Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other emerging technologies illustrate the rapid pace at which society and culture are changing. Our sense of who and what we are is rapidly expanding and diversifying, as are our means of expression and self-actualization. Consequently, an exciting and provocative new community of social activists, artists and cultural facilitators is emerging. As art and life continue to reflect and create each other, both are changing as we move into a posthuman form and into a posthuman era.
This summer, Toronto will host a conference that will capture and highlight these trends by bringing together a wide array of thinkers, artists, scientists and ethicists. The conference, TransVision 2004, will celebrate and investigate an emerging culture through captivating and avant-garde performance art and exhibitions in concert with academic discussions, debates and presentations. It will be held at the University of Toronto from August 6 to August 8, 2004.
"Technology, throughout all of human history, has had a profound impact on our art, culture, and society, playing an important role in determining how and why we create and express ourselves," says conference Chair George Dvorsky. "There are a number of remarkable technologies on the horizon that will undoubtedly have an impact on these realms, giving rise to expressive possibilities never before seen on this planet."
TransVision 2004 is an annual meeting of the World Transhumanist Association, an international organization dedicated to the promotion of transhumanism. Transhumanism is a nascent approach to bioethics, futurism, art and culture whose adherents affirm the use of technology to overcome the limitations of the human body. Transhumanism, as both a philosophical and cultural phenomenon, has experienced exponential growth worldwide in recent years.
Transhumanism has been implicit in the writings of many humanists, futurists and ethicists for centuries, but the trend has only become visible with the emergence of transhumanist groups, journals and books in recent years. Transhumanism has recently acquired critical viability now that the breadth, power and scope of 21st century technologies and their inevitable impact on the human condition is becoming widely apparent. There are today local transhumanist groups in many countries, a proliferation of transhumanist discussion lists and a growing body of transhumanist culture being published on the Web as well as in books and journals.
"The most important question of out time is how we can ensure that coming technologies will be used to increase the scope for human flourishing rather than for destructive purposes," says WTA Chair Nick Bostrom, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University. "Abolition of disease, a cure for aging and radical extension of human cognitive, emotional, spiritual and physical capacities are no longer mere science fiction dreams—they are potential scientific achievements that could happen within our lifetime."
TransVision 2004 will provide an opportunity for concerned and interested people to critically discuss and analyze the radical potential for life in the posthuman world. Experts from around the world will offer perspectives on the posthuman condition in consideration of recent advances in such fields as artificial intelligence, genetics, nanotechnology and life extension. Registration is open to all members of the public.
Website
http://www.transhumanism.org/tv/2004/
Contact information
Simon Smith
Email (preferred): simon@betterhumans.com
Business phone: 416-690-0679
Mobile phone: 416-738-6058
Notes for editors
1) Images of conference organizers and participants are available upon request.
2) Editorials by conference organizers and WTA directors are available upon request.
3) Interviews with conference organizers and participants are available upon request.