03.31.07
Posted in Anti-Aging, Human Enhancement, Transhumanism at 5:53 am by rheil
The Scientist: (»We challenged experts across fields to imagine a new way to solve the problems of human aging. Our question:
What if Humans were Designed to Last?
By S. Jay Olshansky, Robert N. Butler, and Bruce A. Carnes
Illustrations by Thom Graves
When Michelangelo painted The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he portrayed the Renaissance view of humanity as having been molded by the hand of its creator, a “perfect” physical specimen. Charles Darwin, when drafting his theory of evolution, presented imperfections in humans’ anatomic structures and functions as the strongest evidence for his theory. It now appears they were both right. [...]«)
Permalink
03.19.07
Posted in Anti-Aging, Future, Human Enhancement, Nootropics, Transhumanism at 7:05 am by rheil
Giulio Prisco (Transhumnar): Engineering Transcendence
(»I moved this old (2004) article here for further editing and translating. I argue that science may develop the capability to resurrect the dead, perhaps sooner than envisaged by Tipler in his Omega Point scenario. I propose to base a “transhumanist religion” (perhaps “religion” is not the right word) on this idea.
The essay is divided in “Engineering Resurrection”, “Engineering God”, and “Engineering Hope and Happiness”. [...]«)
Permalink
03.15.07
Posted in Human Enhancement, Nootropics, Technology, Transhumanism at 7:43 am by rheil
Be More Than You Can Be (Wired 15.03)
Heat-resistant. Cold-proof. Tireless. Tomorrow’s soldiers are just like today’s — only better. Inside the Pentagon’s human enhancement project.
By Noah Shachtman
(»The lab is climate-controlled to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 66 percent humidity. Sitting inside the cramped room, even for a few minutes, is an unpleasantly moist experience. I’ve spent the last 40 minutes on a treadmill angled at a 9 percent grade. My face is chili-red, my shirt soaked with sweat. My breath is coming in short, unsatisfactory gasps. The sushi and sake I had last night are in full revolt. The tiny speakers on the shelf blasting “Living on a Prayer” are definitely not helping. [...]«)
Permalink
Posted in AI / Singularity, Transhumanism at 7:38 am by rheil
What If the Singularity Does NOT Happen?
by Vernor Vinge
(»It’s 2045 and nerds in old-folks homes are wandering around, scratching their heads, and asking plaintively, “But … but, where’s the Singularity?” Science fiction writer Vernor Vinge–who originated the concept of the technological Singularity–doesn’t think that will happen, but he explores three alternate scenarios, along with our “best hope for long-term survival”–self-sufficient, off-Earth settlements. [...]«)
(»When Vernor Vinge takes on the topic “What if the Singularity Does NOT Happen,” interesting things are bound to follow. Thus his talk for the Long Now Foundation-sponsored Seminars About Long-Term Thinking yesterday. Vinge, a computer scientist and science fiction author, is not giving up his belief that the Singularity will happen. That event, which he believes will take place in the next few decades, should happen suddenly and be transformative in its effect. Here’s how Vinge himself describes the Singularity in an online precis of the material he used in his presentation [...]«)
Permalink
03.14.07
Posted in Anti-Aging, Transhumanism at 7:25 am by rheil
Could Baby Boomers Be Approaching Retirement in Worse Shape Than Their Predecessors?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 5, 2007
Media Contact:
Susan Farrer or Linda Joy
301-496-1752
nianews3@mail.nih.gov
(»Americans in their early to mid-50s today report poorer health, more pain and more trouble doing everyday physical tasks than their older peers reported at the same age in years past, a recent analysis has shown. The research, published in print and online this week by the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. [...]«)
Permalink
03.13.07
Posted in AI / Singularity, Human Enhancement, Transhumanism at 7:27 am by rheil
About Biosingularity
Biosingularity
(»The rate of technical progress amongst humans has been exponentially increasing. According to Ray Kurzweil, as we discover more effective ways to do things, we also discover more effective ways to learn, i.e. language, numbers, written language, philosophy, scientific method, instruments of observation, tallying devices, mechanical calculators, computers, each of these a major advance in our ability to account for information occurring increasingly close together.«)
Permalink