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6.1 What is the scientific method and why is it crucial to transhumanism?   The scientific method is the best way yet discovered for winnowing the truth from lies and delusion.

It involves the following steps: 1. Observe some aspect of the universe. 2. Invent a theory that is consistent with what you have observed. 3. Use the theory to make predictions. 4. Test those predictions by experiments or further observations. 5. Modify the theory in the light of your results. Go to step 3.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.1.1 What is the difference between a fact, a theory and a hypothesis?

A fact is a statement of observable truth. A theory is a conceptual framework that explains existing facts and predicts new ones. A hypothesis is a tentative theory that has not yet been tested.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.1.2 What makes a theory "falsifiable"?

The characteristic of being "falsifiable" is required for any scientific theory or hypothesis. This means that there must be some experiment or possible discovery that could prove the theory untrue. This allows the theory to be proven or disproven in some way.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.1.3 Can science ever really prove anything?

Science must always be open to new observations and adapt itself as new information becomes available. Because of this trait, some people question whether anything can be finally, definitely proven at all. It could be argued that just because gravity has always made objects fall to the ground before does not really prove that they will continue to do so in the future. However, after repeated observation and testing continues to prove a theory as correctly predicting future events, the likelihood of it turning out to be wrong becomes increasingly small.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.1.4 Why do "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"?

This is a common expression among scientists who are challenged to disprove some unlikely theory that overthrows accepted theories. As theories continue to have repeated success at predicting future observations, they develop a higher track record of reliability. If some new theory comes along that tries to overthrow the existing theory, it must have an even higher level of evidence to overthrow previous successes of the current theory. The more accepted and better tested a theory is, the higher the threshold will be for the evidence required to refute it.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.1.5 What is Ockham's Razor?

Ockham's Razor (sometimes spelled "Occam" as a Latinized variant) is the principle proposed by William of Ockham in the fifteenth century. He said, "Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate", which translates as "entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily". It means that if two theories explain observable facts equally well, the simpler theory should be used until more evidence comes along to prove or disprove it.

An example would be a series of dots in a straight line. It is simplest to assume that future dots will also be along the same path. There are an infinite number of more complicated possibilities that merely start out straight and then diverge later. But until new dots show up that proves one of these more complicated possibilities, it is best to stick with the simple straight line.

It is important to remember that Ockham's Razor does not guarantee or predict that the simplest explanation is always right. It just suggests which one should be considered first.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.1.6 What is the "Experimenter effect"?

This effect is an unconscious bias introduced into an experiment by the experimenter. This can come from looking for small effects that are subjective, from not treating many different samples identically in all respects, or from preconceived notions that can skew the interpretation of the results.

The way to combat such bias is to have double-blind studies, peer review, and repeatable results. Double blind studies are where a control group and an experimental group are tested, but neither the scientist nor the group knows which is which until later. This prevents the observer or the observed from skewing the results with preconceived notions. Peer review is having other experts review an experiment and its procedures to see if any mistakes were made or if they can catch something that the original experimenter missed. Repeatable results simply means that anybody should be able to perform the same experiment and get the same results. The more often results are repeated, the more likely it is that they are dependable.

For more information, see The Scientific Method FAQ published by the sci.skeptic newsgroup.

6.2 In what ways does human reasoning typically fall into error?   

6.3 What tools, methods, and techniques exist for improving critical thinking?   

6.4 What tools, methods, and techniques exist for improving creative thinking?   

6.5 What methods can be used on an organizational or social level to improve critical and creative thinking?   

 

6.6 What is pancritical rationalism (PCR) also known as Comprehensively Critical Rationalism (CCR)?  

PCR is a prescription for rationality that emerges from the work done in evolutionary epistemology based on the work of Karl Popper, William W. Bartley, and Donald Campbell. Pancritical rationalism and evolutionary epistemology agree in denying that our knowledge is grounded in justification. In their alternative view, our knowledge is grounded in a combination of conjecture and criticism. Our knowledge consists of those propositions that survive criticism, not those that are deductively derived from a set of "self-justifying" or "nonpropositionally justified" axioms. PCR tells us that we need both rich, fruitful conjecture and disciplined, effective criticism to increase our base of knowledge.

What distinguishes PCR from the older idea of critical rationalism is that critical rationalism could not defend itself against the accusation of an irrational commitment to rationality. By doing away with all recourse to justificationism, PCR can be seen as rational as long as it exposes itself to its own criticisms. Although critical rationalism was not itself justifiable, PCR is itself criticizable, and therefore meets its own criterion of rationality. Some transhumanists find PCR appealing as a view of knowledge partly because it does away with any form of dogma, even at the most fundamental level of the foundations of knowledge. It provides the ultimate answer to irrationalists and fideists (those who believe something purely on faith) who attempt to position rationalism as itself depending on a fundamental assumption that must be taken on faith.

More information can be found in William Bartley's The Retreat to Commitment or the collection Evolutionary Epistemology, Rationality, and the Sociology of Knowledge, edited by Bartley and Gerard Radnitzky, and in Max More's Pancritical Rationalism: An Extropic Metacontext for Memetic Progress.
 

6.6.1 What problem does PCR solve?  

6.6.2 What is evolutionary epistemology?  

6.6.3 What other types of criticisms help us develop knowledge?   

 

References:
"Progress, Counter Progress, and Counter-Counter Progress" (Greg Burch, 2001)
The Scientific Method FAQ
"The Retreat to Commitment" (William Bartley)
"Evolutionary Epistemology, Rationality, and the Sociology of Knowledge" (William Bartley and Gerard Radnitzky)
"Pancritical Rationalism: An Extropic Metacontext for Memetic Progress" (Dr. Max More)

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7.1 What are the precursors to transhumanist thinking?  

Transhumanism represents a world view which seeks to improve the human condition. In doing so, we support critical thinking in the development of sciences and technologies to extend the human lifespan, eradicate aging, solve problems of disease, and encourage and enhance intellectual, creative, physical and mental well-being. In this regard, it is essential to be aware of the possible dangers that lie ahead. The examination of potential dangers affect not only transhumanist, but the entire world. The use of technologies and biotechnologies must be looked at with a critical and ethical observation.

Transhumanism can be said to stem, in part, from humanism. Humanism is a "philosophical system of thought that focuses on human value, thought, and actions. Humans are considered basically good and rationale creatures who can improve themselves and others through natural human abilities of reason and action. Secular Humanism is a late development emphasizing objectivity, human reason, and human standards that govern art, economics, ethics, and belief. As such, no deity is acknowledged." (web definition)

However transhumanists reach beyond the realms of humanism in the goal to improve the human condition. Not only do we encourage freedom, rational thinking, tolerance, and compassion for humanity, we seek to improve our selves and the species of "human."  Back to top

7.2 Who are the pioneering transhumanists?  Alexander "Sasha" Chislenko developed the "Great Thinkers and Visionaries" in the mid-1990s as a reference to people he thought were responsible for many of our transhumanist ideas. Sasha was an extraordinary visionary of transhumanism.   

How did the memetic spreading of transhumanity begin? 

Transhumanism manifests the results of humanity’s drive to improve the world.  The spreading of transhumanity developed slowly at first through writings, books, university courses, and word of mouth; but with the advent of the Internet, like moments in time that somehow all came together and crystallize, Transhumanity fused. Anyone of the trailblazers could tell you how transhumanist their individual elbow grease carved distinct memes, but it was more than just a handful of imaginative minds along with an accumulation of events that coalesced, one by one.

The "Transhumanist Timeline" (below) shows the diverse elements that had a part in the architecture of transhumanity.  Recognizable. Technological advances, scientific discovery, literary and artistic vision, philosophical understanding, and economic needs were strong. These unique areas of interest reached a point, a tipping point, in the 1990s and took a decisive turn from the static acceptance of humanity’s limitations toward a commitment to humanity’s progress.

Biological Evolution:
First cell divides: Terrestrial Life	4 billion years ago
Biped	4,000,000 BC
Homo Erectus	1,000,00 — 300,000 BC
Human	50,000 — 30,000 BC
Transhuman	late-20th Century
Posthuman	Unknown (21st Century)
Communications Evolution:
Artifacts as ritual	28,000 BC
Cave painting	20,000 BC
Symbols as language/writing	3,500 BC
Alphabet	1,500 BC
Printing Press (Gutenberg)	1450
Telegraph (Morse)	1836
Radio (Hertz)	1884
TV Broadcast (Britain)	1927
Technological Art Movement	1960s
VR (first generation)	1980s
World Wide Web	1989
Technological Evolution:
Tools as Technology/fire	1,000,000 — 2,000,000 BC
Thermodynamics (Thomson/Carnot)	1849
Sex change	1931
ABC (electronic computer) (Atanasoff & Barry)	1942
The Game of Life (Conway)	1940s
A-Life: Cellular Automata (von Neumann)	1948
Artificial Intelligence (Turing) (Minsky, McCarthy)	1950 (1956)
"The Pill" (birth control)	1950s
Human in space (Gagarin on Vostok 1)	1961
Transhuman cryonically suspended	1967
Implants (artificial heart) (Cooley)	1969
Genetic engineering (Cohen & Boyer)	1973
Nanotechnology conceptualized (Drexler)	1981
In Vitro Fertilization	1978
Cloning (Dolly)	1997
DNA Sequenced (Venter)	2000
Memetic Evolution:
Mathematics/astronomy	1,800 BC
Law of Logic (Aristotle)	387 BC
Science/Art Coalesce (Leonardo da Vinci )	1452
Earth not center of universe (Copernicus)	1543
Human Rights & Freedom of Speech (Bill of Rights)	1789
Theory of Evolution (Darwin)	1858
Modern Art	1880s
Psychoanalysis/Ego (Freud)	1893
DNA/double-helix (Watson/Crick)	1953
Smi²le (Leary)	1976
Transhuman (FM-2030, Damien Broderick)	1982
TransArts "Transhumansit Arts" (Natasha Vita-More)	1982
Transhumanist Philosophy of Extropy (Max More)	1988
Transhumanity culture flourishes across the Net: Extropy Institute, Foresight Institute, Transhumanist Arts & Culture, Aleph, Transcedo, World Transhumanist Association, De:Trans, Singularity Institute	1989 — 2003

 

Transhumanity was not a novel concept, the precursory ideas from Julius Huxley and Teilhard de Chardin, and others were known, albeit ideas coalesce at different points in time and place. In 1947, Allan Turing gave some important comments on the prospects for machine intelligence in a talk in 1947 but his most constructive proposals were put in an unpublished report for the National Physical Laboratory that he wrote in 1947-8. In 1959, Watson and Crick discovered the DNA/double-helix. In 1959, Marvin Minsky founded what became the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory with John McCarthy. In the 1960s, FM-2030 (f/k/a FM Esfandiary) taught courses on futurism at New School of Social Research in New York City, and introduced his futurist philosophy of Upwingers.  Marshall McLuhan wrote Understanding Media, first published in 1964, focuses on the media effects that permeate society and culture.  Many futurist events were occurring—birth control pill, first human in space, in vitro fertilization, feminism, technology, psychoanalysis, to name a few.  Unfortunately events were occurring as well —War, death, disease and poverty.  While the problematic events in human history were at a point of stasis, progress was on its way toward improving the human condition.

"Transhumans," the early transhumanists, were formally meeting In the early 1980s:  The University of California Los Angeles became the central watering hole for transhumanists, where FM-2030 lectured on the futurist ideology of Upwingers. Around that time EZTV’s John Dore provided an off-Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art venue in its Media Gallery and featured such artists as Dr. Timothy Leary, and John Spencer at Space Tourism Society organized many transhuman space-related events.  Natasha Vita-More (formerly Nancie Clark) had just completed the short futurist’s film titled "Breaking Away" at the University of Colorado. FM and Natasha met and soon they began holding gatherings for transhumans in Los Angeles, which included students from FM’s courses and audiences from Natasha’s productions at EZTV Media Gallery in West Hollywood. Across the planet in Australia, Damien Broderick, science fiction author, wrote The Judas Mandala. In 1982, Natasha authored the transhumanist Arts Manifesto (f/k/a "TransArt"). In 1985 through 1994, Natasha produced and hosted the cable TV show "TransCentury UPdate" on transhumanity. With a viewing audience of over 100,000, this boutique talking head show reached 100,000 people.

In 1986, Dr. Eric Drexler's famed book on nanotechnology, Engines of Creation, was published in hardcover by Anchor Books. Alcor Foundation’s Southern California location became a nexus for futurist thinkers and Northern California’s tech-heads were carrying copies of  Engines of Creation. Yet, not all activists who were interested in improving the human condition were involved in "transhumanism." Some didn’t know of the world "transhuman," although they were certainly pioneering in what is now transhumanism.

In 1987, Max More moved to Los Angeles from Oxford University in England, where he 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. More met Tom Bell at the USC, and together they pursued ideas about the future. Tom coined the term "Extropy" to reflect these ideas and Max authored the philosophy of Extropy as "An evolving framework of values and standards for continuously improving the human condition."  

In 1989, Extropy The Journal of Transhumanist Thought was published, which formally brought together the most daring, futurist thinkers of the time to write about AI, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, superlongevity, Uploads, Idea Futures, Robotics, Space Exploration, politics and economics of transhumanism. Soon alternative media began reviewing the magazine and the magazine attracted interest from likeminded thinkers.  Later,  More and Bell co-founded Extropy Institute, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational organization.  ExI was formed as a 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 the confusing but potentially liberating and existentially enriching capabilities opening up to humanity." 

By 1990,  Extropy Institute’s email list was launched in 1991 and in 1992, began producing the first conferences on transhumanism, and affiliate members throughout the world who began organizing their own transhumanist groups.  Extro Conferences, meetings, parties, on-line debates, and documentaries have continued to get the idea of the transhuman to the public.  But the cyberculture across the Internet became the most fertile breeding ground for people interested in exploring new tools with websites such as Extropy Institute, Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Foresight Institute, and Transhumanist Arts & Culture.

In the mid-1990s, transhumanity continued to spread on the Internet through the networking of Extropy Institute’s conferences. If LA was the spawning place of transhumanity, the Internet became the womb. From a few hundred people to many thousands of people, transhumanist ideas are spreading with the help of media awareness and continued hard work of all involved. Today there are other organizations that have joined Extropy Institute to further transhumanist ideas such as Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Foresight Institute, Transhumanist Arts & Culture, Aleph in Sweden, TransVision in Europe, and  World Transhumanist Association, The Singularity Institute, and numerous other organizations currently being developed.

As the culture of transhumanism grows, it is imperative that transhumanist organizations work together. Diversity is welcomed but cooperation is essential. That transhumanist organizations not push one political or spiritual view on their members or transhumanity as a culture. In order to encourage sustainability, we must not get caught up in political jargon or positioning. A futuristic political plan must consider all of transhumanity, as well as humanity. Cooperation in making sure that no one’s foot is being stepped on and that we consider basic economics — supply and demand, a conscientious efforts in spreading accurate information, and understanding that no one person or organization is going to be on top, but that the culture of transhumanity must be networked and transparent.  Back to top

7.3 Transhumanist Culture:  How does transhumanism affect Arts & Culture? 

7.3.1 Transhumanist Culture:  The transhumanist culture is continually in the making.  Transhumanism marks the beginning of our human evolution as we continue to improve the human condition. Transhumanist ideas originated in diverse cultures. We can find traces of transhumanist thought in our earliest inventions and discoveries. From marking the surface of prehistoric cave walls over 17,000 years ago to transmitting signals across the light years of space, ingenuity has illustrated humans’ use of technology. Our desire for extending life and life longer, mirroring our own image in omnipotent reflections, pushing beyond our limitations—has catapulted our species toward an accelerated evolution from human to transhuman, to posthuman.

The transhumanist history is comprised of events that have transformed our species. These events are the result of innovations generated through transhumanist creativity. In every aspect of our being—each inch—each thought—creativity is in action. It is the fire behind our passions. It is the fuel igniting our will. No matter how diminutive or how colossal an idea, it is in the creative impulse that has accelerated our evolution. Evolution happens on many fronts. It is not just our biology that mutates and evolves, it is also our psychology that undergoes transformation.

For the first time in history transhumans are actively researching and developing the skills to end death. It is not an immortalist's pipe dream—but an objective to be attained, and perhaps in our lifetime. Those of us who actively call ourselves transhumanist do so with a commitment to extending and improving life. The commitment to extending life is a litmus test for transhumanity. If we do not overcome death, we have no future.

Our evolution has been a cumulative process. Footprints across time have left traces of our reach beyond ourselves for something better. From the earliest plebeian cultures to the advanced complexities of social systems the future has been unfolding. Today we are on the threshold of the present evolution—the transhuman.

TOWARDS THE END OF AGING

The single most important factor in "ageless thinking" is to think outside the box. One’s autonomy is the most valuable aspect of existence. With this in mind, we can decide for ourselves what is essential in developing and maintaining our individual lives and how to establish goals to achieve our desires. If the goal is to live a healthy life, we can adjust our activities to align with the physiological and psychological findings that are best suited to healthy living. We can abolish ageist myths and implement creative ways to enrich our lives. We can redefine our identities to suit our goals. We can learn to think in ways that remove stigmas and constraints placed upon society by the thought of old age and dying.

We must seek the challenges of modifying ourselves, creating distinct views, embracing new behaviors, and welcoming the unfamiliarity of change. When it is our choice to explore challenges, we begin to take charge of our future. Our individuality is our dignity. The knowledge that is gained, the wisdom of experience, become the helping hand of change. The more we challenge our existence and make attempts to learn new skills, the more in balance with our own identities we may become.

Science and technology are not standing still. Just as we are carving our own new identities, science is also finding its place in the anti-aging movement. New information on how we view aging is occurring in many scientific communities. Genetic engineering is having an impact on how we age and reversing it. Hormone replacement therapy is being used to counter age decline. New markers of aging are redefining the categories of age. Becoming aware that we can live longer is effecting people’s desire to live longer. Cosmetic surgery is giving us extra years of youthfulness. Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence are developing important roles in medicine and aging. Cryonics is the best available safety net for extreme longevity.

What can we do right now to take charge of our future?

"Today by carefully applying the technology developed during the past century (especially in the past 20 years), it may be possible to develop a practical, custom tailored, medically safe and scientifically sound life-extension (anti-aging) program. Currently, such a program is limited to the types of intervention" such as "diet, exercise, supplements, hormones, drugs, and monitoring). In the foreseeable future, however, techniques such as using drugs, hormones and neurotransmitters in slow release capsules, grafting tissue from hypothalamus, pineal and other areas of the brain, and genetic manipulation of aging control programs will all become available. Each year that one gains by preserving one’s health and prolonging one’s life now, significantly improves the chances that one will be around to enjoy the benefits of the tremendous rejuvenation technologies which will become available in the future." (Christopher B. Heward, Ph.D., The Endocrinology of Aging.)

What are the bio-markers in determining age? How do we know which bio-markers are dependable? Is there available a reliable way to ascertain our functional age?

We age differently depending on which bio-marker we are looking at. We may be in good shape cardiovascularly but have poor elasticity in skin due to over exposure to the sun. Our bodies change with time. The best approach is to look at a broad spectrum of aspects of aging. It is not simple, or inexpensive, and there is still little data available on these factors.

What is a bio-marker of aging? Biomarkers of aging are indicators of how far we are progressing on the pathway of degenerative diseases that are associated with death. Any biomarkers that give us a clue about how this degenerative progression can tell us our functional age and longevity. Some bio-markers are more reliable than others. For example, cardiovascular fitness is important but may not be as important as cholesterol levels and homocysteine levels, the amino acid that is a marker of cardiovascular risk.

An athlete such as an ice skater who appears to be physically fit, suddenly dies of a heart attack. Jim Fixx died before 40 despite being a top runner. Although heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death, young, healthy individuals are considered to be out of risk. How could this happen? Are we using a wrong gauge to determine our health? What is going on biochemically and biologically? We need to know the risk factors.

Over the course of our lives, we probably get and beat many cancers that happen because our immune system is functioning at an optimal level. Yet, as we get older, or if our immune system weakens, our body’s loses its ability to recognize and fight off the invasive cancers. This retardation in recognizing the cancer as being a non-self and to produce antibodies and mobilize white blood cells to take charge allows the cancer to grow. Cancer is the number 2 cause of death.

What if there was a lucid test to checkout our immune system and see how it is faring? What if we could simple check in on a daily or weekly basis and summon up different bio-marker for a report on how we are aging? Dr. Christopher Heward has developed such a test, BioMonitor. BioMonitor is a consistent measure of how we are functioning physiologically and compares that to our chronological age and our rate of aging. We then can make adjustments in biological selves.

The far future is coming into near range with undertakings such as the Human Genome Project which is an international effort by geneticists to decode all two billion base pairs of the human genome. The human genome is the entire set of genes. Another area of close-range explosion is the application of gene therapy to medical problems. These techniques will alter genetic programs and alter the rate of aging.

The process of understanding our physical makeup - our genes - and their relationship to aging is an enormous undertaking. Just imagine a settler in the late 1800’s who has been crossing the planes in a covered wagon, old before his time, being given a shiny new red Ferrari along with a portable computer and cellular phone. Imagine a young woman in the 1700’s in New England, unable to explore her own imagination, being censored, restricted and bullied by the town masters for having tea with her friends, imagine her attending a televised presentation where a woman not only hosts the show, but makes forthright statements about her own views openly in front of millions of people and whose voice is carried across electronic wires across the entire world!

Now, imagine our scientists, engineers and visionaries one hundred years from now and the work that has been accomplished in genetics and altering or controlling the rate of aging.

"These facts and projections point toward a rapid understanding of the aging process and an application for technologies to significantly extend lifespan. These technologies will be developed and applied faster than we age. The net result will be an unlimited maximum lifespan. Will people live forever? Not as biological machines." (Robert Bradbury, founder and president of Aeiveos Corporation.)

Nanotechnology involves the study of chemistry, physics and engineering to build objects or machines atom by atom. To add significantly to lifespan, a nano machine could repair aged issues and organs. Nano machines might also be used to reanimate people who have been frozen in cryonic suspension. Further in our future will be the integration of the human/transhuman being and machine. That will be a time for a possible cybernetic indefinite lifespan.

If their desire is to learn about life, to extend life, then through the use of technology and masterly skill, we all will benefit from the tenacity and labor of their efforts. We can also become paralleling visionaries in our own rights stretching beyond the constraints of yesterday’s and today’s limitations on our lifespan.

In summary, we are on the journey of life extension. It is not a Gulliver’s Travels. We are not interested in a society where people grow older and more feeble but never to die. We are primarily interested in extending life — indefinitely and adding to the quality of life. The quality of life must be of a high standard and designed in such a way as to give people a reason for living longer. What we are envisioning is a future where old age doesn’t exist as it has ever been known before. It is a future where we can grow healthier and more youthful as long as we wish. 

Transhumanist Sexuality: Automorph Gender and Sexuality: Reconstituted and Reconfigured Gender and Sexuality

The new sexual landscapes will bring about different types of sexuality, different types of genders. In the future, we may still want to perform the traditional types of sex, or we may want to participate in the reconstituted and reconfigured gender roles and sexuality that will radically change us. We may do away with our bodily nerves, but keep some sensations, the ones for pleasure of perhaps some for pain to remind us not to do something. Yet, eventually we will begin to shuttle more and more parts of ourselves as we become post-biological.

Gender traditionally refers to social and cultural categories such as masculine, feminine and neuter. There are parts of our brains that are programmed for female and male behaviors. Altering the genitalia does not change this. Yet, in the future there will be a blurring of these traditional categories. Female does not merely mean a person who wears nail polish and frills, has a capacity for communication and empathy, or is endowed with a mothering instinct. Nor will masculine merely mean a person who is rugged, emphasizes spatial temporal thinking, or the protectorate of home and hearth. The continuous blurring of these distinctions will enable the reconstitution of genders. What has yet to change is the XX and XY or XYY chromosomes. Herein lies a current scientific truth determining our sex and our genetic gender. But not for long. We will alter aspects of our brains and switch genders by augmenting "direct route gender swaps" for easy access and quick fix gender changes.

Sex and somatic gender identity are not so immutable. Sex, (how organisms are classified as female or male on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions) is being modified by surgery and hormone treatment. In society today there are bisexuals, transsexuals, homosexuals, asexuals, and intersexuals. Soon there will be negsexuals, solosexuals, technosexuals, postsexuals, multisexuals VRsexuals or even just plain ole’ sexuals who remain nostalgic of the 20^th Century.  Back to top

7.3.2 Transhumanist Arts - From da Vinci to "Transhumanist Arts"  Artists and the arts, throughout history, have been the voice and the vision of civilization.  Artists, as communicators, reach more people and are capable of introducing more ideas about culture than any other area of study or professional endeavor.  Artists and the arts bring together the passions, the dreams and the hopes of humanity and transhumanity and express these emotions in ways that touch us deeply.

Whether it is high-end electronic or robotic, multi-media pieces, or filmmaking, poetry, fiction, science fiction, video, paintings, music, dance, sculpture, architecture, literature—our work communicates to culture and affects the pulse of culture

What marks the beginning of Transhumanist Arts? The independent film "Breaking Away" (1980) marks the beginning of Transhumanist Arts. This short, 8-mm film by Natasha Vita-More was filmed by Don Yannacito (Independent Film Dept., University of Colorado), and shot on location at Red Rocks Amphitheater. The central theme of the short depicts the human quest in overcoming dogma and evolutionary limitations.

Transhumanist Arts was founded in 1982 by Natasha Vita-More (f/k/a/ Nancie Clark) and introduced as an "art theory" (originally, "TransArt"). The "Transhumanist Arts Statement" written to established a poetic doctrine of transhumanist expression: "Transhumanist Arts represent the aesthetic and creative culture of transhumanity…Our aesthetics and expressions are merging with science and technology in designing increased sensory experience…Transhumanist Artists want to extend life and overcome death…If our art represents who we are, then let us chose to be transhumanist not only in our bodies, but also in our values…As Transhumanist Arts comes into focus, as the tools and ideas of our art continue to evolve, so too shall we."

At the onset of the transhumanist movement, transhumanists referred to themselves "transhumans". It was not until the late 1980s that the phrase "transhumanist" took hold. Around this time, Transhumanist Arts theory had evolved into an arts organization. Today Transhumanist Arts is both an organization and an art period, reflecting the creative innovations and artistic expressions of transhumanity.

As an art theory, Transhumanist Arts coalesces the arts, sciences and technologies by recognizing the exponentially growing rate of change in our society. These rapid changes include mass computing power, superintelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology, genetic engineering, superlongevity, fast-track communications, the Internet and its offspring, space exploration, human augmentation for improving and extending life, and the Singularity. The technological advances directly affect culture and thus the arts in countless ways.

By 1990, Transhumanist Arts had become an organization.  Today Transhumanist Arts is both an organization and an art period, reflecting creative ideas and artistic projects developed during the period of transhumanity.

On January 1, 1997, a genre of Transhumanist Arts, Extropic Art, launched a Manifesto on the Internet, and the movement was champagne toasted in good cheer in Los Angeles. In the ensuing months, hundreds of creative thinkers signed the Manifesto, and others began calling themselves transhumanist extropic artists. In October of 1997, the Manifesto was sent into space on board the Cassini Huygens spacecraft. It is the first writings of transhumanity to leave the earth and travel through the Asteroid Belt to Saturn. By this, the meme "We are transhumans . . ." has spread far beyond Earth, out into the Solar System.

As an outgrowth of Transhumanist Arts, the Extropic Art genre represents an aesthetic culture of transhumanity—ideas about super intelligence, superlongevity, biological-technological interface, intelligence and creativity augmentation, space exploration, the Singularity (or Spike). Extropic Art is not limited by conventional art forms or modes of the arts. It can indeed be an artifact such as an image, a musical score, a film, or story, or it can be many creative modes of expression, such as innovative ideas and activities.

Other genres of Transhumanist Arts are "Automorph"—the art of consciously and comprehensively sculpting one’s psychology and physiology "Art as Being". "Exoterra" is the fusion of art and the universe.

Automorphing has become an active expression for many transhumans because of rapid interest in how the body might look in the coming decades as well as interest in our continued interface with computers. Most of us want to live indefinitely and in doing so we can now actively set into practice reinventing ourselves and redesigning how we want to look. Automorphing is self-sculpting.

Exoterra, on the other hand, can be works produced by space architects or space educational designers, composers who bring to mind the musical wondrous elements of space, science fiction, space paintings, poems and electronic imaging are all mediums that lend themselves to Exoterra Art. "On several occasions, I have been asked how Transhumanist Extropic Art differs from or opposes preceding genres such as Expressionism, Dadaist, Actionism and Conceptual Art. Extropic Art doesn't intentionally differ from any previous genre or movement, it has evolved out of them."

Italian Futurism rejected tradition and worshipped the machine, Dadaist used shock tactics and feared optimism, Fluxus focused on the state of mind of the artist rather than the objet d’art, Conceptualists had great thought and little product, and so on. Yet, these genres have influenced Extropic Art and the Transhumanist Arts period. Futurism allowed the artist to participate in the Industrial Revolution with new tools, Dadaists questioned the "museum dogma," Fluxus generated thinking, Conceptualists went a step further. These genres, from abstract expressionism and Modern Art through Performance Art, have influenced Transhumanist Arts.

The difference between some previous genres is found in the tools we use and the reason why we are producing art—what occurs in our minds. For the first time in history, transhumans as artists want to live indefinitely, want to live in space, want to augment our intelligence, want to grow more desirable, brighter, more creative.

Art genres or movements either react to the preceding ideas or they mesh ideas from the past with new vision and new tools. Surely, an extended lifespan is not a new concept, but how transhumans view extending the human lifespan is. In the past, immortality was a wish either gained by some religious promise, pseudoscience or by mystical means.

Transhumanists understand that we have biological limitations and that by intelligent planning we will be able to extend our lives. A similar parallel can be drawn with the idea that "my life is my art"—a theme used in several genres. However, transhumanists see our lives as a work in progress as we evolve. The tools of our trade are changing so rapidly, as I have stated already in the section on Transhuman History; we must keep up with these changes. We do not have to be driven into a mad frenzy with relentless changes and expense of such changes, but we must at least have an understanding of where it is going. It is perfectly clear that the new tools are heading in the direction of refining and designing and prolonging life. Extreme life extension is on the drawing board."

Today there are an increasing number of artists who are beginning produce art in a transhumanist mode. As humanity steadily advances to the next evolutionary stage, more and more artists will make the shift towards transhumanity.

Transhumanist Arts Trends: From 20th Century Art to 21st Century Art —

Transhumanist Arts of the 21^st Century did not appear out of the blue. Much of its content has evolved from art movements and art forms of artists who preceded it. The historical continuity of this art can be illustrated through the early 20th century and even farther back in time though ancient myths and perceptive visionaries. Today, the Transhumanist Arts culture is still forming.

The beginnings of artists engaging in either science or technology and individualism was evidenced in Futurism (Italy 1908) and Dadaism (France 1915). Futurism rejected traditions while glorifying contemporary life by emphasizing two dominant themes, the machine and motion and advocated the fusion of art and science. Dadaism was more a world-view rather than a style. The Dadaist manifestos were often aimed at startling the public into reconsidering accepted aesthetic values. This type of rethinking—employment of technology, science, individualism and the revoking of traditional standards—is transhumanist in scope. Although Dadaists tended to be irrational and negative and Futurism was short-lived, Transhumanist artists are rational and dynamic optimists and intend to live indefinitely.

Abstract Expressionism (1940-1950s) kicked-off the Contemporary Art Movement with predominant concern of self-expression. While the trends were approaching a cybernetic concepts in art with lasers, holography, and neon art, Conceptual Art (1960s-1970s) had enormous influence on artists merely by reflected the artistic mind. The act of thinking became the art form. By offering models for problem solving and engagement in non-art systems (meaning not producing an object of art such as a painting or sculpture or poem); interests in science and technology was at a peak. Soon after, Performance Art (1970s to present) presented an extraordinary open-ended art form where artists’ desire to communicate more directly with viewers than through an "object".

Simultaneously, High-Tech Art (a contemporary art) (1970s) utilized diverse technologies with the sentiment that the more effective the High-Tech Art, the more it transcends its hardware. However, most tech art remains an exploration in technological art rather than a world-view. It is a part of the Art & Technology movement, but its more recent art expresses ambivalence of postmodernism towards technology. It is important to keep in mind that not all tech art is transhumanist in scope. The use of high-end technology or great aesthetic value in subtranshuman concept or storyline does not equal transhumanist magnitude. Elaborate special effects fall short of content when the use of great technology is used to repeat antiquated myths.  Back to top

7.4 What other prominent organizations are there?  Foresight Institute, Alcor Foundation, World Transhumanist Association

7.5 What activist groups can I join?  

7.6 What email lists can I subscribe to?  

7.7 I'm thinking of writing an article on transhumanism. Any tips?  

 

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