02.26.08
Posted in Deutschsprachige Seiten, Future, Transhumanism at 7:26 am by rheil
“Gefühle entwickeln immer nur wir”
Von Martin Koelling, Tokio
TR: Herr Professor Ishiguro, der Brite David Levy geht davon aus, dass bereits Mitte des Jahrhunderts Liebe und Sex mit Robotern nicht nur möglich, sondern auch sehr populär sein werden. Halten Sie das für Science Fiction?
Hiroshi Ishiguro: Ehrlich gesagt halte ich das sogar für sehr wahrscheinlich. Nehmen Sie einmal das Internet. Wir nutzen es zu vielen Zwecken, jedoch sind 70 Prozent Sex oder Dingen gewidmet, die sexy sind. Wenn es erst einmal überall Roboter gibt, werden Menschen sie auch für diese Zwecke verwenden. Aber wir sollten diese Entwicklung nicht fördern. Wir sollten überlegen, wie wir Roboter für andere, kreativere Aufgaben nutzen können. [...]
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12.25.07
Posted in Critics, Deutschsprachige Seiten, Technology, Transhumanism at 6:44 am by rheil
Alfred Nordmann
(„Die Menschen von morgen, die Herausforderungen von heute (Technology Review 21.12.2007)
Neue Technologien und Technik im Allgemeinen beherrschen mehr denn je den Diskurs über die Zukunft: Einerseits werden sie als unerlässliche Voraussetzung für eine erfolgreiche Standortpolitik im globalen Wettbewerb propagiert, andererseits als Grundlage einer möglichen Dystopie von umfassender Kontrolle und Manipulation kritisiert. Gleichzeitig wird Technik meist als etwas Gegebenes, Sekundäres hingenommen, werden ihre Grundlagen und Entwicklungsspielräume selten ausreichend reflektiert. Diese wird Technology Review nun in einer neuen Essay-Reihe beleuchten. Den Anfang macht Alfred Nordmann, Wissenschaftsphilosoph an der TU Darmstadt und Leiter des Nanobüros. Er untersucht den transhumanistischen Diskurs vom technischen optimierten Individuum der Zukunft. Dieser, so Nordmanns These, baut nicht nur auf fragwürdigen Annahmen auf – er ist vor allem altmodisch und verstellt uns den Blick auf wirklich bedeutende Veränderungen. [...]“)
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11.11.07
Posted in Ethics, Human Enhancement, Organisations, Transhumanism at 8:09 am by rheil
The Fuck Death Foundation
(»MISSION STATEMENT
The Fuck Death Foundation is an organization dedicated to the elimination of death through the generation and distribution of funds to strategically selected causes and initiatives worldwide.
Not only does the FDF effectively address the major precipitants of human demise worldwide, it also takes into consideration the most ruthlessly indiscriminate killer of all — oldness. [...]«)
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11.03.07
Posted in Ethics, Transhumanism at 7:05 am by rheil
(»In moral defence of Transhumanism
In contrast to our recent discussions on religious extremism, transhumanism offers an alternative position that is no less radical yet potentially rewarding. The ideology of transhumanism is comparable to secular humanism in that both advocate the importance of individuality and personal growth. However, where these two positions diverge is in regards to the future of human evolution. In this article I would like to firstly offer a broad definition of transhumanism, followed by the arguments both for and against its implementation. Finally, I would like to discuss the possibility of society adopting a transhumanist position in order to fully realise our human potential. [...]«)
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10.23.07
Posted in Deutschsprachige Seiten, Human Enhancement, Nootropics, Transhumanism at 6:32 am by rheil
(»Gehirn-Doping: Augen geradeaus
Jörg Auf dem Hövel 23.10.2007
Wie die Pharmafirma Cephalon die vermeintliche Gehirndoping-Substanz Modafinil im psychoaktiven Markt etabliert. Dazu ein Selbstversuch
Im Jahre 1992 wunderte sich Frank Baldino. Die eigentlich nachtaktiven Mäuse in dem Versuchslabor der Pariser Firma Lafon blieben den ganzen Tag wach. Die Tiere standen unter dem Einfluss einer neu entwickelten Substanz, die gegen Depressionen helfen sollte. Die chemisch korrekte Bezeichnung für den Wachmacher lautete kryptisch 2-Diphenylmethyl-Sulfinyl-Acetamid, kurz “Modafinil” genannt.[... ]«)
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10.11.07
Posted in Critics, Ethics, Evolution / Genetics, Human Enhancement, Nanotechnology, Technology, Transhumanism at 5:43 am by rheil
Facing the Challenges of Transhumanism: Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Considerations
By Hava Tirosh-Samuelson
(»Introduction1
What is Transhumanism?
The term ‘transhumanism’ denotes a relatively young and still changing ideology that posits a new vision of humanity as a result of the confluence of advancements in the life sciences, neurosciences, genomics, robotics, informatics, and nanotechnology. These developments include new kinds of cognitive tools that combine artificial intelligence with interface technology, molecular nanotechnology, extension of human life span, genetic enhancing of human mental and physical capacities, combating diseases and slowing down the process of aging, and exercising control over desires, moods, and mental states. Those who enthusiastically promote these developments in biotechnology and bioengineering maintain that the accelerating pace of technological development and scientific understanding will usher in a new age in the history of the human species during which people will live longer, will possess new physical and cognitive abilities and will be liberated from suffering and pain due to aging and disease. In the transhuman age, humans will no longer be controlled by nature; instead they will be the controllers of nature. [...]«)
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10.07.07
Posted in AI / Singularity, Critics, Transhumanism at 6:14 am by rheil
Singularitarian Agony
(»I think the following e-mail exchange will interest those of you who are following my latest engagements with partisans of various Superlative discourses (I omit names to protect innocence here).
In the discussions that have recently taken place at your blog, you’ve demonstrated a strong belief that entitative human-surpassing AI will not be possible within a meaningful timeframe
It’s true I am incomparably more skeptical of such an eventuality than Singularitarians seem to be, but, rather true to form, you are not quite grasping the reasons that fuel my skepticism, nor the intended force of my critique. [...]«)
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09.12.07
Posted in Human Enhancement, Transhumanism at 6:42 am by rheil
Enough is Enough”
A Thinking Ape’s Critique of Trans-Simianism (Dresden Kodac)
(»To further expound upon the topic of last week’s installment, I will address the more specific claims of Dr. Klomp and his radical theory that has been gaining wider acceptance throughout the community. Once again I would like to thank our readers for sending in your fish bones and boar hides in support of this journalist’s campaign to expose Dr. Klomp’s trans-simianist prattle for what it is: a collection of wishful thoughts out of keeping with any factual evidence.
The term ‘trans-simian’ comes from the shortening of ‘transitional simian,’ a concept Dr. Klomp has developed to describe an individual who is in an evolutionary transition from simian to post-simian, though Klomp himself admits that he is not entirely clear what a true post-simian would be. Characteristics exhibited by a trans-simian include augmentation of one’s natural abilities with ‘tools,’ as well as one’s mental capacities with what has been dubbed ‘culture.’ [...]«)
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09.05.07
Posted in Deutschsprachige Seiten, Ethics, Transhumanism at 6:28 am by rheil
telepolis: Mensch-Tier-Embryonen zur Forschung
(»Florian Rötzer 05.09.2007
In Großbritannien wird nach einer öffentlichen Anhörung vermutlich erstmals die Herstellung von klonierten Embryonen aus tierischen Eizellen und menschlichen Körperzellen zur Gewinnung von Stammzellen genehmigt werden
Die britische Regierung hatte bereits im Mai dieses Jahres beschlossen, die Herstellung von Mensch-Tier-Embryonen zu ermöglichen und einen entsprechenden [extern] Gesetzesentwurf vorgelegt. Die öffentliche Anhörung ist jetzt abgeschlossen, die [extern] Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) hat nun deren [extern] Ergebnis vorgelegt. Danach haben über 60 Prozent der Menschen keine Probleme mit der Schaffung von hybriden Embryos aus menschlichen und tierischen Zellen für die Forschung, nur ein Viertel wendet sich dagegen. [...]«)
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08.12.07
Posted in Evolution / Genetics at 6:37 am by rheil
The Unofficial Stephen Jay Gould Archiv
(»Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was among the best known and widely read scientists of the late 20th century. A paleontologist and educator at Harvard University, Gould made his largest contributions to science as the leading spokes-person for evolutionary theory. His monthly columns in Natural History magazine and his popular works on evolution have earned him numerous awards and one of the largest readerships in the popular-science genre — penning altogether over twenty successful books throughout his career.
For more than 30 years Gould served on the faculty at Harvard, where he was Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Professor of Geology, Biology, and the History of Science, as well as curator for Invertebrate Paleontology at the institution’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. On this website you will find articles by Gould and his colleagues focusing on the finer points of his work, the nature of life’s evolution, and the general ontogeny of evolutionary theory. [Link]«)
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07.18.07
Posted in Transhumanism at 5:33 am by rheil
HuMod
(»HuMod was created to raise awareness and to provide hope to those who believe that technology can, will and does improve our lives. Many experts believe that in just a few decades, humans will be able to replace organs with artificial organs that work better than the originals or grow biological organs to according to specification. The relatively new field of nanotechnology promises to repair our cells even before permanent damage is done. Gene and stem cell therapies intend to make up for the failures of our genes by repairing bad genes and replacing cells already lost. The pairing of our central nervous system with computers will one day be common. Based upon some estimates, which factor in the exponential acceleration of technological advance, Around the year 2050, those of us who are in reasonable health, can also reasonably expect to have indefinite life spans. We won’t be immortal, there will still be physical death from horrible accidents but as far as death from disease and age related causes, children will ponder how horrible life must have been when people died from illness, strokes, heart disease and cancer. [...]«)
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06.18.07
Posted in Anti-Aging, Cryonic, Online Publications, Technology, Transhumanism at 6:42 am by rheil
The Scientific Conquest of Death
Essays on Infinite Lifespans (2004) Edited by Immortality Institute
ISBN: 9875611352
Book Content
Introduction
Overview
Chapter I: SCIENCE: Biomedicine, Nanotechnology and other strategies
- Biological Immortality – Rose
- The War on Aging – Grey
- The Dream of Elixir Vitae – Magalhes
- Therapeutic Cloning – West
- Nanomedicine – Freitas
- Human Body Version 2.0 – Kurzweil
- Progress Toward Cyberimmortality – Bainbridge
- Will Robots Inherit the Earth? – Minsky
- Medical Time Travel: A Question of Science – Wowk
Chapter II: PERSPECTIVES: Ethics, Sociology and Philosophy
- Some Ethical and Theological Considerations – Mellon
- Superlongevity without Overpopulation – More
- Upsetting the Natural Order – Treder
- The Self-Defeating Fantasy – Rabkin
- Time Consciousness in Very Long Life – Clynes
- Confessions of a Proselytizing Immortalist – Vyff
- Some Problems with Immortalism – Best
- An Introduction to Immortalist Morality – Geddes
- Should We Fear Death? – Blackford
- Who Wants To Live Forever? – Bostrom
Chapter III: Resources
Bibliography
Publishers Note
Thanks
[complete book online ...]
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06.02.07
Posted in Critics, Transhumanism at 5:57 am by rheil
(»It’s Officially a Blog!
So I have finally officially started my blog. After 2 months of posts, I have already refuted the Singularity. The quality of my posts has improved and with the simplicity of this blogging interface, I think I am off and running. Watch out Transhumanists! [...]«)
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05.28.07
Posted in Transhumanism at 6:57 am by rheil
Giulio Prisco (Transhumanar): Soft Tiplerianism
(»This is a summary of my recent arguments on some transhumanist mailing lists in support of the idea that transhumanism might be, or become, a suitable alternative to religion. For lack of a better term, I am using “Soft Tiplerianism” to indicate a general, high level, conceptual appreciation of some ideas proposed by Fedorov, Teilhard, Tipler, Kurzweil, Perry and Clarke, without any specific proposal for their actual implementation. [...]«)
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05.27.07
Posted in AI / Singularity, Transhumanism at 6:09 am by rheil
Wisdom [Meta-Knowledge] through AGI / Neural Macrosensing
Natasha Vita-More, 2006
(»‛I believe that the creation of greater than human intelligence will occur during the next thirty years,‛ claims Vernor Vinge (1993: 1), mathematician, computer scientist and Hugo award-winning novelist. But what is the point of having more neural transmitters firing off connections if those connections do not promote wisdom?
Profound understanding, good judgment and deep insight, the elements of wisdom, are thought to be humanity’s noblest goals. Western film icon and humorist Will Rogers wisely claimed that ‚Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.‛ This insight gives credence to Buddha‛s rumination that ‚We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.‛ (Brossman: 31)
Throughout my adult years, I have thought that the promising goal in life is to achieve wisdom, and that no matter how long or trying the pursuit, wisdom would be the accumulative reward. This may be true, but it is highly likely that there is a more direct route. [...]«)
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05.10.07
Posted in Transhumanism, Transhumanists at 6:45 am by rheil
For updates see: http://www.operatingthetan.com/
R.U. Sirius (10 ZenMonkeys):
(»On April 26, 2001, Keith Henson was convicted of interfering with a religion — a misdemeanor under California law — for picketing outside Scientology’s heavily armed, razor wire-enforced base, outside Hemet California. He split for Canada, becoming the world’s first “Scientology fugitive,” and he’s back in the U.S. dealing with a variety of court cases related to Scientology.
Henson was just thrown back in jail. As best as I can make out from the limited information currently available, Henson and his lawyers were scheduled for a hearing at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, May 8th. They were apparently unaware that warrants had recently been signed by the Governors of California and Arizona, and after the hearing, Henson was handed over to the Yavapai County Sheriff Department for incarceration until a hearing on Wednesday May 9th at 9 a.m. (A note received this afternoon — May 9th — from Henson’s wife, Arel Lucas, says that he will remain in the lockup at least until Monday, May 13th. She invites people to write to him at: Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Howard Keith Henson, 255 E. Gurley St. Prescott, AZ 86301. She also reminds you that the prison authorities read the letters before passing them on.) [...]«)
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Posted in Transhumanism, Transhumanists at 6:41 am by rheil
Article in May Issue of “Crisis” Magazine (from PostHumanityRising)
(»Last year one Eric Pavlat approached me about the possibility of doing an email interview on the subject of Transhumanism for a Catholic magazine called “Crisis”. I agreed, got a somewhat lengthy list of questions, and gave an even lengthier assortment of answers. Well, the article finally appeared in this month’s issue of the magazine, and unfortunately my responses were radically truncated by virtue of the writing and editing process. The article is still well worth reading, however.
For the edification of those who might be curious, however, I am publishing below the original questions and my answers as originally sent. (I checked with Eric and he encouraged me to do so.) The only modifications I made are cosmetic, to make it clearer what were his questions and my responses. [...]«)
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05.07.07
Posted in Critics, Transhumanism at 6:25 am by rheil
Transhumanism and I: some reckonings…
(»The Transhumanist movment has been a significant part of my life for the past year or so. I have considered myself a Transhumanist, read a lot of the popular Transhumanist literature, participated in Transhumanist discussions, and accepted a lot of the prominent Transhumanist themes and concepts–in fact was very enthusiastic about them. It was one of the things that filled in the gap created when I left a religion that had been a huge part of my life.
However, there were some things, even before I could exactly put my finger on them, that have bugged me about a lot of prevalent Transhumanist views and ideas, or views and ideas, whether or not they are explicitly Transhumanist, that are so common to the Transhumanist community that they seem inseparably intertwined with the movement itself. That has been the source of quite a bit of anxiety and confusion for quite a while, especially at times when I felt my own worldview was partially shaped by things that were bothering me. [...]«)
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Posted in AI / Singularity, Future, Human Enhancement, Transhumanism at 6:18 am by rheil
Superhuman Imagination – Vernor Vinge on science fiction, the Singularity, and the state
Mike Godwin | Reason Magazin
(»A few decades ago, the most popular science fiction epics were works like Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy or Frank Herbert’s Dune series—stories that were set thousands or even tens of thousands of years in the future but involved human beings more or less like us and societies more or less like our own, but with more advanced technology. Today, by contrast, many of the genre’s top writers are unwilling to speculate more than 20 years ahead. The acceleration of technological advance, they argue, has begun to make traditional visions of far-future humanity look increasingly myopic and parochial.
One increasingly popular vision of that rapidly accelerating progress is called the Technological Singularity (or, sometimes, just the Singularity)—a concept evoked not just in science fiction novels by the likes of Charles Stross and Bruce Sterling but in works of speculative nonfiction, such as the futurist Ray Kurzweil’s popular 2005 book The Singularity Is Near. No name is linked more tightly to the idea of the Singularity than that of Vernor Vinge, 63, who for four decades has written stories about the ways humanity and its technologies are building a future that may be impossible for us even to imagine. “It seems plausible,” Vinge says, “that with technology we can, in the fairly near future, create or become creatures who surpass humans in every intellectual and creative dimension. Events beyond such a singular event are as unimaginable to us as opera is to a flatworm.” [...]«)
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04.17.07
Posted in Evolution / Genetics, Transhumanism at 6:24 am by rheil
The REAL Evolution Debate
Everything you always wanted to know about evolution but the mass media wouldn’t tell you.
(»You’ve seen the papers. You’ve watched the TV reports. You know how the debate on evolution is always framed. Darwin vs. God. Science vs. religion. Evolution vs. creationism. Reason and rationality vs. belief and faith. That’s the evolution debate we hear about in the mass media these days, the one that is causing consternation everywhere from Kansas school boards to Pennsylvania courthouses. [...]«)
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04.09.07
Posted in Ethics, Transhumanism at 6:06 am by rheil
Anne C.: The Future Is For Everyone (Or At Least, It Should Be)
(»Recently, a short informational article was posted to the IEET site entitled, Autism Bad For Siblings And Society in response to an autism-spectrum-themed issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. This article referenced two studies: one on social and communication “problems” in siblings of autistic children, and one on the expenses incurred by autistic individuals over the course of their lifetime.
The article about siblings seems to indicate mainly that siblings of autistics can have autistic traits (or perhaps even be autistic themselves), which of course makes sense when you consider that autism has a strong genetic component. The characterization of this phenomenon as autism being “bad for siblings” is more than a bit misleading — it’s not as if, somehow, if the autistic sibling hadn’t been born, the children being studied would not have exhibited the same social and communication patterns. If someone is going to be autistic, or perhaps broader autistic phenotype, they’re going to be that way regardless of whether they have siblings or not. [...]«)
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04.02.07
Posted in AI / Singularity, Human Enhancement, Neuro, Technology, Transhumanism at 6:59 am by rheil
Chris Chatham: 10 Important Differences Between Brains and Computers
(»”A good metaphor is something even the police should keep an eye on.” – G.C. Lichtenberg
Although the brain-computer metaphor has served cognitive psychology well, research in cognitive neuroscience has revealed many important differences between brains and computers. Appreciating these differences may be crucial to understanding the mechanisms of neural information processing, and ultimately for the creation of artificial intelligence. Below, I review the most important of these differences (and the consequences to cognitive psychology of failing to recognize them): similar ground is covered in this excellent (though lengthy) lecture. [...]«)
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Posted in Future, Human Enhancement, Nootropics, Transhumanism at 6:54 am by rheil
Russel Blackford: Prolegomena to any defence of human enhancement
(»Any full-scale defence of human enhancement technologies first needs to clear away a lot of misunderstandings. Here’s an attempt to do so.
INTRODUCTION
As a species, we have reached a point in our history where we’ve developed sophisticated, and increasingly powerful, forms of technological intervention in the functioning of our own bodies. Existing possibilities include not only the array of modern techniques for combating disability and disease, but also cosmetic surgery, performance-enhancing or consciousness-altering drugs, the contraceptive pill, and genetically-based methods for the sex selection of children. That list is obviously not exhaustive, and nor does it represent an end point of human inventiveness: for example, there is the much-discussed prospect that we might develop radical new reproductive technologies, such as the asexual creation of embryos through somatic cell nuclear transfer (i.e. reproductive cloning). [...]«)
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Posted in Ethics, Future, Human Enhancement, Transhumanism at 5:58 am by rheil
James J. Hughes: The Compatibility of Religious and Transhumanist Views of Metaphysics, Suffering, Virtue and Transcendence in an Enhanced Future
(»Abstract
Transhumanism – the proposition that human beings should use technology to transcend the limitations of the body and brain – is a product of the Enlightenment humanist tradition. As a consequence most avowed transhumanists are secular, and many religious are skeptical or hostile towards the transhumanist project. However there are also many religious transhumanists who find the project of human enhancement at least consistent with, and sometimes a fulfillment of, their metaphysics, soteriologies and eschatologies. Transhumanism appears to be especially compatible with religious traditions that emphasize human agency and evolution to a transcendent state, such as Buddhism, or that have incorporated Enlightenment values, such as liberal Christianity. But elements of the transhumanist worldview and enhancement technologies are compatible with one element or another of most world faiths, even the most fundamentalist. We can thus expect that human enhancement technologies will be adopted creatively into the theologies of groups within all the world’s faiths, producing many flavors of “trans-spirituality.” [...]«)
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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. [...]«)
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