1. A Note From Dr. J.
2. IEET News
3. Articles
4. Latest from JET
5. Multimedia
6. TechEthx News
- Existential Risks List Posts
- Trans-Spirit List Posts
7. Events
- with IEET Speakers
- all events
A NOTE FROM DR. J.
The big exciting news this week in biopolitics is the statement in Nature by the leading neuroethicists Hank Greely, Michael Gazzaniga, and Martha J. Farah, plus British transhumanist-leaning ethicist John Harris and three other colleagues, “Towards responsible use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by the healthy.” (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/456702a.html)
In this manifesto they call for:
1. A presumption that mentally competent adults should be able to engage in cognitive enhancement using drugs.
2. An evidence-based approach to the evaluation of the risks and benefits of cognitive enhancement.
3. Policies on the use of cognitive-enhancing drugs to support fairness, to protect individuals from coercion and minimize enhancement-related socioeconomic disparities.
4. A program of research into the use and impacts of cognitive-enhancing drugs by healthy individuals.
5. For physicians, educators, regulators and others to collaborate in developing policies that address the use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by healthy individuals.
6. For information to be broadly disseminated concerning the risks, benefits and alternatives to pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement.
7. Careful and limited legislative action to channel cognitive-enhancement technologies into useful paths.
Their call for careful regulation, public efforts to ensure egalitarian access and the protection of workers from coercion to use enhancement, *but* predicated on the presumption of cognitive liberty, i.e. the right of competent adults to use technology to control their own brains, is the essence of technoprogressive policy. This is very exciting. Our ideas are increasingly the mainstream of biopolitical debate.
After a very busy month of traveling, six talks, and lots of managerial work with Humanity Plus and the IEET, I feel like the cavalry just arrived. Now we need to see if Obama and Daschle can shepherd health care reform through in the new Congress, and appoint real reformist regulators at the FDA, and we will be set to ensure universal access to safe enabling bio- and neuro-technologies in the US.
Many thanks to Jeriaska for taping our Global Catastrophic Risks seminar. He has put up the first of the talks, mine on transnational institutions, as an audio, video and transcript, and he will crank through more in his superhuman fashion.
Hope you all still have some yuan squirreled away that didn’t get eaten by the Meltdown, and are planning a joyous holiday season.
J.
________________________________
IEET NEWS
Poll: Is the meltdown an end of free market ideology, and beginning of a new world order? (Dec 8, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/poll20081208/
Of the 128 of you who voted on the question “Is the current meltdown the end of free market ideology and a new start for global social democracy?,” only 29% agreed “Yes, this is a phase transition in the global political economy.”
Russell about to publish Voices of Disbelief (Nov 30, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/blackford20081201/
Voices of Disbelief, the book that Russell co-edited with Udo Schuklenk, is going off to the publisher.
George’s posts on Convergence 08 (Nov 19, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/gdcon08/
George furiously blogged and tweeted the Convergence08 meeting in Mountain View.
Hughes Praises Art Caplan in Discover Magazine (Nov 17, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hpacdm/
Arthur Caplan, PhD, director of the Center for Bioethics, was named to Discover Magazine’s “Smartest People on the Planet” list, which includes picks “from genius kids and rising stars to unsung heroes and self-styled outsiders.” IEET’s Executive Director was honored to have the opportunity to heartily endorse the choice of Dr. Caplan.
George’s notes on Cyborg Buddha presentation at Convergence (Nov 16, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/gncbp08/
Mike Latorra and J. Hughes presented a workshop on the themes of future mass unemployment and our need to use neurotechnologies to pursue flourishing personalities instead of psychological and cultural stasis. George took notes.
Reports from Global Catastrophic Risks conference in Mountain View CA (Nov 16, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/gcsrrpt08/
The IEET, Center for Responsible Nanotechnology and the Lifeboat Foundation hosted a very successful meeting on Global Catastrophic Risks (GCR) on Friday, November 14 here in Mountain View, before the still ongoing future-palooza Convergence 08.
________________________________
ARTICLES
J. Hughes: Strengthening Transnational Governance to Mitigate Risks (Dec 8, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hughes20081208/
The IEET, Center for Responsible Nanotechnology and the Lifeboat Foundation hosted a meeting on Global Catastrophic Risks on Friday, November 14 in Mountain View, California. Jeriaska generously videotaped and transcribed the talk given by IEET executive director J. Hughes in favor of strengthening transnational governance to mitigate risks. Video and audio of the talk are also available, as are the slides.
Mike Treder: Memo to Barack Obama (Dec 7, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20081206/
Shortages are not in short supply these days, here in the USA: we have a shortage of credit, a shortage of jobs, a shortage of budget revenue, and a shortage of good will from around the world. But one thing not in shortage is advice for the incoming President.
George Dvorsky: Commission warns of nuclear or biological weapons attack by 2013 (Dec 5, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/dvorsky20081205/
A U.S. bi-partisan commission is warning that the world will “more likely than not” face a terrorist attack using nuclear or biological weapons by 2013 if governments fail to undertake major security and prevention measures.
Jamais Cascio: Global Climate and Global Power (Dec 5, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/cascio20081205/
I was pinged recently by the UK outfit Forum for the Future, a foresight team specializing in sustainable futures. They wanted to know what I thought would be the key issues the world would be confronting in 2030. “Climate” is the first thing that popped to mind, unsurprisingly, and we talked for a bit about what that might look like.
Ramez Naam: Global Warming: Risk of Methane Release from Frozen Tundra (Dec 5, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/naam20081205/
Now this is scary.
George Dvorsky: Aspergers as Gift (Nov 27, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/dvorsky20081127/
A great aspect of futurism these days is just how multi-disciplinary it is. The recent Convergence08 UnConference was a case in point. This event brought together a diverse array of thinkers with interests spanning the fields of synthetic biology, cognitive science, AI, nanotechnology, political science, economics, cosmology and more. For futurists and transhumanists alike, there’s virtually no topic that’s off limit—you just need to geek-up the conversation accordingly.
Edward Miller: Maximizing Change Effectiveness (Nov 23, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/miller20081123/
Obama and the Democrats have come sweeping in. Now what? All those fundamental liberal democratic rights which we have been fighting to maintain throughout these past dark years of GOP dominance are now suddenly of much lesser urgency for activists.
George Dvorsky: Deep brain stimulation induces vivid memories (Nov 23, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/dvorsky20081123/
Earlier this year doctors in Toronto reported a strange incident involving a morbidly obese man who was undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Mike Treder: The Magnitude of Risk (Nov 21, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20081120/
Some say that once exponential general-purpose molecular manufacturing (MM) is achieved, our worries about global warming and climate change will be over. A relatively simple solution like tiny balloons fitted with adjustable mirrors could give us all the control we need to moderate warming and create preferred climate conditions.
George Dvorsky: Terry Grossman wants to help you to live forever (Nov 21, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/dvorsky20081120/
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Terry Grossman this past weekend at Convergence08. Grossman, along with Ray Kurzweil, co-authored the book Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever in 2005.
Mike Treder: Future War Revisited (Nov 20, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder2008119/
Think of a futuristic war scenario where soldiers are firing smart weapons from the confines of their command centres, weapons that are capable of intercepting and destroying virtually all enemy attack weapons and yet, they are fired from unmanned vehicles thereby minimising all possibilities of human casualties.
Mike Treder: Weather Balloons Gone Wild (Nov 16, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20081116/
In today’s catastrophic risks and resilience seminar, perhaps the most disturbing presentation was by J. Storrs (Josh) Hall, who gave a talk on “The Weather Machine: Nano-enabled Climate Control for the Earth.”
________________________________
THE LATEST FROM THE JOURNAL OF EVOLUTION AND TECHNOLOGY
20(1) Dec 2008: i-ii
Russell Blackford
Editorial: Celebrating our past, imagining our future http://jetpress.org/v20/editorial.htm
________________________________
MULTIMEDIA
Neuroethicists Call for Legalization of Cognitive Enhancers (Dec 8, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/nclce08/
Audiofile of Emily Singer’s piece in Technology Review titled “Broad Use of Brain Boosters? Use of drugs to enhance memory and concentration should be permitted, experts say.”
Strengthening Transnational Governance to Mitigate Risks (Dec 7, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hughesgcr08/
The IEET, Center for Responsible Nanotechnology and the Lifeboat Foundation hosted a meeting on Global Catastrophic Risks on Friday, November 14 in Mountain View, California, one day prior to the Convergence 08 Unconference. The seminar’s theme was “Building a Resilient Civilization,” for which IEET executive director J. Hughes argued in favor of strengthening transnational governance to mitigate risks. Jeriaska recorded the conference, and is helping us in making the talks available.
How Uploading Works (Dec 7, 2008)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/brainhuw/
Marshall spoke on “How Uploading Works” at the Second Annual Geoethical Nanotechnology Workshop on Oct 25, 2006. He is introduced by Martine Rothblatt. (24min) There is also a transcript with slides.
Religion and Transhumanism pts 1&2 (Dec 7, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/csr20081115/
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/csr20081206/
On April 16 J. Hughes spoke in Tempe Arizona at a seminar on “Transhumanism and the Concept of Human Nature,” which is part of a four year exploration of Transhumanism and Religion there funded by the Templeton Foundation.
(War) What Was It Good For? (Dec 5, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/wwigf/
When bio-cons ask how we could possibly want to spend several billion dollars on anti-aging research when X human need is still unmet I nearly pass out from the absurdity. One of the many answers is that we could fund anti-aging AND all unmet human needs if we built a truly multilateral security system, and stopped wasting trillions on criminal imperial overreach.
Obama, Culture and Magick (Dec 3, 2008)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/rushkoff20081202/
Doug did a Skype interview last week with some smart people from the UK who run a site called Right Where You are Sitting Now.
Happy Brains (Nov 23, 2008)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/csr20081129/
Magnetic brain stimulation improves dexterity. Rebecca Roache on why the cheating objection to smart drugs doesn’t work. Will employers pressure staff to take brain boosters? Genetics of having an iron will. Carbon nanotube neuron interface. Happy People Read, Socialize, but don’t watch TV. Spirituality protects against depression better than church attendance. Happiness and the plural self. The Rise in Cosmetic Vaginal Surgery. Puberty suppression for TG pre-teens. Male-to-female transsexualism gene found. MTF transsexuals earn more, but FTMs earn less after transsexual transition.
Our Obama-fied Future (Nov 22, 2008)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/csr20081122/
Tom Daschle and the encouraging signs of imminent health care reform. Michael Lind on Obama and the dawn of the Fourth Republic. Why zombies are red and vampires are blue. A technoprogressive critique of Eric Cohen and the bioconservatives. Anti-aging pills. Colin Farrelly advocates for the Longevity Dividend. Why libertarians don’t really understand the implications of the Singularity.
Prospicience (The Art and Science of Looking Ahead) and Geoengineering (Nov 20, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pasla/
Robert Socolow, Co-Director, The Carbon Mitigation Initiative and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University.
Don’t Change Your “Self” - Change the World (Nov 19, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/rushkoff20081118/
Doug Rushkoff: Here’s a podcast of the talk I did for the Institute of General Semantics last Friday night. The talk was about the biggest honor I’ve had as a public speaker: The 56th Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture at the Princeton Club in NYC.
The Buzz Lightyear Model of Enlightenment: To Infinity and Beyond (Nov 15, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/latorra20081115/
In this episode we bring back the Geeks of the Round Table segment. Joining us is one of our regulars Duff McDuffee, and a new geek to the lineup, Mike LaTorra. Mike is the resident teacher of the Soto Zen Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Bioethics, Law, Evolution and the Future (Nov 9, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/csr20081108/
Dr. J. chats first with Judge Barry Schaller, author of Understanding Bioethics and the Law The Promises and Perils of the Brave New World of Biotechnology. Judge Schaller serves on the Connecticut Supreme Court. Then a chat with George Hart, author of Evolution and the Future of Humanity: Homo Sapiens’ Galactic Future.
________________________________
ETHICS & TECH IN THE NEWS
Andy Profiled in The Scotsman (Dec 1, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/miahsc08/
Helen Jaques reviews Nature debate on H+ featuring Miah, de Grey and Warwick (Dec 1, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/jacques200810/
Transhumanism in Flux, a new high profile science magazine (Nov 21, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/flux08/
Martine profiled in Baltimore Sun on immortalism (Nov 19, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/rothblatt20081118/
Evil Nerds and Their Self-Indulgent Fantasies (Nov 18, 2008) http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/evilnerds/
FROM EXISTENTIAL RISKS LIST
Assoc of Space Explorers: UN Action Needed To Stop Asteroid Threat
http://www.mailbucket.org/existential-10398430.html
Q&Q: 10 Ways the World Could End
http://www.mailbucket.org/existential-10380551.html
World Disaster Map
http://www.mailbucket.org/existential-10334704.html
Apocalypse how? Four catastrophic threats to our world
http://www.mailbucket.org/existential-10134957.html
Are Human Beings Hard-Wired to Ignore the Threat of Catastrophic Climate Change?
http://www.mailbucket.org/existential-10032225.html
International Council for Science launches major research program on natural disasters
http://www.mailbucket.org/existential-9828469.html
FROM TRANS-SPIRIT LIST
Review of brainwave entrainment techs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1465
Stimulant maintenance therapy for meth/coke addiction
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1464
CHE: The Search for Self: Can neuroscience revive the field of personality theory?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1463
NYT on happiness in social networks
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1462
2009 Awakening Joy Course
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1461
Study: Happiness is contagious
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1460
Ghost Stories: Visits from the Deceased
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1458
CFP: Science of Consciousness 2009 - Hong Kong
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1457
________________________________
IEET SPEAKER EVENTS
Goertzel @ Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-09.org)
Arlington, Virginia
2009 Mar 6-9
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/agi09/
Aubrey @ HealthQuake summit
Detroit, Michigan, USA
2009 Jun 8-9
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey20090608/
Goertzel @ Workshop on Machine Consciousness
Hong Kong, China
2009 Jun 15-15
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/iwmc09/
Aubrey @ IdeaCity
Toronto, Canada
2009 Jun 17-19
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey20090717/
Aubrey @ FutureFest 2009
Cambridge, UK
2009 Jun 23-25
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey20090623/
Bostrom @ Converging Tech and Philosophy
Enschede, The Netherlands
2009 Jul 8-10
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ctcs09/
Aubrey @ SENS4
Cambridge, UK
2009 Sep 4-7
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubreysens4/
ALL EVENTS
World Healthcare Innovation and Technology Congress
Washington, DC
2008 Dec 8-10
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/whitc2008/
Regulating technologies
Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
2008 Dec 10-11
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tilt08/
Human Rights & Biomedicine
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
2008 Dec 10-12
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hrb2008/
US Basic Income Guarantee Congress
New York City, NY USA
2009 Feb 27-1
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/usbig09/
Goertzel @ Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-09.org)
Arlington, Virginia
2009 Mar 6-9
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/agi09/
Tickle Your Catastrophe!
Ghent, Belgium
2009 Mar 6-7
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tyc09/
Bioethics: The New Issues
Harvard University, Cambridge MA USA
2009 Mar 13-14
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/bioethics_the_new_issues/
Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness
Portland, Oregon
2009 Apr 1-5
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/anthcon09/
Somatechnics: The Technologisation of Bodies and Selves
New South Wales, Australia
2009 Apr 16-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/stbs09/
Philosophical Inquiry into Pregnancy, Childbirth and Mothering
University of Oregon
2009 May 14-16
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/motherphil09/
Aubrey @ HealthQuake summit
Detroit, Michigan, USA
2009 Jun 8-9
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey20090608/
Toward a Science of Consciousness 2009
Hong Kong, China
2009 Jun 11-14
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tsc09/
Goertzel @ Workshop on Machine Consciousness
Hong Kong, China
2009 Jun 15-15
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/iwmc09/
Aubrey @ IdeaCity
Toronto, Canada
2009 Jun 17-19
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey20090717/
First World Congress on Positive Psychology
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
2009 Jun 18-21
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pospsycon2009/
CyberTherapy and CyberPsychology Conference (CT14)
Lago Maggiore, Verbania-Intra, Italy
2009 Jun 21-23
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ct14/
Aubrey @ FutureFest 2009
Cambridge, UK
2009 Jun 23-25
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey20090623/
Technological Singularity and Acceleration Studies
Barcelona, Spain
2009 Jul 2-4
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tsas09/
Metaphysics of Science
Melbourne, Australia
2009 Jul 3-5
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/mos09/
Bostrom @ Converging Tech and Philosophy
Enschede, The Netherlands
2009 Jul 8-10
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ctcs09/
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
Veronda, VR. Italy
2009 Jul 18-22
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aimed09/
Science in Society
Cambridge University, United Kingdom
2009 Aug 5-7
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/scisoc09/
Aubrey @ SENS4
Cambridge, UK
2009 Sep 4-7
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubreysens4/
Politics of the Life Sciences in an ‘Age of Biological Control’
London, UK
2009 Sep 16-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/lse2009/
_______________________________
RSS
http://feeds.feedburner.com/EthicalTechnology
IEET daily news feed list
http://ieet.org/mailman/listinfo/ieet-news
IEET Biopolitics of Popular Culture list
http://ieet.org/mailman/listinfo/ieet-images
IEET Longevity Dividend Campaign list
http://ieet.org/mailman/listinfo/ieet-life
IEET newsletter
http://ieet.org/mailman/listinfo/ieet-announce
Contact:
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
http://ieet.org/
Executive Director,
Dr. James J. Hughes
Williams 229B, Trinity College
300 Summit St.
Hartford CT 06106 USA
Email: director @ ieet.org
Phone: 860-428-1837
________________________________
Emergence is published monthly. Emergence encourages submissions for publication. Please send submissions to: director@ieet.org. Submissions will be reviewed by the IEET staff, and final determinations regarding publication are at the sole discretion of the IEET.