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Extropy Institute Conferences on the Future from 1994 — 2004


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  2004 2001 1999 1997 1995 1994
 

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Extro 5

Shaping Things to Come — 2001

San Jose, California
June 15 - June 17, 2001
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Introduction

Since our first conference back in 1994, we have seen tremendous progress in many areas of science and technology. Many of the views of the future that seemed outlandish to some back then now look highly plausible and in some cases imminent. Biotechnology has exploded, with stem cells, telomerase, nuclear transfer and cloning technology, and tissue engineering making numerous breakthroughs. The information economy has taken off. The few online pioneers of the early 1990s have become 60% of the U.S. population now, while massive areas of the economy are being transformed by information technology.

These changes offer a multitude of benefits. Yet amidst all this we see a growing swell of opposition and fear. Some of this results from lack of knowledge. Some comes from well-organized, principled opponents of the ideas that we at Extropy Institute champion. These are enemies of the deep changes opened up by biotechnologies and information technology in predominantly free market economies. These opponents of many of the Enlightenment values of progress, reason, science, and practical optimism are tearing at the spread of market economies, opposing biotechnologies that could revitalize and extend lives, criticizing the information economy, calling for restraints on research and even open discussion, and promoting a philosophy of pessimism, cynicism, and relinquishment.

The voices of reaction are diverse. Some speak on isolated issues, while others systematically oppose technological advance and the information-market economy. Zalman says "Maybe we should declare that nanotechnology isn't kosher, and maybe the pope should declare it a mortal sin." Bill Joy recently suggested that we stop altering genes even if doing so might save a child from incurable cancer, and even calls for limits on free speech to stop the spread of technological knowledge. Some fundamentalist Christians are mobilizing to stop research using small clumps of embryonic cells.

Dr. Daniel Callahan, a biomedical ethicist at the Hastings Center, said that we should "make [longevity] research socially despicable". Audrey Chapman, Director of the Science and Human Rights at the AAAS, said "It is evil to focus energy on trying to live longer than 80 years." Prince Charles complained that the genetic engineering of food "takes mankind into realms that belong to God and God alone". Other organized groups such as the Turning Point project attack many forms of important technological advance and the spread of global markets that could bring benefits to all. We regard these messages of doom as ranging from innocently mistaken to ethically abhorrent. The Extro-5 conference was part of Extropy Institute's developing strategy to mount a cultural counter-offensive.

Powerful emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, bioengineering, superlongevity, and nanotechnology do have dangers as well as enormous potential for good in transforming the human condition. At Extro-5 each session brought together several high powered thinkers to examine the impact of advanced and accelerating technology, to look at opportunities and to anticipate and proactively address potential problems, and to address the critics of change. By carefully listening to the concerns of those mystified by biotech advances or overwhelmed by the onrush of information, we can restore and refine the Enlightenment values to produce an extropic philosophy for a New Enlightenment.
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Presentations

  Keynote Speaker:  Ray Kurzweil  "The Singularity Is Near"
  Opening Address:  Dr. Max More
  Banquet Address:  Gregory Burch, J.D.

Talks

  "Authority Without Identity"  Mark Miller
  "Proplets and Smart Contracts" Nick Szabo
  "Privacy Today: The Battle for Your Online Identity" Harvey Newstrom
  "Fighting for More Privacy: Zero Knowledge Techniques" Tad Hogg
  "Fighting for Less Privacy: The Transparency Option" Lee Daniel Crocker
  "Privacy Tomorrow: The Far Future of Online Identity" Nick Szabo"
  "Filtering The Info-Flood: Online Community Software Architecture" Ken Kittlitz
  "Filtering The Info-Flood: Content Management" Naomi Moneypenny
  "Pro-Act: Introducing the Progress Action Coalition" Natasha Vita-More

Panel Discussions

  "Convergent or Divergent Super-Intelligence"  Marc Stiegler, Anders Sandberg, Peter Voss, Dr. Max More
  "Business Architectures in the Information Economy"  Steve Flinn, Hal Varian, moderator: Dr. Max More
  " Overcoming Resistance from Bioconservatives and Technophobes" Ronald Bailey ( The Journalistic Critic); Greg Bear ( the Myth Maker); Natasha Vita-More ( Cultural Catalyst); Dr. Michael Rose ( The GeneMaster); Greg Burch, J.D. ( Luddite Tracker)
  "Ensuring Friendly Super-Intelligence" Eli Yudkowsky, Dr. Anders Sandberg, Michael Korns, John Smart
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Sponsors KurzweilAI.net, Javien, Inc., Newstaff, Inc., Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, ManyWorlds, Inc.

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Extro 4

                           

Biotech Futures: Challenges of Life Extension and Genetic Engineering

August 7 - August 8, 1999
UC Berkeley, California
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Introduction   

EXTRO4 was Extropy Institute's fourth conference, held on August 7-8, 1999, at Joseph Wood Crutch Theater on the Clark Kerr Campus, University of California, Berkeley. Extropy Institute (ExI), a not-for-profit educational organization, acts as a networking and information center for those seeking to foster our continuing evolutionary advance by using technology to extend healthy life, augment intelligence, optimize psychology, and improve social systems. While taking a distinctly optimistic view of the continuing co-evolution of humans and technology, our mission is to encourage informed and critical discussion to maximize the benefits and minimize the problems of rapid and dramatic change.

The EXTRO conferences contribute to the networking of those wanting to apply technology to bettering the human condition while challenging old assumptions about what is possible. The EXTRO conferences bring together people from many disciplines in the sciences, arts, and humanities. By facilitating the networking of leading edge technologists and thinkers we aim to accelerate research, development, critical evaluation, and communication of ideas.

The fourth EXTRO conference had a tighter focus than our previous wide-ranging events. The theme was Biotech Futures: Challenges of Life Extension and Genetic Engineering. Over the weekend of August 7-8 1999 we covered several closely related themes. Rather than single-person, single-perspective speakers, most sessions involved debates between conflicting views, and panel discussions between experts. Sessions fell into three main groups: Life extension research and issues, genetic engineering, and the transhumanist movement. We covered the following topics:

- Leading research into understanding and controlling the aging process.
- Identifying priorities for continued research; improving communication among researchers; improving research funding.
- Debating the desirability of extending the maximum human life span.
- Panel discussions on issues raised by extended longevity, from population and resources, to economic and political policy, to psychological effects.
- Issues raised by human cloning.
- Should genetic engineering be limited to disease prevention and correction or also used for augmentation of healthy function?
- Who should own genetic information?
- What policy should we adopt towards genetic fingerprinting and genetic screening?
- Reports from representatives of transhumanist organizations around the world.
- How to effectively communicate transhumanist ideas and respond to common objections regarding life extension and genetic engineering.
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Presentations

  Keynote Speaker:  Max More, Ph.D. "Utopias, Dystopias, and Extropy"

Talks

  "The Cellular and Molecular Biology of Senescence"  Prof. Judith Campisi
  "Mechanisms of Aging As Seen Through the Caloric Restriction Spyglass"  Dr. Roy L. Walford
  "Telomerase, Pluripotent Stem Cells, and Nuclear Reprogramming"  Dr. Calvin Harley
  "Hormonal Control of Aging in C. elegans"  Prof. Cynthia Kenyon
  "Aging Research: Milestones and Prizes"  Dr. Gregory Stock
  "Targeting The Nemesis: Scientists collaborate to identify research pathways and marshal the resources to win the war against death" 
  "The Science of Aging Management"  Dr. Christopher Heward
  "Genomes, Biobots, and Nanobots: Implications for 21st Century Medicine"  Robert J. Bradbury
  "DNA Breakout! A Sensorial Mix"  Natasha Vita-More
  "Who We Think We Are: Living Forever, Without Confusion"  Greg Bear
  "The Near and the Far"  Prof. Vernor Vinge
  "HuGE Prospects for Human Germline Engineering"  Prof. John H. Campbell
  "The Technology of Perfection and the Perfection of Technology"  Prof. Michael Shapiro
  "Timeline for Technological Developments"  Gregory F. Burch, J.D. and the Textropians
  "Getting Up To Speed! -- Effective Communication"  short presentations followed by open microphone
   Closing Statement: "Where to From Here?"  Max More

Panel Discussions

"Who Owns Your Genes?"  Prof. Tom W. Bell, J.D., Dr. Kate H. Murashige
 "Reports from the Front"  Dr. Max More of Extropy Institute, Anders Sandberg from Aleph in Sweden, Natasha Vita-More of Transhumanist Arts & Culture, Christine Peterson of the Foresight Institute, Dr. Nicholas Bostrom of World Transhumanist Association in England
"Convergent or Divergent Super-Intelligence" Marc Stiegler, Dr. Anders Sandberg, Peter Voss, Dr. Max More)

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EXTRO 3



The Future of the Body and Brain / Future Infrastructure

August 9 - August 10, 1997
San Jose, California
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Introduction

EXTRO3 was Extropy Institute's third conference, held on August 9-10, 1997, at the Double Tree Hotel (formerly the Red Lion Hotel) in San Jose, California. Extropy Institute functions as a networking organization bringing together scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, philosophers, and artists who share certain general interests including: using technology to overcome human limits, including extending life span, augmenting intelligence (both cognitive and emotional), gaining access to space, and achieving control over our own biology through genetic engineering, bioengineering, neural-computer interfaces, and molecular nanotechnology. We welcome all interested members of the public to attend and participate.

Extropy Institute approaches the future with active optimism and a respect for reason. We believe the route to a better future for humans involves using intelligence, science, technology, and good will in an open, market-based economy to improve ourselves and our environment. We do not think we will improve the future through fear of progress and technology, dogmatism, or central control.

The EXTRO conferences contribute to the networking of those wanting to apply technology to bettering the human condition while challenging old assumptions about what is possible. The EXTRO conferences bring together people from many disciplines, including computer science, artificial intelligence, psychology, neuroscience, genetic engineering, molecular nanotechnology, philosophy, and economics. By facilitating the networking of leading edge technologists and thinkers we aim to accelerate research, development, and communication of ideas in a way not possible for a single-discipline conference.

Along with ExI's other projects, the EXTRO conference generates and communicates positive ideas and helps protect our future against the numerous individuals and groups seeking to hold us back. This includes fundamentalists and anti-biotech activists, the extreme environmentalists who want to reverse economic and technological progress, the postmodernists with their attack on science and reason, and the growing wave of Luddites (making their claims in several recent books). The anti-progress message of these groups is fed by lack of knowledge in much of the public. The recent cloning announcement demonstrated the fears that arise in the absence of understanding. Through the EXTRO conference and ExI's other projects we are taking a stand against these trends opposing science, technology, and intellectual and cultural progress.

Aside from the serious aspects of the event, participants at past EXTRO conferences expressed delight at the sheer intellectual pleasure of the sessions, combined with many pleasurable interactions with other conference goers. The parties and meals before, during, and after the conference provide numerous opportunities for fun and networking.

EXTRO3 took place over two days. On one day the theme was The Future of the Body and Brain. The other day focused on Future Infrastructure, including computers, communications, and economy. Our Keynote Speaker this year was Eric Drexler, molecular nanotechnology expert, and author of Engines of Creation and Nanosystems.

Past EXTRO speakers have included Marvin Minsky of MIT, Bart Kosko -- fuzzy logic and neural network pioneer at USC, Roy Walford -- leading gerontologist at UCLA, Hans Moravec -- Director of Carnegie-Mellon's Mobile Robot Lab, Michael Rothschild -- author of Bionomics, and Ralph Merkle -- nanotechnologist at Xerox PARC.
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Presentations

Opening Address and Closing Remarks:  Dr. Max More

Talks

"Engineering the Human Germline"  Dr. Gregory Stock, Ph.D.
 "Mind Morph: Technologically Refined Emotion and Personality"  Dr. Max More
 "Amplifying Cognition: Extending Human Memory and Intelligence"  Dr. Anders Sandberg
"The Emergence of Neo-Biological Civilization"  Kevin Kelly
"The Top 10 Problems in Anti-Aging Medicine"  Dr. Stephen Coles
"How to be Cautious and Conservative"  Dr. K. Eric Drexler
"Computer Security as the Future of Law"  Mark Miller
"Cyborgs, Agents, Processors: Incorporating Technological Evolution Into Ourselves"  Alexander "Sasha" Chislenko
"Radical High-Tech Environmentalists"  Christine Peterson
"Paths to Immortality"  Robert J. Bradbury

Panel Discussions

"Future of Gender Panel"  Dr. Chris Heward, Natasha Vita-More, Dr. Sharon Presley
 "AI Onset Panel: Continuity or Singularity?" Dr. Marvin Minsky, Dr. Carl Feynman, Dr. Robin Hanson, Dr. Ralph Merkle, Peter Voss
 "Investing in the Future Panel" Gayle Pergamit, James Rogers, Courtney Smith, Peter Voss

Alcor Presentation
Prometheus Project Presentation


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Extro 2

The 2nd Extropy Institute Conference on Transhumanist Thought — 1995

Santa Monica, California
June 17 - June 18, 1995
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Introduction

EXTRO2 will be a rich, intellectually invigorating gathering designed to help push outwards the boundaries of progress and possibility. It will be both a serious study and a spirited celebration of humanity's limitless potential and how it will be realized.  Besides presentations of accepted papers, the conference will feature lectures by leading thinkers, panel discussions, a banquet, and impromptu parties.

Our keynote speaker, Professor Marvin Minsky's is known as the "Father of Artificial Intelligence."  Dr. Minsky's research has led to both theoretical and practical advances in artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, neural networks, and the theory of Turning Machines and recursive functions.  He has made major contributions to the scientific foundations of the domains of symbolic description, knowledge representation, computational semantics and linguistics, machine perception, symbolic and connectionist learning, mechanical robotics, and industrial automation.

Our second conference will be held at the elegant and superbly-located Miramar Sheraton in Santa Monica, California.

Presentations

 Keynote Speaker:  Prof. Marvin Minsky, "Why Freud was the First Good AI Theorist"
Opening Address:  Dr. Max More

Talks

"The 4th Information Revolution"  Michael Rothschild
"Human Life Extension in 1995—The State of the Art"   Dr. Chris Heward
"Critical Thinking About Authority: Resisting Social Influence and Unjust Authority"   Dr. Sharon Presley
"Melatonin and Deprenyl: The Latest Research"  Dr. Ray Sahelian
"It from Fit"  Dr. Bart Kosko
"A History of Extropic Thought: Parallel Conceptual Development of Technicism and Humanism"   Reilly Jones
"From MOrtal Humans to Immortal Transhumans"  FM-2030
"Trade Dress Protection of Virtual Environments"   Prof. Tom Bell, J.D.
"Are Patent Laws Justified?"   Marcus Krummenacker

Panels

"Recreating Reality, Redefining Art"  Natasha Vita-More, Dr. Fiorella Terenzi, Dr. Roy Walford, David Reisner
"Extropian Virtual Community & The Future of the Net"  Harry S. Hawk, Jeannine Parker, Steve Arbuss, J.D., Ray Comwell, Eric Watt Forste
"A World Wide Web Idea Futures Implementation"   David McFadzean, Ken Kittlitz, Duane Hewitt

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EXTRO 1 

The First Extropy Institute Conference on Transhumanist Thought

Sunnyvale, California
April 20 -May 1, 1994
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Introduction

Extro 1 is Extropy Institute's first conference on transhumanist thought.  Our keynote speaker is Hans P. Moravec, a principle research scientist in the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.

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Presentations

  Keynote Speaker:  Hans Moravec "The Age of Robots "
  Opening Address:  Dr. Max More
  Banquet Awards Ceremony:  Dave Krieger 

Talks

  "Pancritical Rationalism: An Extropic Metacontext for Memetic Progress"   Dr. Max More
  "Why Respect the Law? The Polycentric Justication of Jurisdiction"   Prof. Tom Bell, J.D.
  "SIMNET: A Neural Network Simulator for Modeling Complex Dynamical Systems"   Dr. Simon D. Levy
  "The Extropy Virtual Community, Past, Present, and Future"  Harry S. Hawk
"The Endocrinology of Aging"  Dr. Chris Heward
  "Cryonics, Cryptography, and Maximum Likelihood Estimation"   Dr. Ralph Merkle
  "Five Things You Can Do to Fight Entropy Now" Romana Machado
  "Mathematical Immortalism: A Progress Report"  Dr. Michael Perry

Panel Discussions

  "Panel: Warding Off Dogmatization"  Dr. Max More, Reilly Jones, Dave Krieger, Keith Henson, Derek Zahn

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