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Eutropians

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This page is for a certain type of Libertarian and Liberal POV

Stephensonia

A cheeky poke at Extropians - a community of right-wing techno libertarians.

Authored entries

  • TBA

Eutropians

Several of Randy Waterhouse's and Avi's friends and associates are Eutropians, who wear bracelets bearing information on the necessary protocols to prep their bodies for cryonic suspension in the event of their death. In this, these characters are fictional analogs to the real world's Extropians and other transhumanists, who tend to maintain cryonics contracts, wear such bracelets, are involved in crypto-hacker and libertarian causes and projects, and are generally nerds of the dwarf or elvish variety who enjoy cool technology, be it cryptosystems, high-energy weaponry, van Eck phreaking, guns, private space development, among other things.

They dislike luddites like Andrew Loeb and statists like the Golden Comstock clan. Extropians have been involved in the founding of HavenCo, the first real Data haven, based at SeaLand, the real-life tiny independent principality off the east coast of England, as well as other island and nation building projects, space development, software development, as well as the American Libertarian movement.

Extropians view the transhumanist movement as a follow-on to the humanist movement spawned by the Enlightenment that Newton, Leibniz, Locke and the other Natural Philosophers founded, to the point that many celebrate December 25th as Newtonmas, as it is Newton's Birthday.

They believe that the humanists abandoned the Enlightenment approval of scientific and technological progress to advance the species and solve mankinds problems during the late industrial age as pollution and labor issues triggered distopic backlash. Transhumanism is intent on claiming the mantle that the humanists abandoned as humanism became more concerned with using government to 'solve' problems, such as the improper molestation of trees, spotted owls, properly redistributing property to those that did not earn it, and righting all of the ethnic wrongs committed by rich dead white men in the misty past.

Extropianism, also referred to as extropy, is an evolving framework of values and standards for continuously improving the human condition. Extropianism describes a pragmatic consilience of transhuman thought guided by a conscious, pro-active, self-directed approach to human evolution and progress.

Originated by a set of principles developed by Dr. Max More: The Principles of Extropy, extropianism stems from the transhuman tradition of F.M. Esfandiary and as conceptualized by More, places strong emphasis on rational thinking and practical optimism. According to More, these principles "do not specify particular beliefs, technologies, or policies". Extropians share an optimistic view of the future, expecting considerable advances in computational power, life extension, nanotechnology and the like. Many extropians foresee the eventual realization of unlimited maximum life spans, and the recovery, thanks to future advances in biomedical technology, of those whose bodies/brains have been preserved by means of cryonics. PD from Wikipedia
Imtech (Implantable technology).
"Part infographic/part editorial illustration for Sync Magazine on our first steps into an inevitable
Transhumanist future. 'Imtech' (Implantable technology) will replace a variety of traditional medical methods
and procedures to improve our lives. Gastric Pacemakers, Intercranial Neurostimulators and artificial muscle
implants are among the 6 proto-borg technologies featured in this spread.
While the tone of the article is light and humorous, the reality of these emerging technologies
and how they will impact our daily lives is not."

Wikipedia: Extropianism

Extropy, coined by Tom Bell (T. O. Morrow) in January 1988, is defined as the extent of a living or organizational system's intelligence, functional order, vitality, energy, life, experience, and capacity and drive for improvement and growth. Extropy expresses a metaphor, rather than serving as a technical term, and so is not simply the opposite of entropy.

The Extropy Institute

In 1987, Max More moved to Los Angeles from Oxford University in England, where he had established the first European cryonics organization, known as Mizar Limited (later Alcor UK), to work on his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Southern California.

In 1988, "Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought" was first published. This brought together thinkers with interests in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, life extension, mind uploading|mind transfer|mind uploading, Idea Futures, robotics, space exploration, memetics, and the politics and economics of transhumanism. Alternative media organizations soon began reviewing the magazine, and it attracted interest from likeminded thinkers. Later, More and Bell co-founded the Extropy Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization. "ExI" was formed as a transhumanist networking and information center to use current scientific understanding along with critical and creative thinking to define a small set of principles or values that could help make sense of new capabilities opening up to humanity.

The Extropy Institute's email list was launched in 1991, and in 1992 the institute began producing the first conferences on transhumanism. Affiliate members throughout the world began organizing their own transhumanist groups. Extro Conferences, meetings, parties, on-line debates, and documentaries continue to spread transhumanism to the public.

The Internet soon became the most fertile breeding ground for people interested in exploring transhumanist ideas, with the availability of websites for such organizations that have joined the Extropy Institute in developing and advocating transhumanist (and related) ideas. These include the World Transhumanist Association, the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, the Life Extension Foundation, Foresight Institute, Transhumanist Arts & Culture, the Immortality Institute, Betterhumans, Aleph in Sweden, TransVision in Europe, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies.