Category: Miscellaneous

Transhumanists are into improvements, and many talk about specific problems, for instance Nick Bostrom.  However, Bostrom’s problem statements have been criticized for not necessarily being problems, and I think largely this is why one must consider the problem definition (see step #2 below).

Erik Davis is a marvelous writer whose project seems to be to invoke or evoke (or provoke) mystery and enchantment in the context of postmodern and transhumanist cultures that seem pretty much bent on hunting it down and draining it… one piece at a time.  He thrives on a world of odd hybrids and strange hidden subcultures.  At the same time, he has been known to delightfully illuminate such mainstream and semi-mainstream cultural expressions as The Matrix, Burning Man, and the works of P.K. Dick.

We have seen how the identity is defined by the 0,0 point – the centroid or locus of perception.

The main problem we have is finding out how neural signals translate into sensory signals – how neural information is translated into the language we understand – that of perception. How does one neural pattern become Red and another the Scent of coffee.  Neurons do not emit any color nor any scent.

As in physics, so in cognitive science, some long cherished theories and explanations are having to change.

Inspired by DEEP PATTERN STRUCTURE:
Consciousness and the articulation of the possible
by The Imaginary Foundation-  

I expect to see the coming decades transform the planet into an art form; the new man, linked in a cosmic harmony that transcends time and space, will sensuously caress and mold and pattern every facet of the terrestrial artifact as if it were a work of art, and man himself will become an organic art form. There is a long road ahead, and the stars are only way stations, but we have begun the journey.  – Marshall McLuhan, Playboy Interview

Transhumanism does not begin and end with modifications we make to our own bodies and brains.  It also involves exerting the influence of our free wills on the structure of the societies in which we are embedded in order to generate an environment that will facilitate our goals.  It calls for change not only within, but without as well.  This can be accomplished in many ways.  The following essay is one such way.

Among the many wonderful speakers slated for the Humanity+ @ CalTech conference this weekend (Dec 4/5), one of the most exciting is Max More — who, though still relatively young, is as close to the “father of transhumanism” as one can get.