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p r o g r e s s a c t i o n c o a l i t i o n superlongevity augmentation pro–act Imagine it is the year 2030 and we are looking back on our accomplishments of the past three decades. How should our time be best remembered? How about: Cancer reduced to a minor health problem that is easily curable; Billions of people enjoying lives enhanced by connection to a rich global cultural network; nanotechnology solving the environmental damage of past centuries; Art forms barely imaginable today enriching the lives of a population made more creative through new technologies and new ideas; or, the dream of true artificial intelligence realized, adding a new richness to the human landscape never before known. Each of the above "future headlines" is fun, but also raises issues implicating our basic values. The swift progress of technology and both the promise and peril it presents are serious concerns; the basic question of whether we will continue to progress or turn away in fear needs our earnest attention and ability to solve problems. Progress Action Coalition serves as a conduit of information and exchange for those working to counter the many biases against advanced technologies that are growing in our culture and the policies of our governments. Recent years have revealed a growing feeling of fear around the world which is a source of danger to the very value of progress itself. Questions are raised about the development of lifetransforming technologies and the spread of freedom, creativity and enterprise in our society, but too often now the only answers offered are based on a pessimistic rejection of progress. Progress Action Coalition is a resource to build networks among people who acknowledge the challenges before us, but who face those challenges with an optimistic commitment to improving the human condition. If we take action now, we can have a major impact on how the world views efforts to prolong and improve life, advance the world's knowledge about positive technologies, improve the environment, promote space travel, and address fundamental issues in education, the environment and the quality of life for the vast majority of humanity that still lives in hunger, fear and ignorance. As Buckminster Fuller said, it is a matter of distribution not content. By distributing knowledge effectively, we can encourage others to ask the right questions and find reliable information about these and other issues. Many of us have been discussing these concerns for years. Now we have an organization designed to work with you in taking action for progress. Now is the time to take a to stand to make sure the public gets all the facts, not just the ones that alarm them. Progress Action Coalition is an independent organization created to fill a need in our culture. Rather than stand by and listen to voices counseling fear and retreat dominate the public stage, we plan to push progress. Our web site was secured in April, awaiting its launch in time for the Extropy Institute's Extropy-5 Conference in June, where advocates for a positive future will gather. We hope you'll join us in our first endeavor, a moderated email forum for sharing information and resources among people knowledgeable about the technologies and trends that will effect our future and concerned that progress continue toward a brighter future. We look forward to the years ahead and I invite you to join us to counter the many biases against advanced technologies. Natasha Vita-More, Director Progress Action Coalition (“Pro-Act”) p r o a c t Identify the Opposition Turning Point Project Add Campaign A non-profit organization formed in 1999 “to design and produce a series of educational advertisements concerning the major issues of the new millennium.” “Watch The New York Times or return to this site to see our next ads. Approximately once each week a new ad will be released. Keep watching because this series continues will into the year 2000.” Nearly 100 participating organization of the Turning Point Project favor alternatives to the recent practices and policies concerning genetic engineering, economic globalization, industrial agriculture, extinction crisis and megtechology. Techno-Utopianism “Now a terrifying new generation of technologies…” “Descriptions of new technologies are invariably optimistic, even utopian. That’s because most technology news originates from corporations who profit from it.” Promise from New Technologies Negative Possibilities Left Out Automobile were introduced as clean, safe, fast. “No mention of air pollution, noise, deaths on the highway, or oil wars.” Pesticides were going to save crops. “No mention of poisoned food, land, water…” Nuclear energy was promoted as safe. “No mention of radioactivity lasting 250,000 years. Television was going to democratize information. “No mention of mind-numbing … homogenized … culture.” Antibiotics were going to stop diseases. “…also caused antibiotic resistance in bacteria …” Internet was sold as boon for democracy. “But it’s also brought bankruptcy…” Genetic engineering is supposed to feed the world. “No mention of .. Heath risks from “frankenfoods…” Who Plays God in the 21st Century? “…we approach the gravest moral, social and ecological crises in history.” “Who appointed the biotech industry as Gods of the 21 st Century? Doesn’t democracy function anymore?” Some Issues Some Concerns Breaking the species barrier: “Biotech companies are blithely removing components of human beings (and other creatures) and treating us all like auto parts at a swap meet.… They…are dazzled by dollars and fame.” Patenting life forms: “Many cannot afford what corporations are asking, and more than one million of them recently held a mass protest about it. They called it ‘biopiracy.’… Will they produce perfect ‘designer human’ embryos creating trendy humans by the year 2050? … There’s no point in creating superior creatures if you can’t own them.” Genetic Roulette: “They say its safe, but how could we know? .. Biotech creatures and microbes are unpredictable. They can reproduce, cross-pollinate, mute and migrate. They can jump across species using virus vectors.” “Aids probably resulted from a virus jumping from monkeys into humans.” Brave New World: “Adlus Huxley predicted a society where human beings are genetically engineered for commercial and industrial purposes. They don’t protest because they are designed to ‘love their servitude.’ Has that already happened to us? Not yet!” Biotechnology = Hunger The biotechnology industry promotes itself as the solution to world hunger. Some Issues Some Concerns Threat of Global Monoculture: “Real farmers will become obsolete.” Biotech suicide plants: If you believe the biotechnology industry is motivated to feed a hungry world, “consider the new “terminator” technology being developed…” Ecological roulette: Monsanto is marketing the number one chemical herbicide in the world: Roundup. “… they are genetically engineering certain crops to resist Roundup.” X Hunger “Rather than destroying people’s abilities to feed themselves, we should be encouraging it.” International Center for Technology Assessment Earth Island Institute Nature Institute/NetFuture Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition The Loka Institute Foundation on Ethics and Meaning Council for Responsible Genetics Center for CommercialFree Public Education Tikkun Magazine Edmonds Institute New York Open Center Center for Media and Democracy Collective Heritage Institute/Bioneers Conference Rainforest Action Network __________ International Center for Technology Assessment Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy Foundation on Economic Trends Council for Responsible Genetics Humane Society U.S. Sierra Club Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Center for Food Safety Edmonds Institute International Forum on Globalization International Forum on Food and Agriculture Mothers and Others Friends of the Earth Center for Ethics and Toxics Mothers for Natural Law Organic Consumers Association Campaign for Responsible Transplantation Earth Island Institute Native Forest Network ____________ Greenepeace USA Pesticide Action Network Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology Food & Water Rural Vermont Idaho Sporting Congress David Suzuki Foundation Native Forest Council ___________ Alliance for Childhood, Association for Waldorf Schools of North America The Center for Commercial-Free Education The Loka Institute TV Turnoff Network, Jacques Ellul Society Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Center for Plain Living _____________ Whole Earth Magazine Planet Drum Foundation Yes! Magazine The World The Ecologist Magazine _________________ Some Supporters of the Turning Point Project The Foundation for Economic Trends Mission statement calling calling Organic Molecule: Photo taken in 1986 by European Space Agency’s Giotto probe close-up of ice ball found at the core of Halley’s Comet. alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algo ry t h mic codes al p h a b e t i c a l l e t t e r s a r r a n g e d i n t o w o r d s written in strings of algo ry thmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes Alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes alphabetical letters arranged into words written in strings of algorithmic codes What do you do for living? Solar Eclipse with coronal ring phenomenon: March 7, 1970. Photo by Roger Ressmeyer, Miahuatlan, Mexico. Environmentally friendly. Increased frequency range and parabolic hearing with external wiring. Uses fat for energy. Gender changeability Metabrain – Prosthetic AI layer interwoven By nanobots. Active prosthetic neurons route data flow and connectivity. Turbocharged reflex suspension. More flexible, reconfigures by networked AI. Prosthetic vehicle directed by sensory nano-scale mechanics. Network of sonar sensors depict data through mass and map onto visual field. Error correction device. Polymer chemical sensor arrays emulate mammalian olfactory receptor neurons. Biosensors externally running neuro fiber optics to stimulate atmospheric tensions. 20th Century Body Primo 3M+ Future Body Limited life span Inherited genes Wears out Random mistakes Intelligence capacity 100 trillion synapses Single track circuits Gender restricted Prone to environmental damage Corrosion by irritability, envy, depression Prone to fat conglomerates Elimination messy and gaseous waste Ageless Replaceable genes Upgradeable Error correction device Intelligence capacity 100 quadrillion synapses Multiple viewpoints running on parallel Gender changeability Environmentally friendly Turbocharged optimism Uses fat for energy Recycles and purifies waste products Prosthetic vehicle directed by Sensory nano-scale mechanics. Environmentally friendly. Active prosthetic neurons route data flow and connectivity. Increased frequency range and parabolic hearing with external wiring. Network of sonar sensors depict data through mass and map onto visual field. Uses fat for energy. Biosensors externally running neuro fiber optics to stimulate atmospheric tensions. Gender changeability Turbocharged reflex suspension. More flexible, reconfigures by networked AI. Metabrain – Prosthetic AI layer interwoven by nanobots. Error correction device. Polymer chemical sensor arrays emulate mammalian olfactory receptor neurons. 20th Century Body Primo 3M+ Future Body Limited life span Inherited genes Wears out Random mistakes Intelligence capacity 100 trillion synapses Single track circuits Gender restricted Prone to environmental damage Corrosion by irritability, envy, depression Prone to fat conglomerates Elimination messy and gaseous waste Ageless Replaceable genes Upgradeable Error correction device Intelligence capacity 100 quadrillion synapses Multiple viewpoints running on parallel Gender changeability Environmentally friendly Turbocharged optimism Uses fat for energy Recycles and purifies waste products 20th Century Body Primo 3M+ Future Body Limited life span Inherited genes Wears out Random mistakes Intelligence capacity 100 trillion synapses Single track circuits Gender restricted Prone to environmental damage Corrosion by irritability, envy, depression Prone to fat conglomerates Elimination messy and gaseous waste Ageless Replaceable genes Upgradeable Error correction device Intelligence capacity 100 quadrillion synapses Multiple viewpoints running on parallel Gender changeability Environmentally friendly Turbocharged optimism Uses fat for energy Recycles and purifies waste products Hamlet Photo by R. Ressmeyer AI A-Life data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data Get real. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality Ray Kurzweil The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality Max More The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality Roy Walford The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality Stewart Brand The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality John Naisbitt The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. A Talent for Living 20 World Class Thinkers Crack the Myths of Mortality Other artistic, scientific, technological and cultural thinkers. The race to the moon has been replaced with the genomics and proteonomics race. We are cracking the memetic code that causes acceptance of limited lifespan. Ageism in Sports: Two long The securities solution company known for preventing damage caused by self-replicating technologies came out with an IPO today. Arnold Schwarzenegger was revived from cryonic suspension today and is undergoing reentry procedures. His long-term partner, Maria Schriever, who has not been suspended but underwent age reversal therapy, recently returned from assignment on the L5 Colony: “He always said, ‘I’ll be back.’” distance swimmers competing in this year’s triathlon were declared disqualified today. The disqualified swimmers are 96 and 98 years old and under the age requirements for for the race. In related news: John Clark, tissue engineered athlete, will be performing in the Moon based Tae Kwon Do match. BioTransport (BIOT) made a big splash on the stock market today bringing in the Bull with a bump up in its stock price. Once thought of as a high-risk stock, along the lines of Celera in the late 1990s, BioTransport was added to the Dow. The collaboration of Marvin Minsky and Ray Kurzweil received the Nobel Peace Prize for the successful mediation performed by their AI Arbitor, Solomon2, who simultaneously resolved the centuries-old conflicts between the Arabs and the Jews, the Hutu and the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the Israelis and the PLO. The question remains, who should receive the prize: Minsky, Kurzweil or Solomon2? The Nobel Peace Prize Committee wants to hire Solomon2 to make the final decision, but Solomon2 recused itself, saying it’s far too personal a decision.