Extropy Institute

The December literary supplement to the Village Voice described Extropians as “radical humanist technophiles”, and referred to “the movement’s combustible mix of fringe academics, over-educated computer programmers, and renegade philosophers”. A narrow description, but one that nevertheless hints at some of our concerns and enthusiasms. For those of you for whom this issue is your first real contact with Extropian ideas, the short version of The Extropian Principles to the right will help clarify our shared values and goals. (The full text appeared in last issue.)

Extropy Institute (ExI) was incorporated in 1992 as an educational, tax-exempt organization. Like the Extropians e-mail list, ExI was an outgrowth of Extropy (founded 1988). We created ExI in order to provide a structure and a network that would facilitate the spread and development of Extropian ideas, values, and culture.

This organizational mission breaks down into two aspects which together explain all our activities: (a) Within our existing Extropian culture refining and developing our ideas, working together to transform ourselves into transhumans and to evolve a radically new culture free of the irrationalities and limitations of the past. (b) To clearly and persuasively communicate our philosophy of life even to those who are not already attuned to the same ideas and attitudes, in order to influence the broader culture in more extropic directions.

In pursuit of these goals Extropy Institute — though yet limited by a relatively small (though rapidly growing) membership, and continual tightness of funds — continually seeks new outlets for its members energies, abilities, and intellects. Our primary publication, Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought is supplemented by our member’s newsletter, Exponent, edited by frequent Extropy contributor Simon! D. Levy. Exponent carries shorter articles, membership information such as forthcoming meetings, reports on progress, and reviews of relevant books, software, and other media.

A variety of meetings take place, such as last summer’s Extropy 5th birthday party, weekly lunch meetings in the N. California Bay Area, and now monthly Idea Forum discussion meetings in the Los Angeles area. In addition, impromptu get-togethers take place all over the country. This year sees an important new development: The initiation of annual “Extro” conferences (see p.37) where ideas can be explored in depth, and bounced off persons of many different specialties and perspectives.

Supplementing printed publications and physical meetings is the Extropian virtual community. The Extropian cybercommunity continues to expand, now encompassing the main Extropians e-mail list (generating 150-300 kilobytes per day), the ExI Essay list, five local e-mail lists for arranging meetings, parties, and other joint activities, and

Continued on page 41

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

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

Extropy Institute

EXTROPIAN PRINCIPLES v.2.5

(short version)

1. Boundless Expansion — Seeking more intelligence, wisdom, and effectiveness, an unlimited lifespan, and the removal of political, cultural, biological, and psychological limits to self-actualization and self-realization. Perpetually overcoming constraints on our progress and possibilities. Expanding into the universe and advancing without end.
2. Self-Transformation — Affirming continual moral, intellectual, and physical self-improvement, through reason and critical thinking, personal responsibility, and experimentation. Seeking biological and neurological augmentation.
3. Dynamic Optimism — Fueling dynamic action with positive expectations. Adopting a rational, action-based optimism, shunning both blind faith and stagnant pessimism.
4. Intelligent Technology — Applying science and technology creatively to transcend “natural” limits imposed by our biological heritage, culture, and environment.
5. Spontaneous Order — Supporting decentralized, voluntaristic social coordination processes. Fostering tolerance, diversity, long-term thinking, personal responsibility, and individual liberty.

ExI Directors

Max More, President, Editor of Extropy. more@extropy.org Tom Morrow, Vice President. t0morrow@aol.com Simon! D. Levy, Editor of Exponent. levy@yalehask.bitnet Tanya Jones, Treasurer. tanya@alcor.org Ralph Whelan, Secretary. ralph@alcor.org David Krieger. dkrieger@netcom.com Russell E. Whitaker. whitaker@eternity.demon.co.uk

EXTROPY #12 (6:1) First quarter 1994

40

BACK ISSUES

#1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11: $5 each. Available from Extropy Institute (address, p.2)

11, Vol.5 No.1 (2nd Half ‘93): Uploading Consciousness, by Ralph Merkle; Extropian Principles v.2.5, by Max More; Traversable Wormholes: Some Implications or Contact! A Post-Singularity Phase Change, by Michael Price; A Conversation with Mark Miller, Part 2: The Day the Universe Stood Still, by David Krieger; “Bunkrapt”: The Abstractions that Lead to Scares About Population and Resources, by Julian L. Simon; Reviews of Theories of Everything, In Our Own Image: Building an Articial Person, Mirror Worlds.

#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; Genius.

#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.

Continued from page 40

now an Extropian presence in the Metaverse (initiated by Geoff Dale), including virtual offices, meeting places, and apartments. (See the back cover for information on most of these cyberfora.)

What’s Coming in 1994?

As announced last issue, Extropy will be published quarterly instead of semi-annually to accomodate the swelling tide of Extropian writing. Exponent also is now appearing more often so that every month sees the publication either of Exponent or Extropy. We expect to see Extropy’s circulation surpass 4,000 and head for 5,000 this year (circulation was only 750 as recently as the summer of ‘92). We intend to repeat the 160% growth in Exl membership achieved in ‘93, in part by sending information to thousands of persons on promising mailing lists.

I’ve already mentioned the forthcoming Extro 1 conference on Transhumanist Thought. This will be accompanied by publication of a substantial Proceedings volume. We will be fostering the growth of more local discussion groups and international chapters of Exl, and we will publish a new introductory booklet about the Institute’s purpose and activities. We also look forward to the continued development of the Extropians e-mail list software and culture.

We hope you will join us as an active participant in the Extropian movement!

Forthcoming in

Extropy

Part Two of A Conversation with Dave Ross

Neural-Computer Interfacing

Two Questions for Extropianism, by Charles Platt;

response by Max More

Neurocomputing: Sequential Networks

Utility Fog (nanotech)

Extropian Values and Beauty

Liliputian Uploads

Transhuman and Posthuman Sexuality

Longevity Diets: Vegetarianism, Veganism, and

High/Low (Walford).

EXTROPY #13 (vol.6, no.2) on sale April 15 1994.

41

EXTROPY #12 (6:1) First quarter 1994