Extropy Institute Launches

Max More

Executive Director

On May 10 1992, Extropy Institute (ExI) became a 501(c)3 California nonprofit corporation. We were able to speed the incorporation process thanks to Fred and Linda Chamberlain, who offered to let us take over the Lake Tahoe Life Extension Festival, change the directors, Articles and Bylaws, and the name. The Festival was incorporated in 1986 and, through it, Fred and Linda (who are also distinguished as the founders of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in 1972) organized conferences in Lake Tahoe. These conference-festivals were attended by life extensionists and cryonicists from around the world. Extropy Institute intends to restart similar events, though with a broader coverage than life extension and cryonics. ExI also took charge of the records of Lifepact – an outgrowth of the Festival which sought to set up mechanisms ensuring motivations for eventual resuscitation of biostasis patients. We intend to reactivate the Lifepact Project when we can.

Extropians 1988-1992

Extropy came into existence four years ago, in the Fall of 1988, as a small 24 page publication, titled Extropy: Vaccine For Future Shock, edited by myself and Tom Morrow (under our old surnames), while we were graduate students in philosophy. There we set out our view of the future, and our agenda:

After wandering along at a slow pace for centuries, our world has started to enter a period of change that will far outpace historical standards. The changes occurring in the twentieth century dwarf those of any previous thousand years, but they only hint at what the future holds. We face a turning point in history – a time when computers, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, self-modification, physical immortality and other factors promise to radically transform virtually every aspect of our existence. We are responsible for preparing ourselves for that future, and for

helping others understand that coming age.

Extropy was to provide a forum for the discussion of the future for those who shared certain basic values – the values which are now expressed in the Extropian Principles. The world view that Tom and I shared – and soon discovered that many others affirmed – was neatly summarized in Tom’s neologism, ‘extropy’, which included the ideas of increasing information and intelligence, increasing order, and expanding usable energy. Extropian philosophy was the first to explicitly draw together apparently disparate ideas and interests: Individualistic/voluntaristic political views, enthusiasm for technology, especially life extension, space migration, self-improvement, cognitive enhancement, computers and artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and so on. The readers of Extropy frequently expressed surprise and delight that there were others who shared all these interests and had formed them into a coherent world view.

Over the next few years, Extropy grew in size, readership, and sophistication. The writing became longer and more analytical, turning the publication into a cross between a magazine, newsletter and journal. In 1991 I changed the sub-title to reflect the publication’s evolution and it became Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought.

Also in 1991, thanks to the efforts of Perry Metzger, the Extropians electronic mail list started up, and is now about to celebrate its first anniversary. The list attracted many more people, who discovered they were Extropians. About the same time, I discussed with Tom and Simon! Levy the idea of forming an organization to make possible projects beyond the journal. The Extropy Institute started up, and three other directors taken on board: David Krieger, Russell Whitaker, and Ralph Whelan.

Extropy Institute brings together several other communities and intellectual groupings: The nanotechnology investigators and enthusiasts, mostly associ-

ated with the Foresight Institute, the life extensionists and cryonicists, computer programmers and electronic communication proponents, libertarians and other individualists, the hypertext researchers associated with Xanadu, and now some of those supporting the electronic marketplace of the American Information Exchange (AMIX).

Rather than adopting the traditional corporate structure, ExI will operate as an adhocracy. “Adhocracy” is Alvin Toffler’s term for a highly networked, non-hierarchical organization, a type found most often in law firms, consulting companies and research universities. Our networked structure, linking members through electronic mail, computer conferencing and electronic bulletin boards will allow us to adapt efficiently to a changing array of projects, each requiring differing skills and resources.¹

Extropy Institute Projects:

Elsewhere in this issue you can find the revised statement of the Extropian Principles. Extropy Institute’s objectives, and present and future projects are guided by those principles. We feel a pressing need for memetically engineering our culture – intelligently applying ourselves to changing those parts of the intellectual culture hostile or indifferent to our values. We want to increase support for life extension, physical and cognitive augmentation, and combat statism, and paternalism. Especially important in the 1990s is combating the false doom-mongering of the apocalyptic environmentalists. These anti-growth, anti-market, anti-freedom, back-to-the-Pleistocene forces threaten all that we believe in. The crisis-brigade environmentalists have found a way to smuggle through the back door the discredited ideas of socialism, fascism and Malthus. Few people stand up for the side of growth. ExI intends to gather together the many people sharing our viewpoint (as summarized in the principle of Boundless Expansion).

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EXTROPY #9 Summer 1992

Exponent: September 1 1992 will see the publication of the first issue of Exponent—a bi-monthly ExI publication, edited by Simon! D. Levy of the University of Connecticut, and author of Extropy’s Neurocomputation series. Exponent will publish shorter and more topical items, while Extropy will continue to publish longer essays. Exponent will include news of ExI activities, updates on advances in the crucial technologies of the future, reviews of books, movies, software, and multimedia, and a section devoted to critically analyzing the doomsday claims of some environmentalists. A subscription to Exponent comes with ExI membership.

Introduction to Extropian Philosophy: Producing a booklet containing some essential essays explaining the Extropian philosophy is a high priority. This can be sent to people inquiring about the Institute and serve as one element of our educational outreach.

Environmental Rationality Project: The enemies of growth, progress and the continued evolution of our species are legion. Those supporting our goals are numerous but not organized, leaving almost all the influence over the culture to the entropists. Extropy Institute, which already has numerous contacts in diverse fields, intends to serve as a nexus for the interchange of information and strategy for the pro-growth proponents. We will pursue media attention in order to make our case, hold conferences, distribute essays, books, and videos on the environment, growth, and pollution, and we will give lectures and challenge the anti-growth forces to debates.

Digital Economy Project: Electronic communications and computational markets will be increasingly important as the future progresses. We will educate the public on trends and future technologies and social structures to aid in the transformations already underway, and we will conduct research to stay on the leading edge. We have already established a market on AMIX – the American Information Exchange, an electronic marketplace where documents can be bought and sold, and consulting services hired. We will also support the development of user-friendly and powerful encryption systems, so that electronic communications can be secured against governmental and private invasion. Accessible encryption will accelerate the use of computer networks and computational economies (including electronic money and secure electronic exchanges). The Extropians e-mail list has already seen the exchange of many public

keys, thanks to the encouragement of ExI Director Russell Whitaker.

Educational Outreach: ExI will develop educational materials concerning the uses of computer technologies, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and psychological means of enhancing cognitive, physical, and psychological capacities in human beings, and the lengthening of the human lifespan. Our educational outreach will include giving seminars and lectures, and making available audio and video tapes of interest to Extropians. Long-term goals include a television show comprehensively presenting the positive potentials of advanced and emerging technologies. Some of the first topics to be made available as seminars and tapes will be a self-programming course, presenting the most effective means of self-transformation, an effective thinking course, and materials supporting Environmental Rationality project.

ExI will distribute to scientific and educational institutions and to interested professionals, and seek to have published, the results of our surveys and analyses, so that the information derived from this work will have the maximum public accessibility and benefit.

ExPress: At first we will gather from diverse sources any books, tapes, and software that interest us as Extropians. Later we may found a press – the ExPress – to publish works by both new and experienced Extropian writers.

Self-Programming Research Project: In support of the principle of Self-Transformation, ExI will research the most effective techniques for physical, cognitive, and psychological self-improvement.

ExI Conferences: In addition to the social gatherings that have already been taking place, ExI will organize conferences for the exchange of ideas, discussion of strategy, and debating our differences, as well as providing a way for Extropians to meet in enjoyable surroundings. We would like to hold an annual general conference where a broad range of topics are discussed, in addition to more specialized conferences on intellectual property, computational economies, life extension, etc.

Archive: We have begun, in a small way, to build a library and to archive materials and objects of historical interest relating to the development of life extension and enhancement of cognitive, physical, and psychological capacities. These will be displayed at our events. When resources allow, we will establish a library and a

museum, which will be open to the public.

BBS: In order to facilitate communication between ExI and its membership, we will set up an electronic bulletin board (BBS). This will hold various documents, and news updates, and will allow provide a forum for discussions and exchange of information in addition to the two Extropian electronic mailing lists already in operation.

Lifepact Project: Lifepact was started by Fred and Linda Chamberlain to set up mechanisms improving the chances that biostasis patients would eventually be resuscitated. A Lifepact is an agreement between persons so that the first person to be revived from biostasis would take responsibility for ensuring the resuscitation of the other. Eventually a network of these agreements would exist. ExI will restart Lifepact, and provide a repository for the storage of information that might be used to reconstruct an imperfectly preserved personality. ExI members receive a discount on deep underground storage arranged through the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.

Idea Futures Project: Idea futures markets, described by Robin Hanson in Extropy #8, allow market mechanisms to help settle controversial empirical forecasts. Idea futures offer powerful advantages over other mechanisms for establishing a consensus on the basis of which to allocate research and investment funds. Extropy Institute intends to investigate the legal and organizational requirements for setting up a functioning idea futures market.

Project Extropia: Extropia is an evolving social ideal, not a place. Project Extropia seeks to develop new virtual and actual communities, grounded in individualistic principles and supportive of Extropian values and goals. The ExI office is now located in what we call the Nexus/L.A. – a house inhabited by Extropians where the inhabitants interact according to individualist principles, providing synergistic cooperation while maintaining autonomy (such as by avoiding common property and contracting for internal services). Other Extropians have expressed interest in setting up Nexi elsewhere. We expect to see the growth of a Nexus Network. In conjunction with the growth of electronic communication, the Nexus Network will be a distributed community of Extropians linked by printed, acoustic and electronic communications. In addition, ExI will encourage and participate in a feasibility study of the Free Oceana/Agora Aqua private Ex-

EXTROPY #9 Summer 1992

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junction with the growth of electronic communication, the Nexus Network will be a distributed community of Extropians linked by printed, acoustic and electronic communications. In addition, Exi will encourage and participate in a feasibility study of the Free Oceana/Agora Aqua private Extropian community idea already heavily discussed on the Net.

As you can see, even at this early stage we have an ambitious list of projects. A few of these are underway, others are in the planning stages, and some are just dreams. You can make a major difference to the success and progress of these projects. Your unique skills and knowledge, applied to the project you most want to see move ahead, will have enormous leverage at this time. At this stage we especially need to secure funding in order to develop our programs. If you can support us financially, or by helping in any way with fundraising, we want to hear from you!

In this issue, or inserted into it, is a membership information form. We hope the readers of Extropy will want to join us as members, receive the newsletter, Exponent, and charge with us into the future.

Max More

Extropy Institute

P.O. Box 57306, Los Angeles, CA 90057-0306.

Tel/Fax: (213) 484-6383.

more@usc.edu

Directors:

Max More, Executive Director, Editor, Extropy. more@usc.edu

Tom Morrow, Associate Executive Director. twb3@midway.uchicago.edu

Simon! D. Levy, Chief Financial Officer, Editor, Exponent. levy%gary@venus.ycc.yale.edu

Ralph Whelan, Secretary. rwhelan@gallium.csusb.edu

David Krieger, Director. dkrieger%monty@rand.org

Russell E. Whitaker, Director. 71750.2413@compuserve.com

Extropians list manager: Harry Shapiro

Extropy Institute

Extropians list adjudicator: Andrea Gallagher AMIX Extropians market manager: Dean Tribble.

¹For discussion of adhocracies and related issues, see “Computers, Networks and the Corporation,” Thomas W. Malone and John F. Rockart. Scientific American, September 1991.

Editorial (cont. from p.4)

Extropy #9 was produced on a 386-20 MHz PC, with an 80 Mb hard drive and 5 Mb of RAM (with some help with conversions from a Mac SE/30), using PageMaker 4.0, Word for Windows 2.0, ATM 2.0, Aldus Freehand 3.1. Fonts used are Arial, Book Antiqua, Eurostile, and EurostileBold. This issue was typeset on a VT-100 at the Electronic Publishing Center at the University of Southern California, and was printed by Customized Computer Publishing at U.S.C.

Formats for Submissions

I can accept most formats, converting with varying degrees of difficulty. Preferred text formats are PC-compatible formats such as Word for Windows 1.1 or 2.0, WordPerfect 4.2, 5.0, or 5.1, Wordstar, ascii text, RTF, or other major word-processor format. EPS, PCX, TIFF and other standard graphics formats are fine, and I can accept PICT and MacDraw files, but prefer to receive PC-compatible files.

Deadline for submissions for #10 (vol.4 no.2):

November 1 1992

Provisional mailing date for #10: January 15 1993

Advertizers: Contact the Editor for rates.

Print run this Issue: 750

Exponent

Keep up with Extropian news and ideas between issues of Extropy by reading Extropy Institute’s bi-monthly newsletter, Exponent. See the insert for information.

Extropians on the Net

For a daily source of Extropian information, discussion, and controversy, join the Extropians e-mail list. To join the list send a request to join to manager Harry Shapiro at:

extropians-request@gnu.ai.mit.edu

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EXTROPY #9 Summer 1992