WIRED

“This is a philosophy of boundless expansion, of upward- and outwardness, of fantastic superabundance. It’s a doctrine of self-transformation, of extremely advanced

technology, and of dedicated, immovable optimism. Most of all, it’s a philosophy of freedom from limitations of any kind. There hasn’t been anything like it - nothing this wild and extravagant, no such overweening confidence in the human prospect - since way back in those bygone ages when people still believed in things like progress, knowledge, and - let’s all shout it out now - Growth!

” Ed Regis, “Meet the Extropians”, Wired, October 1994.

The major article in the October ‘94 issue of Wired has brought a very much greater discernable response than previous coverage in The Village Voice, 60, and other publications. Still coming in, the number of inquiries via e-mail has passed 400. The article did not so much seek to critically analyze what we, as Extropians, are up to, as to convey our basic attitudes. The reader is introduced to Extropian attitudes of technological far-sightedness, dynamic optimism, rationalism, and commitment to self-transformation. Rather than the deadly-serious tone of The Village Voice, Ed Regis in his Wired article conveyed not only our thinking and our zest for living and exploring. “Fun, indeed, would be the sixth Extropian Principle, if there were one.”

Note also the Fall 1994 issue of Free Inquiry. “In Praise of Prometheus” is the highly extropic theme of the issue. In addition to many interesting items, including an interview with Francis Crick and a defense of Dr. Frankenstein, you will find Exl President Max More’s “On Becoming Posthuman” and Exl Advisor Dr. Bart Kosko’s “Heaven in a Chip”.

EXTROPY INSTITUTE

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

This organizational mission encompasses two aspects which together explain all our activities: (a) Within our exist-

EXTROPY INSTITUTE

13428 MAXELLA AVENUE, #273

MARINA DEL REY, CA 90292

310-398-0375 EXI-INFO@EXTROPY.ORG

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

Extropy Institute

ing Extropian culture refining and developing our ideas, working together to transform ourselves into “posthumans” and to evolve a radically new culture free of the irrationalities and limitations of the past. (b) To clearly and per-

suasively 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 transhumanist goals Extropy Institute continually seeks new outlets for its members’ energy, ability, and creativity. Complementing our primary publication, Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought, is our members’ newsletter, Exponent, edited by frequent Extropy contributor Simon D. Levy, Exponent carries shorter articles, membership in-

formation such as forthcoming meetings, reports on progress of projects and new media attention, and reviews of relevant books, software, and other media.

We hold a variety of meetings, including special events like the Extropy 5th birthday party, monthly Idea Forum discussion

meetings in the Los Angeles area, weekly lunch meetings in the N. California Bay Area, and impromptu celebrations and outings with extropic themes. As membership grows, local events across the country and abroad are taking place. Spring ‘94 saw an important new development: Extro’ heralded the start of a series of annual conferences where ideas can be explored in depth, and bounced off persons of many different specialities and perspectives. (The main talks from each session can found in the Proceedings volume.)

As befits a transhumanist, high-tech subculture.

Continued on page 32

Exl Directors

Max More, President, Editor of Extropy. more@extropy.org

Tom Morrow, Vice President. t0morrow@aol.com

Simon D. Levy, Editor of Exponent. levy@haskins.yale.edu

Tanya Jones, Treasurer. tanya@alcor.org

Ralph Whelan, Secretary. ralph@alcor.org

David Krieger. dkrieger@netcom.com

Russell E. Whitaker. russw@netcom.com

Council of Advisors

Jamie Dinkelacker, Ph.D.

Prof. Bark Kosko, USC

Prof. Marvin Minsky, MIT

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EXTROPY #14 (7:1) First Quarter 1995

Back Issues

#1-13: $5 each from

Extropy Institute, 13428 Maxella Avenue, #273

Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

#13, vol.6 no.2 (3rd Quarter 1994): Boundless Constellations: The Emergence of Celestial Civilization, by Nick Szabo; If Uploads Come First: The Crack of a Future Dawn, by Robin Hanson; Utility Fog, Part One, by J. Storrs Hall; Two Questions for Extropians, by Charles Platt with response by Max More; Souls, Cyberspace, Sins, and Singularity: A Conversation with Dave Ross, Part 2, by Dave Krieger; Neurocomputing 7: Sequential Neural Nets, by Simon D. Levy; Humor: Galactomatic-1000, by Carl Feynman; reviews of The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution, Good Mood: The New Psychology of Overcoming Depression.

#12, vol.6 no.1 (1st Quarter 1994): A Practical Look at Ocean Colonization, by Bill Eichman; The Last Free Place on Earth, by T.O. Morrow; Logical Languages: A Path to Posthuman Rationality? by Simon! D. Levy; The Open Society and Its Media, by Mark Miller, et al; God and Man at Yale: A Conversation with David Ross, pt.1, by Dave Krieger; Forum: Nanarchy (automated police and defense systems) by Drexler, Hanson, Finney, Szabo, Dinkelacker. Wormhole Warfare, by Robin Hanson; Reviews of Fuzzy Thinking: The New Science of Fuzzy Logic, and The Children’s Machine.

#11, vol.5 no.1 (2nd Half 1993): 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 1993): 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 2; Extropia: A Home for Our Hopes, by Tom Morrow; Human-Transhuman-Posthuman, by Max More; reviews of David’s Sling; Unbounding the Future; The Silicon Man. (Photocopy of original.)

#7 vol.3 no.1 (Spring 1991): A Memetic Approach to ‘Selling’ Cryonics, H. Keith Henson & Are! 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.

BACK IN PRINT! #3 (Spring 1989): Forum; Love as a Contractual Relation, by Tom Morrow; Love as a Sharing of Values, by Max O’Connor; Agapeic Love, by Rob Michels; Sexual Information, by Tom Morrow; Psychedelics and Mind-Expansion, by Max O’Connor.

#2 (Winter 1989): Review of Mind Children, by Max O’Connor; Darwin’s Difficulty, by H. Keith Henson and Are! 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.

EXTROPY #14 (7:1) First Quarter 1995

40

“This article is written in praise of Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, or whatever you want to call him. […] I am quite serious on a symbolic level in what I write but my statements praising the Devil and attacking Christianity, God, and Jesus are not to be taken as implying the any of these supposed beings.

‘Lucifer’ means ‘light-bringer’ and this should begin to clue us in to his symbolic importance. The story is that God threw Lucifer out of heaven because Lucifer had started to question God and was spreading dissension among the angels. We must remember that this story is told from the point of view of the Godists (if I may coin a term) and not from that of the Luciferians (I will use this term to distinguish us from the official Satanists with whom I have fundamental differences). The truth may just as easily be that Lucifer resigned from heaven.

God, being the well-documented sadist that he is, no doubt wanted to keep Lucifer around so that he could punish him and try to get him back under his (God’s) power. Probably what really happened was that Lucifer came to hate God’s kingdom, his sadism, his demand for slavish conformity and obedience, his psychotic rage at any display of independent thinking and behavior. Lucifer realized that he could never fully think for himself and certainly could not act on his independent thinking so long as he was under God’s control. Therefore he left Heaven, that terrible spiritual-State ruled by the cosmic sadist Jehovah, and was accompanied by some of the angels who had enough courage to question God’s authority and his value-perspective.

Lucifer is the embodiment of reason, of intelligence, of critical thought. He stands against the dogma of God and all other dogmas. He stands for the exploration of new ideas and new perspectives in the pursuit of truth.”

— “In Praise of the Devil” by Max O’Connor (More), Extropy #4 (Summer 1989).

“High table afterward was the traditional walnuts and port, Cuban cigars and somewhat arch conversation, occasionally skewered by an interjection from Stephen [Hawking]. When we left, Stephen guided his wheelchair through the shadowy reaches of the college, indulging my curiosity about a time-honored undergraduate sport: climbing Cambridge. At night young men scramble among the upper reaches of the steeply steepled old buildings, scaling the most difficult points for the glory of it. There is even a booklet describing the triumphs and centuries-long history. Stephen took me to a passageway I had been through many times, between high buildings. It looked to be about ten feet across. I couldn’t imagine leaping that abyss from the slate-dark roofs. “All that distance?” I asked. “Yes,“

5 YEARS AGO IN EXTROPY

real existence of

he said. “Any miss?” “Yes.” Injured?” “Yes.” “Killed?” His eyes twinkled and he gave us a broad smile. “Yes.” These Cambridge sorts had the right stuff all right.”

— “Leaping the Abyss” by Dr. Gregory Benford, Extropy #5 (Winter 1990).

“Down with the laws of gravity!

By what right does it counter my will? I have not pledged my allegiance to the law of gravity; I have learned to live under a tyrant. Whatever gravity’s benefits, I want the freedom to deny its iron hand. Yet gravity reigns despite my complaints. “No gravitation without representation!” I shout. “Down with the law of gravity!”

Down with all of natures law’s!

Gravity, the electromagnetic force, the strong and weak nuclear forces — together they conspire to destroy human intelligence. Their evil leader? Entropy. Throw out the four forces! Down with entropy!

Down with every limitation!

I call for the highest of all freedoms. Come, let us cast off all chains! We will make our own heaven. We will become our own gods.

I call for perfect self-rule; I call for arch-anarchy!”

— “Arch-Anarchy” by “A”. Extropy #5, Winter 1990.

“We already live in an anarchy. There is no “State”. There are only individuals acting in a statist manner, often because they believe it to be right, to be necessary, and because they see no alternative. Extropians who wish to bring about a more rational social system, a system more capable of allowing diversity, of encouraging rational responsible behavior, and of minimizing conflict should not join political parties, or try to attack “the State”. What is needed is a micro-politics, a politics of individual behavior.

We should seek to minimize our own contribution to statism, and to persuade others to do the same. We should withhold all support for statism whenever possible without seriously endangering ourselves. We should avoid paying tax-extortion (the life blood of statism) and should pay no heed to unjust laws whenever we can…”

— Max O’Connor (More), “Deep Anarchy: An Eliminativist View of ‘The State’”, Extropy #5, Winter 1990.

“The moment when first the conqueror spared his victim in order permanently to exploit him in productive work, was of incomparable historical importance. It gave birth to nation and state.” Franz Oppenheimer, The State, Free Life Editions, 1975.

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EXTROPY #14 [7:1] First Quarter 1995