NEWS OF THE WORLD
TRANSHUMANIST ASSOCIATION
September 22, 2002
CONTENTS:
Help! - WTA News
needs an editor
Events
Global Celebration of Transhuman Art and Science
Transvision USA 2003 Conference
WTA News
Human Futures Institute
WTA Welcomes Honorary Vice Chairs
News from the Field
Toronto, Canada: Toronto Transhumanist Association
Germany: DeTrans
Chicago, IL, USA: TransCentral
London, England: BTA/Extrobrittania
San Francisco Bay Area: BATrans
Washington D.C.: WDC Transhumanists
Atlanta, GA, USA: Atlanta Transhumanists
New Chapters Organizing
Venezuela
Hungary
Ukraine
Portland, OR, USA
New York City, NY, USA
Southwestern USA
Central Florida, USA
News from Affiliates and Friends
Russia: Immortality.org
Immortality Institute
Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Clone Rights United Front
Transhumanist Arts and Culture
Yale Working Group on AI, Nano and Transhumanism
People in the News
Resources
Expanded Ethics of Technology syllabus available
Things to Read and Transhumanism in the News
New articles in JET
New articles in Transhumanity
New articles in Betterhumans
The New Threat to Human Dignity: Us Apparently
________________________________________________
HELP! the Editor
and Welcome to Assistant Editor
The transhumanist
movement is growing rapidly. Chapters are springing up
around the world, new groups and bodies are being formed to
support our
work, and friends and enemies are taking notice. Chronicling all
this is
quickly escaping me. Fortunately Morris Johnson
<megao@sk.sympatico.ca>,
the entrepreneur behind Extropian Agroforestry
Ventures, has volunteered to be assistant editor of the News. He
will be
editing the October and December issues of WTA News, so send him
your
items. But I am still looking for a managing editor of the News.
If you
are interested please let me know: secretary@transhumanism.org.
The recent editorial attacking transhumanism in the National
Review has
also raised the importance of media relations. We need
transhumanists
to be writing editorials of their own, responding to
anti-enhancement
and Luddite memes in the press. We need chapters to start
advertising
their meetings widely, and sending out press releases in response
to
matters of note.
CELEBRATION OF
TRANSHUMAN ART AND SCIENCE
This is an open
call for speakers, exhibits, artists and organizers for
what will be the 1st Annual Global Celebration of Transhuman Art
and
Science, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in Jan-Feb 2003.
The aim of this full-day of conference, discussion, art and music
is to
engage awareness, support, criticism and participation from all
groups
and across all socio-cultural strata.
Topics and themes proposed range from cryonics, existential risks,
artificial intelligence, transhumanism and disability,
biodiversity,
space exploration and more.
The afternoon will comprise a small conference/ lecture session
followed
by discussion. The evening will be comprised of art and science
exhibits, booths, great music and fascinating people.
If you would like to be involved with this, in any capacity,
please
reply to Shannon at [lushsemiotik@hotmail.com].
We welcome all sorts of
help and contributions. Our aim is that this event be as diverse,
engaging and dialectic as possible.
For more information,
http://toronto.transhumanism.com
http://www.betterhumans.com
TRANSVISION 2003
USA CONFERENCE TAKES SHAPE
Planning proceeds
for the June 27-29 WTA conference on "The Adaptable
Human Body: Transhumanism and Bioethics in the 21st Century"
(Yale
University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA). Philosopher and
bioethicist
Greg Pence, author of Whose Afraid of Human Cloning? and other TH-themed
books, has agreed to address the conference. Conference
registration
will be possible through the WTA website within a week or two.
Those of you interested in speaking at the conference please check
out
the call for proposals at:
http://www.transhumanism.org/tv/2003usa/index.htm.
The deadline for
proposals is December 15.
WTA full members will be receiving a discount on conference
registration. Join today at: http://www.transhumanism.org/join.htm
HUMAN FUTURES
INSTITUTE TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC TRANSHUMANISM
In early September
the full members of the World Transhumanist
Association selected "Human Futures Institute" (HFI) as
the name for the
new WTA thinktank. The next step is for the planning committee to
present the business plan and founding document to the membership
for
approval, incorporate the HFI in Washington D.C. and with the U.S.
IRS.,
and then the hard part - fundraising to support the proposed work.
The
HFI is envisioned to support scholarly and public policy-relevant
work
on topics of transhumanist interest. Contact us
<secretary@transhumanism.org>
if you would like to support the work of the
HFI, or know a foundation or philanthropist you think we should
approach.
WTA WELCOMES
HONORARY VICE CHAIRS
In early September,
the full members of the WTA voted to welcome the
following friends of the transhumanist movement as Honorary Vice
Chairs
of the World Transhumanist Association:
Natasha Vita-More, director, Transhumanist Arts and Culture
Greg Bear, SF author
Antero Coelho Neto M.D., Director, Institute for Quality of Life
(Brazil)
Ken MacLeod, SF author
Robert Freitas J.D., nanotechnologist
Max More Ph.D., President, Extropy Institute
We warmly thank them for agreeing to lend their names to support
the
transhumanist cause, and look forward to working closely with them
in
the future.
NEWS FROM THE
FIELD
TORONTO, CANADA
The Toronto
Transhumanist Association has become one of the WTA's most
active and organized chapters, with a new professional website
<http://toronto.transhumanism.com>,
public events, press releases, and
an exciting agenda. At its first meeting on August 21, 2002, the
Toronto
Transhumanist Association had a diverse array of attendees, from
authorities on cryonics to electronic musicians to a computer
scientist
working to create an implantable personal computer. Simon Smith
and
George Dvorsky were elected president and vice-president
respectively.
On September 2, the chapter met to discuss the Singularity over
Indian
food.
On Thursday, September 26, 2002 at 6:30 PM the Toronto
Transhumanist
Association is hosting a dinner/lecture/discussion on the topic
"What is
Transhumanism?" Locale: Le Commensal, 655 Bay Street. Mark
Walker will
be giving the lecture and John Leppik will be moderating the
discussion.
Members and non-members are welcomed.
The chapter plans to meet three times a month. For additional
information please visit the Toronto Transhumanist Association's
Website
at http://toronto.transhumanism.com
or contact George Dvorsky at
gdvorsky@cogeco.ca.
NEW YORK CITY, NY,
USA
Justin Zimmerman
and Mike Treder are pleased to announce the formation
of a New York City metropolitan area chapter of the World
Transhumanist
Association. The new chapter, tentatively named the New York
Transhumanist Association (NYTA), welcomes members from greater
New York
City.
An initial planning meeting will be held on Monday, September 30,
from
6:00-7:00 PM at Speedy's Deli, located on the southwest corner of
Broadway and 32nd Street in Manhattan. If you would like to attend
this
meeting, please contact Mike <iph1954@msn.com>
or Justin
<justin@coyokohama.org>.
If you cannot make the first meeting, the next
meeting is planned for Thursday, October 24.
LONDON, ENGLAND
The September
ExtroBritannia lunch/get-together is scheduled for
Saturday the 28th of September at 12:00hrs, (Noon) in central
London. As
always, BTA members are welcome.
The theme of this month's get-together could be summarised as
"Staying
alive!": what approach each of us are taking (if any) to
reach a future
where advanced Drextech, uploading, etc are likely to be
available?
(life extension, CR, exercise, cryonics, etc.)
For more information subscribe to the British Transhumanist
Association
list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bta-meeting/
CHICAGO, USA
The TransCentral/Chicago-area
transhumanists met for the first time
August 3, 2002. Nine hours were spent in discussion, with plans to
meet
at least quarterly. Subscribe to
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TransCentral/>
to keep in touch with area
events.
GERMANY
The WTA's German
affiliate DeTrans is planning a get-together in Munich
for October. Contact tnahm@web.de
for information.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
AREA, USA
Members of the new
Bay Area transhumanist chapter have begun to meet.
The chapter will also be working with John Smart planning the
"Conference on Accelerating Change," July 17-18, San
Francisco, CA
<http://singularity.xlogs.net/sing_con_foresightSIG01.html#conference>.
Subscribe to the Bay Area transhumanist mailing list at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BAtrans/
to stay in touch with area
events. Contact Michael Anissimov <DarkVegeta26@aol.com>
for more
information.
ATLANTA, GA, USA
The Atlanta
transhumanists continue to meet on a monthly basis, and
everyone is welcome: http://www.posthuman.com/TranshumanATL.html.
WASHINGTON D.C.,
USA
The DC
Transhumanists will be meeting for dinner on Thursday, December
5th at 7:00 PM, and on the first Thursday of every March, June,
September, and December (months with equinoxes or solstices in
them). We
will be meeting at the Hamburger Hamlet in Crystal City, Arlington
Virginia. Accessible from the Crystal City Metro station (on the
Blue
and Yellow lines) without going outdoors. All are invited. Please
RSVP
to <dctrans@erols.com>.
Watch <http://www.keithlynch.net/dct/>
for more
information, and subscribe to <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TransEast/>
for announcements of happenings on the Eastern seaboard.
NEW CHAPTERS
ORGANIZING
HUNGARY
Hungarian transhumanists should contact Belazs Benedek
<mrgybp@yahoo.com>,
who would like to start a Hungarian chapter of the
WTA.
PORTLAND OREGON, USA
Jeremy Hansen <jeremyh42@hotmail.com>
and Matthew Richter
[athanasia_serein@yahoo.com]
are building a WTA chapter in Portland,
Oregon.
SOUTHWESTERN USA
Mike LaTorra has organized a Southwest North America chapter of
the
World Transhumanist Association. Geographically, WTA-SOWENOAM
comprises
at this time an area with somewhat fuzzy boundaries that includes
western Texas, New Mexico, northern Mexico, Arizona and
neighboring
states. Subscribe to its email list at:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wta-sowenoam>.
BELGIUM
Belgians interested in transhumanism should contact Christian
Loyen
<Laivino@wanadoo.be>
who is organizing a Belgian WTA chapter.
UKRAINE
If you are interesting in starting a WTA chapter in Kiev, please
contact
Murat Prokopov <laikrodiz@phreaker.net>.
VENEZUELA
Jose Cordeiro <jose_cordeiro@yahoo.com>
is planning to start a WTA
chapter in Venezuela as soon as he gets back from a globe-trotting
tour
in which he intends to visit with THists in England, Argentina and
other
countries.
CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA
Central Floridians interested in transhumanism should contact
Shawn
Kendall <skendall1@cfl.rr.com>,
who lives in Longwood.
NEWS FROM FRIENDS
AND AFFILIATES
SINGULARITY INSTITUTE
FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The Singularity Institute has appointed Christian Rovner
<crovner@lacasilla.com.ar>
to the position of Volunteer Coordinator.
Rovner will be working full-time on Singularity matters.
RUSSIA
Danila Medvedev <danila.medvedev@lut.fi>,
who recently translated our
FAQ into Russian, sends this assessment of transhumanism in
Russia: "The
transhumanists in Russia are often not aware of the existence of
transhumanism. In recent years there have been increasing interest
towards modern technologies and advanced scientific fields, such
as
nanotechnology, cryonics, etc. The growing number of people
becomes
involved in various information projects related to transhumanism.
Most
notably, two websites, Bessmertie.Ru and Immortality.Ru (bessmertie
means immortality in Russian) have been created in recent years.
However, most people interested in immortalism, nanotechnology,
cryonics, AI and other similar fields, are not aware of the more
systematic, transhumanist approach. Unfortunately, there have been
no
information about transhumanism in the press or on the Russian
Internet.
Almost no popular books were published about modern science in the
last
10 years. But, hopefully, the translation of Transhumanism FAQ
will
become a first step in promotion of transhumanism among the
Russian
public and raise the general awareness of the future.
IMMORTALITY INSTITUTE
Highly contentious and often misunderstood, the debate concerning
human
physical immortality has recently garnered a boost by the
formation of a
new non-profit organization.
Bruce Klein, Michael Anissimov and Susan Fonseca-Klein have
converted
BJKlein.com, a site with more than 450 members, into the
Immortality
Institute for Infinite Lifespans.
The Institute's main objective is to help people understand the
benefits
and challenges of physical immortality. The Institute's purpose it
to
shun the mystical and religious baggage associated with
immortality to
explore the possibility of living forever through technological
advancement.
Their immediate focus is to provide an organized online meeting
place.
Members have the opportunity to discuss a wide variety of
philosophical,
scientific and even personal issues. Thirty separate forums allow
for a
diversity of conversation on topics such as transhumanism,
cryonics,
artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
Each month, they sponsor a writer's competition. Members submit
original articles concerning immortality and everyone has the
opportunity to vote and comment. http://www.imminst.org
CLONE RIGHTS UNITED FRONT
Randy Wicker, an activist for reproductive rights, reports that
the
cloning battle has shifted now that "parents who have lost
children and
want to clone later-born twins have commenced networking. One of
the
founders of this group is fighting with a medical examiner's
office to
give her some of her daughter's cells. Another founder has stored
her
deceased daughter's cells so that they can be used for future
cloning.
These people have been used by the media as examples of those
desperately seeking cloning. However, now that they are forming a
support group, they will be a new voice in the cloning debate that
will
be difficult to ignore."
TRANSHUMANIST ARTS AND CULTURE
Natasha Vita-More reports the Transhumanist Arts and Culture, the
nonprofit association she directs, has reached over 1,000 members.
TAC
is organizing an SF/SF (Serious Fiction/Science Fiction) Festival
- stay
tuned for more information. TAC has also sponsored Los
Angeles-area
Getty Salon/Soiree gatherings that discuss transhumaist topic. The
next
Salon will be the last Sunday, September 29th (9:30 - 12:00 noon).
If
you want to be on the Getty email list, please contact
<natasha@natasha.cc>
to be included. Also if you produce
transhumanist-themed/inspired music, send it to Natasha.
YALE WORKING GROUP ON AI, NANO AND TRANSHUMANISM (NEW HAVEN,
CONNECTICUT, USA)
The Yale Working Group on Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence
and
Transhumanism, co-chaired by WTA chair Nick Bostrom, is holding a
series
of fall workshops. All sessions are at 4:15 on the Yale Campus.
Contact
Carol Pollard at 203-432-6188 or carol.pollard@yale.edu
for reading
materials, dinner reservations and to be placed on the mailing
list.
On September 4 the workshop heard from Andy Miah, who teaches at
University of Paisley at Ayr, Scotland and is a British
transhumanist
who is writing a book the genetic modification of athletes. He
spoke on
"Enhancement Technologies and Staying Human."
Upcoming talks include:
9/25 - "The Economics and Ethics of Computer-Simulated
People" Robin
Hanson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Economics, George Mason
University
10/2 - "What is a Person? Virtual Realities, Real Impacts:
Technology,
The
Future of Human Relationships, and the Human Soul" Jaron
Lanier, Lead
Scientist of the National Tele-immersion Initiative
11/6 - "Telemedicine And Telecare: Ethical Considerations and
Impediments To Sustainable Development and Use" Nicola T
Shaw, Ph.D.,
Senior Lecturer (Research), Lancashire Postgraduate School of
Medicine
and Health
12/4 - "Robotic Futures for the Service of Humanity:
Anthropomorphic or
Feral?" Joseph F. Engelberger, President and CEO, HelpMate
Robotics Inc.
PEOPLE
DR. NETO HONORED
Dr. Antero Coelho Neto, a newly elected Honorary Vice Chair of the
WTA,
was honored by the Fortaleza, Brazil city council when his article
"Transumanismo," published in the paper "O Povo"
June 27, was entered
into the city council's official record.
MAX MORE ON NETWORK TV
Finally, Max More was called on less than two hours' notice to
appear on
CNN Crossfire against bioethicist Jonathan Moreno, defending
cryonics in
the context of the Ted Williams court battle.
<http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0207/09/cf.00.html>
ANDERS SANDBERG
On Tuesday November 19 Anders will be speaking at Nationalmuseets
festsal in Copenhagen. It is a symposium organized by Det Etiske
Red
(the ethical council) about biotechnology, enchancements and their
ethics:
<http://www.tekno.dk/biosam/bioforum/bioforum-program-19-nov.php>.
Anders also recently designed a (very cool) visualisation of the
extropians list:
http://akira.nada.kth.se/~asa/Extropians/extropians.html
RESOURCES
TRANSHUMANIST
SYLLABUS
Nick Bostrom and Bonnie Kaplan are teaching "The Ethics and
Policy of
New Technologies" at Yale this fall, and the newly revised
syllabus is
available at
<http://www.transhumanism.org/resources/Syllabi/Yale2002.htm>.
THINGS TO READ AND
TRANSHUMANISM IN THE NEWS
NEW IN THE JOURNAL OF EVOLUTION AND TECHNOLOGY
http://www.jetpress.org/
"Cosmological Forecast and Its Practical Significance"
by Milan M.
Mirkovic (Sept. 2002)
http://www.jetpress.org/volume12/CosmologicalForecast.htm
NEW IN TRANSHUMANITY
http://www.transhumanism.com/
Review - John Brockman (Ed.) The Next Fifty Years: Science in the
First
Half of the Twenty-First Century, by George Dvorsky, September 21,
2002.
Interview with Rudy Rucker, by G.P., September 1, 2002.
Transhumanism and the philosophy of Ayn Rand, by Marc Geddes,
September
1, 2002.
Versus Column #1, by Cyril Fievet, August 29, 2002. Transhumanism
vs.
Drugs. From a transhumanist point of view, the goals of advanced
technologies are... to give us the tools and means to become
stronger,
smarter, healthier, in one word, "better". But, in a
way, such tools
already exist today. Most people call them "drugs"...
In Today's World: Turning Science Fiction into Science Fact, by
Amanda
Seipel, August 29, 2002. I have just finished reading Greg Egan's
"Quarantine" (1992), not because it is a >H classic,
but because someone
at a party mentioned that it contained some profound quantum
physics.
This book really impressed me...
NEW IN BETTERHUMANS
http://www.betterhumans.com/
No Internet, No Transhumanism: Like almost all social movements
before,
Transhumanism has relied on non-mass media for dissemination and
communication. In today's world, this means the Internet, where
Transhumanism is flourishing. So if you ask anyone who calls
themselves
a Transhumanist how they got that way, chances are the Internet
will
figure prominently.
Your Future in Art: From paintbrushes to robotics, technology
gives
artists new tools and canvasses. So what can we expect from from
advances such as cloning? Ask transhumanist artist Natasha
Vita-More,
who's already designed a future human body.
TRANSHUMANISM ATTACKED BY NADERITE IN NATIONAL REVIEW
Naderite and right-to-life activist Wesley J. Smith described the
writings of Gregory Stock, Greg Pence, J. Hughes and Nick Bostrom
in an
essay "The Transhumanists: The next great threat to human
dignity"
<http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-smith092002.asp>.
He
asserts that conservatives and defenders of "human
dignity" need to
prepare for "the coming struggle with transhumanism" by,
for instance,
passing a law forbidding parents to introduce animal DNA into
their
children's DNA. Not that that was high on our priority list...
IN OTHER NEWS
On July 25, 2002 Nick Bostrom was quoted in the Waterbury
Republican-American on the ethics of cryonics.
<http://classifieds.rep-am.com/webarchive/accent/3qdf.htm>
Reliable TH-leaning science writer Ron Bailey recently wrote a
review of
life extension research in Reason: "Forever Young: The new
scientific
search for immortality" (August 2002)
http://www.reason.com/0208/fe.rb.forever.shtml
ABOUT THE WTA
The World
Transhumanist Association is a nonprofit membership
organization which works to promote discussion of the
possibilities
for radical improvement of human capacities using genetic,
cybernetic
and nano technologies. The WTA is growing faster than ever, and we
invite you to join us in this important work. You may also enroll
in
one of our discussion lists and join one of our local WTA
chapters,
which can be found in countries and languages all over the world.
The WTA speakers bureau can provide someone to answer questions on
the transhumanist perspective to the media or to your group. Also,
take a look at our Journal of Evolution and Technology and our new
ezine Transhumanity.
Join us in working for a brighter future!
http://www.transhumanism.org/join.htm
Basics