[tt] Emergence - IEET News for April 10, 2008

Hughes, James J. <James.Hughes at trincoll.edu> on Thu Apr 10 19:23:46 UTC 2008 
http://ieet.org

EMERGENCE

Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies

News for April 10, 2008

Editor: Dr. James J. Hughes
________________________________

CONTENTS

1. A Note From Dr. J.

2. IEET News

3. Articles

4. Multimedia

5. TechEthx News

   - IEET-News List Posts

   - Trans-Spirit List Posts

6. Events 

   - with IEET Speakers

   - all events

________________________________

A NOTE FROM DR. J.

Feedburner is one way to track the subscriptions to our blogfeed, and today we passed 300 subscribers on the Feedburner meter. (There are probably a lot more through other subscriptions.) Not the thousands that some of us can boast, but pretty respectable, and growing daily. Congratulations to all the hard-writing IEET fellows and staff.

We are joined today by a new intern, Mike Polyakov, whose article on "designer baby ethics" I've reposted at the IEET site, and who describes himself as "a political theory graduate student at UC Berkeley.  With a prior background in computer science, he is interested in the future role of technology in politics and of politics in technology.  In the near future he plans to investigate topics like the ethics of human genetic engineering; morality, ethics and politics in virtual worlds; and the potential for a technology-driven shift from an economy of scarcity to one of plenty."  With those interests where else would he land than with us?

We also have started making the site more user-friendly and interactive. We've made it easier to comment on articles, and we have set up discussion forums. 

http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/forums

Some artists and hackers are working on better graphics and layout, which I'm very psyched about (I've always been a crap graphic designer.)

Our Longevity Dividend course starts in ten days, and there is still time to sign up:

http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/lifecourse

So stop angsting about asteroids, the Yellowstone caldera, bioweapons, rising food prices, and the recession. Soak up some sun, drink a cup of tea and remember life is good in each moment.

J.

________________________________

IEET NEWS

Poll: Who will the next US President be? (Obama) (Apr 10, 2008) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/poll20080410/
Barack Obama ran away with this primary race. Two thirds of you believe he will be the next US President.

________________________________

ARTICLES

Mike Polyakov: The Ethics of Designer Children (Apr 10, 2008) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/polyakov20080410/
In the last two decades, our rapidly developing biotechnology has brought us into the realm of human genetic engineering. We are now able to not only screen for many diseases and a few genetic characteristics, but are on the verge of being able to select characteristics of a child.

Jamais Cascio: The Big Picture: Resource Collapse (Apr 8, 2008) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/cascio20080407/
Truism #1: Human society's continued existence depends on the sustained flows of a variety of natural resources.
Truism #2: What that set of natural resources comprises can change over time.

Mike Treder: Why not do it all? (Apr 8, 2008) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20080408/
Why not start erecting wind farms wherever they make sense? Why not go forward immediately with projects to tap energy from the tides, from the waves, and perhaps even from deep geothermal sources? Why not set up large community solar collectors in every city, town, and village?

Russell Blackford: Fitna and freedom of speech (Apr 2, 2008) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/blackford200800403/
A controversial (apparently) Dutch parliamentarian, Geert Wilders, has recently released a short film, Fitna, which has been interpreted as a warning against the Islamisation of Europe - and is, on any interpretation, an attack on the content of the Koran. I've delayed commenting until I found some time to watch Fitna. I've now seen it. 

George Dvorsky: Eight tips to dramatically improve your chances of living forever (Apr 2, 2008) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/dvorsky20080402/
There is no such thing as a natural death. Nothing that happens to Man is ever natural, since his presence calls the whole world into question. All men must die, but for every man his death is an accident. And even if he knows it and consents to it, an unjustifiable violation.-J.R.R. Tolkien

_______________________________

MULTIMEDIA

Sentient Developments: Live Long and Worry (04/10)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/sd20080410/

Gay Scientists Isolate the Christian Gene (04/10)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/godgene/

IT Conversations: Jamais on Metaversal Singularity (04/07)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/jamais_on_metaversal_singularity/

Sentient Developments: X-Risky Research, ET-lessness & cranky atheists (04/02)
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/sd20080401/


________________________________

ETHICS & TECH IN THE NEWS

Cognitive Enhancement by Scientists  (04/10) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/cebys08/

Annalee on PostGenderism  (04/09) 
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/annalee_on_postgenderism/


FROM IEET-NEWS LIST

Why the demise of civilisation may be inevitable
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5786675.html

Will a pandemic bring down civilisation?
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5786670.html

Transhumanist life extension as "lifehacking"
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5779308.html

Nature on an "unnatural" pregnancy
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5774032.html

Freeman Dyson and the end of Darwinian evolution
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5772415.html

The development of brain-machine interface neuroprosthetic devices
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5753490.html

Enhancing Resilience To Catastrophic Events Through Communicative Planning
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5731608.html

Human rights & Annas' attack on gene-enhancement
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5718263.html

AI can predict females' attractiveness to humans
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5696452.html

Legal Personhood for Artificial Intelligences (1992)
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5644413.html

Is Inequality Making Us Sick? Policy Guide
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5637814.html

South Africa debates cryosuspension for criminals [posted April 1, 2008]
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5637267.html

Bailey discusses George's uplift ideas
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5634745.html

Most US doctors support national health insurance
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5609732.html

ABC TV on Cryonics, Aubrey and longevity
http://www.mailbucket.org/ieet-news-5578027.html


FROM TRANS-SPIRIT LIST

Mindfulness-Based and Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Reduction
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1278

Brain implant cures drug-induced gambling addiction
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1277

The brain's willpower budget
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1274

Meditation beats lifestyle change for hypertension control
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trans-Spirit/message/1272


________________________________

IEET SPEAKER EVENTS

Aubrey @ Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress
Paris, France
2008 Apr 10-14
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey200804/

Hughes @ Evolution in the 21st Century
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
2008 Apr 17-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/evobio08/

Miah @ Olympic Legacy Conference
London, UK
2008 May 8-9
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/miah20080508/

Miah @ Enhancement Medicine
Brussels, Belgium
2008 May 9-10
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/miah/

Treder, Cascio @ SciVestor Disruptive Technologies Conference
New York City
2008 May 22-22
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/sdtc08/

Hughes @ World Humanist Congress
Washington, DC
2008 Jun 6-8
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hughes20080606/

Aubrey @ Bioengineering Approaches to Aging
UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
2008 Jun 27-29
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/uabba08/

Hughes, Bostrom, Treder @ Global Catastrophic Risks Conference
Oxford University, Oxford, UK
2008 Jul 17-20
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/gcr20080717/

Treder @ World Future Society
Washington, DC
2008 Jul 26-28
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/trederwfs2008/

Treder @ Basque Country Program on Globalization
San Sebastian, Spain
2008 Sep 3-5
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20080903/


________________________________

ALL EVENTS

Is cognitive enhancement a human right?
London, UK
2008 Mar 11-11
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/sandberg20080311/

Science of Consciousness 2008
Tucson, Arizona
2008 Apr 8-12
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/scicon2008/

Cognitive Aging
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2008 Apr 10-14
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/cac2008/

Aubrey @ Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress
Paris, France
2008 Apr 10-14
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aubrey200804/

Universal Access and Assistive Technology
Cambridge, UK
2008 Apr 13-16
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/uaat2008/

Assistive Technologies
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
2008 Apr 16-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/iasted2008/

Hughes @ Evolution in the 21st Century
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
2008 Apr 17-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/evobio08/

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
Barcelona, Spain
2008 Apr 23-26
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pgd20080423/

Max More on Emerging Technologies
Palo Alto, CA USA
2008 Apr 29-29
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/more20080429/

Ethical, Legal, Social Implications of Genomics
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
2008 May 1-3
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/elsi2008/

Knowledge Politics and Converging Technologies
Brussels, Belgium
2008 May 6-8
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/eunbic2008/

Miah @ Olympic Legacy Conference
London, UK
2008 May 8-9
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/miah20080508/

Miah @ Enhancement Medicine
Brussels, Belgium
2008 May 9-10
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/miah/

Treder, Cascio @ SciVestor Disruptive Technologies Conference
New York City
2008 May 22-22
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/sdtc08/

Reproductive Ethics
Cape Town, South Africa
2008 May 26-28
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/repro08sa/

Hughes @ World Humanist Congress
Washington, DC
2008 Jun 6-8
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hughes20080606/

Neural Interfaces Conference
Cleveland
2008 Jun 15-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/neural_interfaces_conference/

Ethics, Technology and Identity
Delft, Netherlands
2008 Jun 18-20
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/eti2008/

Online Deliberation and Advanced Computing
Berkeley, CA USA
2008 Jun 26-29
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ocadel/

Aubrey @ Bioengineering Approaches to Aging
UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
2008 Jun 27-29
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/uabba08/

Hughes, Bostrom, Treder @ Global Catastrophic Risks Conference
Oxford University, Oxford, UK
2008 Jul 17-20
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/gcr20080717/

EuroScience Open Forum
Barcelona, Spain
2008 Jul 18-22
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/esof2008/

Treder @ World Future Society
Washington, DC
2008 Jul 26-28
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/trederwfs2008/

International Philosophical Congress
Seoul, South Korea
2008 Jul 30-5
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ipcxii/

Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Montreal, Canada
2008 Aug 2-7
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/augaltcom2008/

Governing Emerging Technologies
Big Sky, MT
2008 Aug 17-22
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/20080817gordon/

Treder @ Basque Country Program on Globalization
San Sebastian, Spain
2008 Sep 3-5
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20080903/

9th World Congress of Bioethics
Rijeka and Opatija, Croatia
2008 Sep 3-8
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/9wcbioethics/

Science in the 21st Century
Waterloo, Ontario Canada
2008 Sep 8-12
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/sci21c08/

International Congress of AI & Nano
Bogotá, Colombia
2008 Sep 25-26
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/incainano08/

Psychiatry and Freedom
Dallas, Texas USA
2008 Oct 6-8
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/psychfree08/

World Academy of Art And Science
Hyderbad, India
2008 Oct 16-20
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/waas2008/

Singularity Summit 2008
San Jose, CA
2008 Oct 17-18
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/singsum2008/

Bioethics Futurism - Am Soc for Bioethics and Humanities
Cleveland, OH, USA
2008 Oct 23-26
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/asbh2008/

H+ & Religion session at American Academy of Religion
Chicago, IL USA
2008 Nov 1-3
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/aarh08/

Philosophy and Engineering
London, England.
2008 Nov 10-12
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/philosophy_and_engineering/

Neuroethics Society meeting
Washington, DC
2008 Nov 13-14
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/ns2008/

First World Congress  on Positive Psychology
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
2009 Jun 18-21
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pospsycon2009/


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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: 860-297-2376 

________________________________

Emergence encourages submissions for publication. Please send submissions to: director at ieet.org. Submissions will be reviewed by the IEET staff, and final determinations regarding publication are at the sole discretion of the IEET.
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