Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 18:12:17 +0100
From: "steve.devos" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.com>
Subject: Re: [TVMM] Third Transhumanist Conferenece in London


Alll
I love this stuff...  Most natural scientists can't even admit to the
importance of
the discovery of the psychoanlatyic unconscious. And yet they are so
thrilled and
certain that machine intelligence will exist, that it is meaningful to
propose a
post/transhuman state - that the transhuman is a concept worthy of note.

So far this week I've read of - the non-human(Latour), the
post-human(ctheory) and
now the trans-human. Is it me or is this just a theory waiting to
disapear into the
abyss? At times I feel some sympathy towards it - but the lack of
definition is
evident. The following quote it is symptomatic of the ludicrous
overstatment of the
cases: It still makes me think of Ovid's rock in Metamorphosis: ' Modern
humanists
are reductionists because they seek to attribute action to a small
number of
powers, leaving the rest of the world with nothing but simple mute
forces. It is
true that by redistributing the action amoung all these mediators, we
lose the
reducd form of humanity, ut we gain another form, which has to be called
irreducible...'

I suppose that this would be answered at the conference.... sigh

regards

sdv




Arun-Kumar Tripathi wrote:

> Greetings technology lists,
>
> [Hi, I thought this might interest you --In the below Conf. with other
> scholars  --Nick Bostrom (London School of Economics) on "The ethics of
> machine intelligence"; David Gems (University College London): on
> "Life-extension as ontological augmentation"; Silvia Toni (National
> University of La Plata):  on "Why we need to read Greek today: An answer
> in Plato's Sophist", and most sensational, Kevin Warwick (Professor of
> Cybernetics, Reading University): on "My Life as a Cyborg" will be
> speaking at TVWM  --Please visit Transhumanist FAQs at
> <http://www.transhumanist.org> Thank you. Best Wishes. --Arun]
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 20:38:54 +0100
> From: "Bostrom,N  (pg)" <N.Bostrom-AT-lse.ac.uk>
> [--]
>
> > Dear WTA member,
> >
> > As you may know, the third European transhumanist conference is about to
> > take place in London - soon. A provisional programme is now available and
> > is enclosed below. This event will be great fun and an excellent
> > opportunity to meet up with other transhumanists. If you want to attend,
> > please register as soon as possible (time's running short). You will find
> > registration details and further details about the conference at
> > <http://www.transhumanism.com/tv2k/> Hope to see you there!
> >
> > Nick Bostrom
> > WTA-coordinator
> >
> >
> > TRANSVISION MM
> > July 14 - 16, City University, London
> > Hosted by the World Transhumnanist Association and the Alcor UK group
> > REGISTRATION AND FURTHER DETAILS: <http://www.transhumanism.com/tv2k/>
> >
> > Friday
> >
> > Afternoon: Excursion to the Alcor facility in Eastbourne (conditional on
> > sufficient interest)
> > 18:00 - 19:00 Registration for early arrivals
> >
> > Saturday
> >
> > 9:00 Opening
> > 9:20 Anders Sandberg (Stockholm University): "The neuroscience of uploading "
> > 10:20 Caffeine
> > 10:40 Garret Smyth (Alcor UK): "What's new in cryonics"
> > 11:00 David Ashford (Director, Bristol Spaceplanes): "Private enterprise
> > spacecraft"
> > 12:00 Waldemar Ingdahl (Aleph): "The creole love call - transhumanism and
> > the multicultural challenge" (tbc)
> > 12:30 Calories
> > 13:30 Nick Bostrom (London School of Economics): "The ethics of machine
> > intelligence"
> > 14:20 David Gems (University College London): "Life-extension as
> > ontological augmentation"
> > 15:20 Caffeine
> > 15:30 WTA planning session
> > 16:30 Laser-gaming (optional)
> > 18:30 End
> > ... In the evening, various groups will probably split off to continue
> > discussions, have dinner or explore the London night-life.
> >
> > Sunday
> >
> > 9:00 Silvia Toni (National University of La Plata): "Why we need to read
> > Greek today: An answer in Plato's Sophist"
> > 9:30 Alexander Bard (pop star, author): "The Netocracy vs. The
> > Consumtariat - The Class Struggle of The Information Age and beyond."
> > 10:30 Caffeine; smart drugs available!
> > 10:50 David Pearce (BLTC): "The Hedonistic Imperative" (tbc)
> > 12:30 Calories
> > 13:30 Peter van Nedervelde (Foresight Europe, director): "UP! - Starting
> > up the auto deification business... an exclusive avant-premiere
> > introduction of the first transhumanism-inspired and explicitly
> > transhumanistically themed start-up incubator."
> > 14:30 Panel debate (topic tba)
> > 15:20 Caffeine
> > 15:40 Kevin Warwick (Professor of Cybernetics, Reading University): "My
> > Life as a Cyborg"
> > 16:50 Wrap-up
> > 17:00 End
>
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