Extropy Institute

While Extropy celebrates the commencement of its sixth year (see facing page for information), Extropy Institute completed its first in May. The year was incredibly busy, challenging, and encouraging. As an Extropy reader, you may want to hear what the journal’s umbrella organization has accomplished, and what Exl’s goals are for Year Two.

What Have We Done? Starting from zero in May 1992, Exl membership has grown steadily, passing 100 in December, and 200 by the time you read this. This response, coming despite painfully limited funds for advertising our existence, encourages us and sustains our efforts.

Extropy’s print run, between last summer and now, has ballooned from 750 to 3,200 copies. Alas, this figure has not been matched by a proportionate improvement in finances, given minimal advertising revenue, since most copies are sold through distributors who take more than half the cover price. Happily, direct subscriptions are also growing, though more slowly.

Awareness of our existence has been pumped up by increasingly frequent media attention. The widely circulated, pro-tech Wired gave Extropy a mention in their second issue, sparking off a prolonged flurry of information requests. Factsheet Five, a thriving review of alternative publications, gives Extropy especially favorable reviews. A major feature in the British GQ (“Meet the Extroplans”) is drawing further media interest. As a result, Exl director Russell Whitaker has been busy giving interviews in England. Here in the U.S.,

I’ve appeared on ideas that shows like Breakthroughs: A Transcentury Update (hosted by futurist Nancie Clark), and Electric Coffee, plus a few documentaries. Recently, I was delighted to be flown to Amsterdam by organizer Luc Sala to speak at the New Edge Conference — a tremendously enjoyable event where I met numerous creative and future-oriented people.

For details of membership dues, see p.2, lower right box.

EXTROPY INSTITUTE

11860 MAGNOLIA AVENUE, SUITE R RIVERSIDE, CA 92503 909-688-2323

Exl Directors

Max More, President, Editor of Extropy. more@usc.edu Tom Morrow, Vice President. t0morrow@aol.com Simon! D. Levy, Editor of Exponent. levy@yalehask.bitnet Tanya Jones, Treasurer. c/o alcor@cup.portal.com Ralph Whelan, Secretary. c/o alcor@cup.portal.com David Krieger. dkrieger@netcom.com Russell E. Whitaker. whitaker@eternity.demon.co.uk

The Extropian cultural and intellectual network has grown and deepened. Parties spring up frequently, often when an Extropian is visiting from afar. The Bay Area Extroplans now gather weekly for lunch and intellectual stimulation.

A major locus of Extropian culture is the Extroplans e-mail list, still getting stronger and more sophisticated after two years. The evolution of interaction in cyberspace is being pushed along by voluntary social experiments on the list, and by advanced list software, planned and implemented by Harry S. Hawk (Exl’s Electronic Communication’s Officer), and Ray Cromwell, aided by people like Perry Metzger (original founder of the list). These and other developments are reported regularly in Exl’s newsletter, Exponent. Thanks to Editor Simon! D. Levy, Exponent appeared every two months.

What Will We Do in Year 2? Some of our most certain goals include: (1) Double Extropy’s frequency, publishing quarterly, while continuing to improve it, by spread-

ing the creative input wider. Improve finances by building the direct subscriber base, and attracting advertising. (2) Publish Exponent more frequently (9-12 per year). (3) Spur formation of local discussion groups, as well as the Nexus Network (domiciles shared by Extroplans with supportive values and lifestyles). (4) Produce an Exl information booklet (given to all new members), explaining our principles, history, activities, and goals, plus a guide to terms and ideas common among Extroplans but unfa-

Extropy Institute

miliar to most others. (5) Boost membership by information mailings to sympathetic groups. (6) Develop Exl’s Advisory Council. (7) Start gathering material for an Extropy book. (8) Hold Extro 1 conference (see p.46), and present Extropy Awards. (9) Build up book service.

If you share our values and goals, we urge you to join us in the core of the Extropian community, as an Extropy Institute member. As a member you will receive detailed analysis in Extropy, topical news and essays in Exponent, and discounts on various items, including conference fees.

As a member, you will also be sustaining our efforts to build an extropic culture. Scientific humanism and optimism were strong in the intellectual atmosphere of the nineteenth century. Today’s prevailing grey climate of gloom, credulity, and timidity is waiting to be dispelled. Join us in transhumanising the culture, taking charge of our lives, and creating a future fit for posthumans.

Upward and Outward!

Max More

President, Extropy Institute

EXTROPY #11 Summer/Fall 1993

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Extropy 5th Birthday Party

Extropaganza

August 28 1993, from 2.0pm

Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought — the premier intellectual futurist publication — will be celebrating its fifth birthday on Saturday August 28 1993. The first issue of Extropy — then a 24-page, small-format magazine with a print run around 50 — was collected from the printers by editors and publishers Max More and Tom Morrow on Saturday September 8 1988. To avoid clashing with other major events near the end of the summer, we’re celebrating a few days early.

Evolving drastically throughout its five years and 11 issues, Extropy is now read by over 3,000 people and is distributed internationally. From issue #12 in January 1994, Extropy will return to its original quarterly publication schedule. The energy and enthusiasm generated by and attracted to Extropy led to the formation of Extropy Institute (ExI), under whose umbrella it is now published, and to spinoffs such as the Extropians e-mail list, and ExI’s newsletter, Exponent. All subscribers, readers, and interested parties are invited to join in the birthday celebration, for a day of fun and intellectual stimulation.

The festivities will be opened at 2.0pm by Max More and Tom Morrow, with a comparison of the early issues and the current issue.

Long-time Extropian Mark Desilets has kindly made available his home for the event. Attendees should bring drinks and

food with them, so as not to overburden our host. Also bring along appropriate toys, gadgets, and a playful attitude. Mark’s house does have a hot tub, so come prepared; please note that some clothing will be required in the tub, so as not to shock the neighbors with the sight of our transhuman physiques!

Here’s what you need to know:

Date: Saturday August 28 1993, starting 2pm. Location: 580 Burnside Bend, Boulder Creek, CA 95006 (H): (408) 338-0636 (W): (408) 437-5122

Mark says:

My house in in Boulder Creek, which is on Hwy 9, which runs from Saratoga (in the San Jose area) to Santa Cruz. The closest quasi-major town is Scott’s Valley, which is on Hwy 17, running from Oakland through San Jose to Santa Cruz. There will be (floor, alas) crash space for about as many as need it, and there is plenty of local hotelry for those so inclined and so financially endowed. Also, there is Big Basin Redwoods State Park just a few miles away, for anyone who wishes to camp. What more can I tell you?

Questions? Contact Mark as above, or Max More at Extropy Institute: 909-688-2323

BACK ISSUES

#1, 2, 4, 5, 6: $4 each; #7, 8, 9, 10: $5 each. Available from Extropy Institute (address, p.2)

#10, Vol.4 No.2 (Winter/Spring ‘93): Pigs in Cyberspace, by Hans Moravec; Protecting Privacy with Electronic Cash, by Hal Finney; Technological Self-Transformation, by Max More; Mark Miller interview, by David Krieger, Pt.1: Creole Physics & the Credit Theory of Identity; Nanocomputers: 21st Century Hypercomputing, by J. Storrs Hall; The Transhuman Taste (Reviews): Two books on Ayn Rand & Objectivism; Nanosystems; Genlus.

#9, Vol.4 No.1 (Summer 1992): The Extropian Principles, 2.0, by Max More; Extropy Institute Launches, by Max More; Persons, Programs, and Uploading Consciousness, by David Ross; Nanotechnology and Faith, by J. Storrs Hall; The Making of a Small World (fiction), by R. Michael Perry; Genetic Algorithms, by Simon! D. Levy; Time Travel and Computing, by Hans Moravec; Futique Neologisms 3; Exercise and Longevity, by Fran Finney; The Transhuman Taste (Reviews): The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, The Blind Watchmaker, The Ultimate Resource, Population Matters, The Resourceful Earth, Bionomics.

#8 Vol.3 No.2 (Winter 1991-92): Idea Futures: Encouraging an Honest Consensus, by Robin Hanson; Dynamic Optimism, by Max More; Neurocomputing 5: Artificial Life, by Simon! D. Levy; Futique Neologisms (futurist lexicon); Extropia: A Home for Our Hopes, by Tom Morrow; Human-Transhuman-Posthuman, by Max More; Reviews of: Stiegler’s David’s Sling, Drexler’s Unbounding the Future,

Platt’s The Silicon Man; News of scientific advances and movement news; Reviews of zines.

#7 Vol.3 No.1 (Spring 1991): A Memetic Approach to ‘Selling’ Cryonics, H. Keith Henson & Arel Lucas; Privately Produced Law, Tom Morrow; Order Without Orderers, Max More; Futique Neologisms; Neurocomputing 4: Self-Organization in Artificial Neural Networks, by Simon! D. Levy; Forum on Transhumanism; Reviews of Smart Pills, Surely You’re Joking Mr Feynman, Great Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition; and more…

#6 (Summer 1990): Transhumanism: Towards a Futurist Philosophy, by Max More; The Thermodynamics of Death, Michael C. Price; The Opening of the Transhuman Mind, by Mark Plus; The Extropian Principles, by Max More; Neurocomputing Part 3, by Simon! D. Levy; Forum on Arch-Anarchy and Deep Anarchy; Reviews: Order Out of Chaos, The Emperor’s New Mind, A Neurocomputational Perspective, Loompanics Greatest Hits, The Machinery of Freedom; Extropian Resources, and more.

#5 (Winter 1990): Forum: Art and Communication; Leaping the Abyss, by Gregory Benford; Arch-Anarchy, by A; Deep Anarchy, by Max O’Connor; I am a Child, by Fred Chamberlain; Perceptrons (Neurocomputing 2), by Simon D. Levy; On Competition and Species Loss, by Max O’Connor; A Review of Intoxication, by Rob Michels; Intelligence at Work, by Max O’Connor and

Simon D. Levy; Extropian Resources, by Max O’Connor and Tom W. Bell; The Extropian Declaration, by Tom W. Bell and Max O’Connor; Our Enemy, ‘The State,’ by Max O’Connor and Tom W. Bell.

#4 (Summer 1989): Forum; In Praise of the Devil, by Max O’Connor; Neurocomputing, by Simon D. Levy; Why Monogamy? by Tom. W. Bell; What’s Wrong With Death? by Max O’Connor; Reviews: Are You a Transhuman? Postscript to “Morality or Reality” by Max O’Connor; Efficient Aesthetics, by Tom. W. Bell; Intelligence at Work: Advances in Science by Max O’Connor.

#3 (Spring 1989) is out of print.

#2 (Winter 1989): Review of Mind Children, by Max O’Connor; Darwin’s Difficulty, by H. Keith Henson and Arel Lucas; A Truly Instant Breakfast, by Steven B. Harris M.D.; Wisdomism, by Tom W. Bell; Nanotechnology News, by Max O’Connor; Weirdness Watch, by Mark E. Potts.

#1 (Fall 1988): A brief overview of extropian philosophy and an introduction to some of the topics we plan to address: AI, Intelligence Increase Technologies, Immortalism, Nanotechnology, Spontaneous Orders, Psychochemicals, Extropic Psychology, Morality, Mindfucking, Space Colonization, Libertarian Economics and Politics, Memetics, and Aesthetics; “Morality or Reality,” by Max O’Connor.

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EXTROPY #11 Summer/Fall 1993