mention. I have been featured in Wired, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Net Business, Teleopolis, and Village Voice; referenced in more than a dozen non-fiction and academic books; and have appeared in over twenty-four televised documentaries on the future and culture. My artistic works have exhibited media works at the National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Brooks Memorial Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Women In Video, Telluride Film Festival, and United States Film Festival and recently “Evolution Haute Couture: Art and Science in the Post-Biological Age”. I have been the recipient of several awards: First Place Award at Brooks Memorial Museum, Special Recognition at Women in Video, WFS Best Graduate Project for “Futures Podcast Series” online, and Futurist Web Forecaster’s Award.

Personal Note. Many transhumanist work hard to have their social views recognized, especially views which frame issues concerning identity and sexuality. Other transhumanists focus on religious issues, which includes secular and nonsecular beliefs of atheism, agnosticism, Buddhism, Mormonism, for example. The one area where there is great unity is in the area of ethics, and I believe that this area will grow and become even stronger than it is today with an expansion of knowledge and skills which will place transhumanism in the front of ethical issues and solutions.

My own view is that I am not religious, but hold dear my personal position on life and self-responsibility and the need to do whatever I can to help others who do not have many of the benefits that I have been given in life and have worked hard to achieve. My socio-political view is a focus on problem-solving.

Manas Roy

Manas Roy is a Guest faculty of Philosophy, in an Evening College, India. My motivation in running for the Humanity+ board is a desire to become engaged with a broader variety of transhumanists around the world; to assist the Humanity+ via my experience in managing organizations and also potentially to contribute my expertise and experience in Philosophy & Technology to help Humanity+; may connect more closely with individuals doing transhumanist-focused in Philosophy, Phenomenology and academia and may lead towards a Transhumanist’ Concertive Humanities.

I have been engaged with a research work on the topic entitled-‘Metaphysics of Presence’ since 2004 and outcome of that experience were the new concepts of: (1) Déconcert, (2) Photosyntagmatics (3) The Déconcert Theory: a 21st Century Philosophy; and (4) Déconcert: The new School, as Conertive Humanities.

After Post-Graduation in ‘Philosophy & Religion’, I cleared the National Eligibility Test (N.E.T. for Lectureship) examination (December, 2003) in the subject(s)-‘Buddhist, Jaina, Gandhian & Peace Studies’ and was awarded by the University Grants Commission, India. My research interests include: Metaphysics, Existentio-Continental Phenomenology, Déconstruction, Narrative Approaches to Religious Phenomenology and Peace Studies. Theoretical orientation in Phenoanalytic and Phenological interpretations with evaluative Anthropological transcendences. Few research papers have already been published in International Journals and had received a good repute. The most recent publication is on the topic – “Derrida’s Philosophical Deconstruction” in ‘Transcendent Philosophy’ Journal (Volume 9. December 2008, pp. 237-246). I also have keen interest in Peace research. The last work on “Nonviolence & Peace” was internationally published in “The Gandhi Way” Journal (Issue – 97); and had received a good audience from the readers. In addition to my academic assignments in N. S. Evening College, India, I serve as an administrative staff, Assam University, India.

My strength lies in understanding the mechanics of spin and the power of storytelling. If we want to convince the world of our ideas, the philosophy we tell must be compelling, accurate and optimistic, even while presenting a Trans humanized world. The positive philosophy may be in language society can understand and I can help craft the language and image that transhumanism needs to carry it from the fringes of philosophical thought to the mainstream as ‘Photosyntagmatics’: a Concert-O-Déconcert. As much as we think about the future, we reside and can only act in the here and now. Therefore, I seek practical solutions to deal with issues today, on the ground, which affect not only the transhuman movement, but the rest of humanity.

I am thankful for this opportunity and determined to make the best of it.

E-mail: mchristophroy@gmail.com

Web Page: www.mchristophroy.com

Victor Fersht

I am vice-president of Open Institute and International University of Labor Unions. Both based in Russia with branches in China, Switzerland and USA. We have more than 10000 students. I live half year in Seattle, USA and second part in Russia and China. I am PhD in clinical psychology with main interest in abstract technologies for longevity and immortality. As an example of such technology I can mention “classic science thought experiments for mental life extension” or “thought experiments with abstractions of infinity, uncertainty or relativity”.

Russia and East European countries are huge market for Humanity+. Our students could be a great source for new members because they have strong interest for such issues and intend to be involved in western research on humanity. I suggest using our resources for making Russian and Chinese version of Humanity+ web site and recruiting new members in these countries. I could manage such process in Humanity+.

Kristi Scott

Background:

I have just turned 30 at the time of submission. I am a little bit Midwest girl, been with my husband for 14 years, and all around fan of emerging technologies and society. I am a mother of three beautiful children who keep me focused on the future world in which we are creating for them to grow up in. Discussing the future of technology and society are of great importance to me, not only because of my passions, but because of their future reality and ours that shouldn’t be taken lightly. My interests in h+ come from a strong background of exposure to the fears surrounding technological futures. This has prepared me to examine the realities of the topics and what it means for people to have technology affect their daily life. The intertwining and inseparable paths of society and technology are what I seek to understand both academically and professionally.

H+

Freelance writer for h+ magazine since the inaugural issue in 2008.
Attended Transvision 2007 and assisted with the Longevity Divided Seminar pre-conference
Presented at both the h+ Summit and the Biopolitics in Popular Culture seminars in 2009
Futurist Board member for the Lifeboat Foundation
At the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies I’ve served as an intern, writer, volunteer, teaching assistant and coordinator since 2007
Since 2007 I have worked with the Journal of Evolution and Technology as a reviewer, copyeditor, layout editor and was recently published in the journal in 2009

Academic

Currently working on my PhD in Mass Communications and Media Arts where my research will involve further exploration of film and society’s awareness/knowledge of emerging technologies (topic still in development).
Over the past three years I have presented and published on topics ranging from identity, body modification, society, cosmetic surgery and emerging technologies.
Member of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities
Blogger for the Women’s Bioethics Project
For my Master’s thesis I did research comparing the personalities of real life individuals to their Second Life avatars
BA in Public Relations with an Advertising emphasis

Visions:

My motivation for being on the board is to meet more people within the h+ community from around the world, but also to hear from people that are outside of the h+ community and what their perceptions are. I think it is important for the h+ community to be heard and to hear from all parts of the globe and that this also includes parts of the United States that might not already be part of the discussion.

I am located in the Midwest and see this location not as a hindrance or disconnection in my work. I’m connected online and quite accessible. Instead I see my location as an opportunity to not forget the locations that exist right here that want to be involved and might be interested if they were more aware of what is going on. I have traveled in the past outside of the Midwest for presentations in New York, Austria, Oxford, California and I hope to be able to do more in the future.

If elected, I intend on offering what expertise and knowledge I have to my fellow board members and intend on learning from their expertise and knowledge.

It would nice to get the Students Network back again as a focus if possible, so that the student network has involvement opportunities. This network is a way to talk to the next generation about what they think is important and the directions they think we are headed.

I aim to listen and be heard because I believe that h+ is important and should be something that is credible, respected and understood better.

David Orban

With its new brand, and current list of activities, Humanity+ is now ready to dramatically enlarge its membership. The time is right for a much broader public to not only feel, but also more deeply understand and act upon the promise of a radically enhanced human condition. As a Humanity+ Board member I will propose, and if adopted help to implement concrete, and effective actions to increase membership, make the organization more visible online, and offline, encourage a clear articulation and implementation of its goals worldwide.

I am an entrepreneur, and activist, with a broad technology, and management experience. Some of my current affiliations: Advisor, and European Lead of the Singularity University, Founder and Chief Evangelist, WideTag, Inc., Advisory Board Member, Lifeboat Foundation. More information on http://www.davidorban.com/about.

Very active online, I want to bring to Humanity+ the kind of broad visibility and participation in the online social conversations that it deserves in all the appropriate forums, like Twitter, YouTube, FaceBook, etc., and other new emerging ones eventually. With quantitative analysis easily available online, it is possible to set, share, manage and achieve measurable goals for the success of Humanity+ activities.

Sharing my time between Europe, and the USA, when elected to the Humanity+ Board of Directors, I want to make sure that the coordination between the central Humanity+ organization, and the numerous, active local chapters is increased, and brought to superior mutually beneficial effect.

Amy Li

Unlike many people in the transhumanism community who comes from a scientific or research background, I came from an art and design background. I was born and raised in China and transplanted and educated in the US. I have a very good understanding of eastern philosophy as well as the western culture, and this often times allow me to understand humanity cross different cultures better, and able to put things into perspective. I’m fluent both in Chinese and English. The growing speed of Chinese economy and emerging technology has created a very interesting dynamic in our current society. I’m hoping to utilize my language skill, understanding of both cultures to support the humanity plus organization in its effort of connecting better with China, and attract talented interesting participants from China.

In my professional pursuit, I’m a multidisciplinary creative director and designer, specialized in creative marketing strategy and user interface design, for global brands like Yahoo, AT&T, Mercedes, Evian, Oakley, Frito-lay, etc. I’m passionate about combine design, technology and human factor to create state of the art products that impact our daily life. One of these examples is an iPhone app call Have2P. It is a fun and creative app that addresses a universal human need in a new high-tech fashion. It was showcased as app of the week in NY times, and also featured in Gizmodo. I also have years of experiences specialize in designing visually engaging web sites with intuitive interface, flash animations, emails and landing pages with strong focus on branding and UX design. Please visit my website to see my portfolio and my experiences.

I’m fascinated by the fact that how our current society has evolved and changed over the years, and different disciplines has been crossed, and people are a lot more open about sharing and become more accepting about ideas and technology that can expand human capacities in different areas. I think this next decade will be a very important decade for h+ organization and transhumanism. I was very inspired by the recent H+ Summit at Irvine. I was connected with a lot of cool like-minded people, and I also saw the areas I can really help with the organization in branding, creative marketing and design. As an artist and designer who has a lot of scientist friends, I seen so many beautiful and powerful ideas got lost because of poor visual communication, branding and marketing. So one of my true passions in life is to be able to utilize my skills to help and make changes in areas I could. H+ is an organization that I see great potential of becoming influential in different issues that I deeply care about and can be a champion for emerging technology that impact our human life in this decade, I can definitely see myself contribute a great deal in different aspect of this process, and I also would love to be a part of this rejuvenated board to make that happen!

Michael Vassar

In 2009, after over a decade of amateur involvement including raising over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the 2007 Singularity Summit, I became professionally active in the H+ world. As the president of the Singularity Institute, I substantially expanded the number of people both peripherally and seriously involved in H+ affairs. Last October, during a major recession, I scaled up the Singularity Summit, making it the largest H+ conference to date. The conference also took place in a new city for such events, New York, at the 92nd Street Y where people such as Bill Clinton and Albert Einstein have spoken in the past. Earlier this year I initiated the SIAI Fellows program. This program has rapidly brought new people, primarily graduate students, into the H+ community on a full time basis. Within it, our newest community members have worked on software and on papers, cultivated their technical knowledge and professional skills, and prepared themselves to play a much larger role in the community than they otherwise would have. I have also, in the last year, given interviews for media outlets such as Forbes, GQ and Esquire, as well a much larger number of smaller media companies, and have traveled extensively to speak with scientists about the potential and the risks of their projects and about how the former might be preserved while greatly reducing the latter.

Increasing the efficacy of human aspirations is my major objective in life. Both history and experience lead me to believe that the most promising tool for doing this is cultivated explicit reflection. Agents with common knowledge that they are all rational and honest cannot disagree about matters of fact. As far as I can tell, given their propensities to change their minds, lack of explicitly understood terminal values, and history of explaining values in terms of mythical features of the world, humans should be far from confident that they disagree regarding values either. I hope that by working with the other members of the H+ community I can help to bring about common understanding of our varied perspectives, clarification of belief and values, and effective cooperative action. Accountability within a group for conformity with explicit norms of reasoning can help us to do this, as can the understanding how much better dialogue is possible than people are used to expecting. With better analysis of the implicit content of our varied positions I expect that we can see opportunities to contribute to shared goals more effectively. My experience with SIAI over the last year makes me expect that I can contribute greatly to such analysis.

Prior to joining the Singularity Institute, I was a Founder and Chief Strategist at SirGroovy.com, an online music licensing firm. Prior to that, I have worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan, and at have worked on nanoscale technologies including soft lithography e-beam lithography and optical tweezers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. My nanotech involvement with the H+ community includes co-authoring the Lifeboat Foundation “Nanoshield” paper with Robert Frietas, writing “Corporate Cornucopia”, an examination of the consequences of molecular nanotech monopolies, for the Center for Responsible nanotechnology and presenting on nanotech security with Mike Treder at Transvision 2004. In 2007 I gave the presentation “Folk-Psychological Conceptions of Willpower and Their Implications for Policy”, a very favorably received analysis of how differing implicit beliefs about willpower shape liberal, conservative and libertarian thought.

I hold an M.B.A. from Drexel University and a B.S. in Biochemistry from Penn State.

Paul Grasshoff

I see that humans have immense capacity to feel both joy and pain. The seeking of joy or the avoidance of pain are the root motivations behind nearly every human goal. I’m interested in how people balance their short term goals with their long term goals, and how people integrate their personal desires with their vision of what’s best for their community. I want to see people work together more efficiently to achieve their goals.

I’m not a specialist; I’m a generalist. I’m good at considering a wide range of options, and focusing on whatever would be most helpful for the task at hand. I don’t consider myself to be a particularly innovative thinker, but I’m a very good editor and critic.

Why am I involved with H+? I intend to help transhumanist culture have a positive influence on the culture at large. Whether or not I’m on the board, I’ll volunteer a bit of my time each month to help with the nitty gritty of H+. I’ll have more influence as a member of the board.

Please vote for me.

H+ Newsletter: Welcome to the 2010s

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:37:00 -0800

A new H+ newsletter is now available in PDF form.

Read and enjoy!!

Contents

H+ in the 2010s (Ben Goertzel)
H+ Summit 2009 (Alex Lightman)
Updates from H+ Chapters (Marcelo Rinesi)
H+ Board Elections
Join H+
H+ Discussion Forums (Coming Soon)

January 2010 Humanity+ Board Elections

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:13:00 -0800

Humanity+ Board members set policy goals and oversee their implementation, contributing with their experience and expertise to the WTA's work.

Five Humanity+ Board members' terms expire in January, and one additional member is stepping down. So there will be six seats open in January.

Its time to think about whether you want to run for the Board. Running for a board post, as well as voting in the election, is open to all dues-paying ("supporting" or "sustaining") members of the association.

All voting members in good standing as of Monday January 11th, 2010 are eligible to run in and vote in the Board election. Board members must be and remain voting members in good standing in order to run and serve. Please contact Assistant Director Marcelo Rinesi <marcelorinesi@gmail.com> to determine if you will be a voting member in good standing through Monday January 11, 2010.

The Board meets and votes virtually 24/7/365, so no travel is required, although daily Internet access is essential.

The term of service is two years, for these five open positions Jan 18, 2010 - Jan 15, 2012.

The period for self-nominations closes Saturday January 9th at noon EST. Voting will be conducted Monday January 11th to Thursday January 14th.

Please send your candidate statements to Humanity+ Secretary J. Hughes at secretary@transhumanism.org.

Previous examples of candidate statements are here:

http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/vote2006/

http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/vote2007/

http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/vote2008/

h+ Winter Edition is here!

Lincoln Cannon at news.transfigurism.org — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:11:00 -0800

WINTER 2009

The Winter 2009 Issue of h+ Magazine features The Ray Kurzweil Interview, CAPRICA: Birth of the Cylons, DIY Transhumanism, The Chinese Singularity, and more.

It's here: http://hplusmagazine.com/magazine

Spread the word!