Cyborg Buddha Project
Cyborg Buddha BlogWe don’t have enough annoying people in our lives, forcing us to act reasonable and criticizing us when we don’t, and we rely on electronic communication (which sucks).
Feb 6, 2007
Zack Lynch on the Coming Neurosociety
Terasem MovementVideo of Zack Lynch’s 30 minute talk ”Perception Shifting in a Neurosociety - Ethical and Societal Implications” given at a conference on the Geoethical Implications of Neuronanotechnology hosted by the Terasem Movement at Martine Rothblatt‘s Vermont retreat. The slides for the talk can be downloaded here.
DOWNLOAD/LISTEN/VIEWJan 31, 2007
Dvorsky’s Sentient Developments Nominated as a Top Buddhist Blog
The Sentient Developments blog of IEET’s George Dvorsky has been nominated for several Blogisattva awards, honoring “excellence in English-language Buddhist blogging during calendar year 2006.” There are 115 nominees in 21 categories. Sentient Developments is up for 4 awards including Best Blog of the Year.
Other awards that SentDev is up for include Best Achievement in Skilled Writing, Best Achievement Blogging on Matters Philosophical or Scientific, Best Achievement in Wonderful, Remarkable, Elegant Design.
The winners will be announced on February 15, 2007.
Jan 30, 2007
A stethoscope of human morality?
by An RavelingienAn Ravelingien reports on the conference ‘Double standards. Towards an integration of evolutionary and neurological perspectives on human morality.’ (Ghent University, 21-22 Oct. 2006)
Jan 7, 2007
The psychology of virtue and happiness
New York TimesHappy people live longer.
Dec 31, 2006
In Praise of Bio-Happiness (IEET White Paper 02)
by Mark WalkerAbstract: Most agree that our lives and our world are better if we are happier. So linking the moral goal of greater happiness with our biological understanding of happiness seems obvious. Let us think of the position that it is permissible for individuals to make this linkage—to use pharmacology and other technologies in the service of increased happiness—as the ‘bio-happiness’ proposal. Several different technologies might be used in pursuit of this goal, e.g., pharmacological agents (“happy pills” ) might be developed, or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to select embryos with genes associated with a high level of happiness, or genetically engineering embryos for happiness. Most of the paper is devoted to defending bio-happiness against criticisms. The field of which may be characterized as follows:
(1) Happiness is not of moral importance.
(2) Bio-happiness cannot increase our happiness.
(3) Bio-happiness will come at too great a cost to other moral values.
Download the Complete Document (PDF)
Dec 27, 2006
Hughes Manifests in the C-Realm
C-RealmThe producer of the C-Realm podcast, “kmo,” talks with Dr. Hughes about human enhancement and Buddhism, and then with Chip Walter, author of Thumbs, Toes, and Tears: And Other Traits That Make Us Human, about taking an active role in human evolution. MP3
Dec 16, 2006
I ain’t givin’ up on sleep
by George DvorskyA common human ‘limitation’ that many transhumanists would like to overcome is that of sleep. I am not one of them.
Dec 3, 2006
Macro-Bushido: A Geoethical Consciousness for an Info-Cultural Age
by Martine RothblattMacro-Bushido is a set of ethical guidelines for the modern Info-Cultural Age based on Bushido, the unwritten code of ethics that guided Japan’s samurai until about one hundred years ago. The seven principles of Bushido are: Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Politeness, Veracity, Honor and Loyalty. Rothblatt dissects each principle and explains how it could be applied to the modern world and in particular, to emerging cyberconsciousness. Rothblatt argues that upholding Macro-Bushido in today’s world will result in many benefits, among them that humans may be saved from the consequences of shortsightedness by refocusing their attention on loyalty to a higher goal. In addition, a class of modern samurai may emerge to help keep humanity loyal to the objectives of diversity, unity and immortality. These ideals are invaluable as we arrive at personal cyberconsciousness within humanity’s quest for survival.
Download the PDF here.
Nov 20, 2006
Hughes quoted on virtue engineering of marriage
Executive Director James Hughes was interviewed for an article in the McGill Daily on the use of neurochemicals to enhance marital bonding and fidelity.
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