Daily Archives: February 5, 2023

Pioneering Transhumanism: a conversation with Natasha Vita-More

Posted: February 5, 2023 at 11:24 am

Natasha Vita-More

It is nearly 40 years since Natasha Vita-More wrote the first version of the Transhumanist Manifesto. She was drawn to transhumanist ideas from an early age, but she felt they were too radical to gain widespread acceptance at the time. She was also disinclined to pursue the career in medicine which her family favoured, and went into the arts instead. She spent some time living with a group of Navajo Indians, travelled to the Amazon Jungle, and produced a film about escaping social norms. Since then she has worked as a designer, a philosopher, an educator, a scientist, and a movement builder.

She joined the London Futurists Podcast to discuss how her work has seeded the global growth of transhumanism.

Transhumanism is the idea that technology and evidence-based science can and should be used to augment and improve humans in order to overcome the limitations that evolution has left us with. As the name suggests, it stems from humanism, but it adds an optimism that cognitive and physical improvement is both possible and desirable.

On the face of it, the idea that humans should be permitted to use technology to live healthier and happier lives does not sound dangerous, or even contentious. But it does provoke strong opposition: in 2004, Francis Fukuyama called transhumanism the worlds most dangerous idea. The force of that claim is somewhat undermined when you consider how wildly wrong his previous big idea turned out to be: in 1992 he declared that because the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, history had come to an end. Nevertheless, Fukuyama is not alone in fearing transhumanism.

Some people object to transhumanism because they think we should strive to be natural, and to be content with what evolution or their god - have given us. But of course the definition of what is natural changes over time. Nature didnt endow us with spectacles, and few people now argue they should be banned. Now we have cochlear implants, and many people feel that their smartphones are extensions of themselves. In the future we will have the option of raising our IQ with smart drugs or with gene therapy, and these will be hotly debated.

Transhumanism has more support today than it did 40 years ago, but it is probably still a minority opinion. Most people have given very little thought to whether it is possible or desirable for humans to improve their minds and bodies using technology Of those who have, it is probably only a minority who think it is definitely a good idea, subject to debate and regulations.

This is partly because most religious leaders oppose transhumanism, fearing that it is heresy, or that it could erode their standing. They propose instead that we put up with the condition of life as we have it, and look to an afterlife for improvement.

Others fear that inequality will be exacerbated and entrenched by cognitive and physical improvements, because they will be available only to the rich. This ignores the fact that rich people tend to be guinea pigs for early versions of new technologies, enabling producers to go up the learning curve and produce cheaper versions. Companies make far more money selling affordable goods and services to everyone than they could by selling diamond-encrusted versions to oligarchs and celebrities. The iPhone was a rich persons gadget in 2008, but today, smartphones are an essential item for billions of us.

However reasonable the basic idea of transhumanism may be, there are likely to be profound disagreements between its proponents and its opponents, as technologies become available which enable us to improve ourselves substantially. These disagreements could lead to conflict.

In a lifetime of advocating for transhumanism, Vita-More has been obliged to rebut its opponents on numerous occasions. In 2004, a group of renowned bioethicists contributed to a major report on gene therapy that was submitted to President George W. Bush. It argued that gene therapy and other forms of human enhancement are immoral and unethical. Vita-More produced and chaired a virtual conference with key transhumanist scholars to rebut the report. This meeting was the origin of the Proactionary Principle, which argues that the freedom to innovate is essential to human welfare, and points out that throughout history, the most significant innovations have not been recognised as such at the time.

In 2011, Vita-More was surprised to read disparaging and misleading comments about transhumanism by noted scholars including Katherine Hayles, Don Ihde, and Andrew Pickering, in an academic journal article published by the MetaNexus Institute. Vita-More called the editor-in-chief to protest, and he invited her to edit a response edition, which she did with the help of half a dozen other transhumanist scholars. This exchange was the best-known academic debate about transhumanism to that date, and it led to the publication of a book called Transhumanism and its Critics, which remains highly cited today.

Vita-More grew up in the 1950s, at a time when women had to work twice as hard as men to achieve any recognition. Her father didnt want her to go to college, so she worked three jobs to do it. She was a feisty radical, and instinctively confronted the discrimination against women.

When Vita-More wrote the Transhumanist Manifesto, her friend FM Esfandiary (who famously re-named himself as FM-2030 because he thought he had been born too early) was opposed to her writing it. As well as being an important contributor to transhumanist thought, Esfandiary was a very handsome Olympian athlete, and a diplomat at the UN, but it seems he disliked having attention drawn away from him by a woman. He had encouraged her to launch a TV show in Los Angeles, but as she became more successful, he became less supportive.

There has been a great deal of progress since the 1950s in the level of opportunities for women, but there remains a long way to go. This is especially true in futurism, and indeed in technology generally, where women are under-represented. Vita-More thinks there are many women active in transhumanist circles, but they dont promote themselves as assiduously as men often do.

Vita-More has an abiding interest in memory, and as she grew older, she became increasingly concerned about the loss of memory due to aging. This led her to undertake some scientific research in cryobiology, using a very small, simple animal called C. Elegans. This nematode (roundworm) has no brain but it has 302 neurons, and it can be trained to learn tasks. Vita-More taught hundreds of baby worms to associate food with a particular non-toxic chemical odorant and later, at their adult stage, she vitrified them by using a technique similar to embryo freezing, placing them in cryonic suspension. When she revived the nematodes she was delighted to discover that they retained the association between the food and the odour. This proof that memory can survive cryonic suspension has important implications for the future.

Today, Vita-More is executive director of Humanity Plus (abbreviated as H+, formerly known as the World Transhumanist Association), a non-profit organization that advocates the ethical use of technology to expand human capacities. It organises the H+ Academy Roundtable, a bi-monthly discussion and debate, which is available on YouTube. It also sponsors Transvision Summits around the world, including one in London which is organised by London Futurists Podcast co-host David Wood. Vita-More hosts Transhumanist studies group every Friday, which is like a graduate studies group, and H+ will shortly publish a new journal called Rejuvenation Revolution and a book called Beautiful Science.

Clearly transhumanism is alive and kicking, and it is not limited to the West. H+ is active in Africa, with projects in Ethiopia and South Africa, where it is organising a Longevity conference in August 2023.

London Futurists Podcast

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WWE will "never get mad at" three stars who are all incidentally former rivals of Triple H, claims former champion (Exclusive) – Sportskeeda

Posted: at 11:23 am

WWE will "never get mad at" three stars who are all incidentally former rivals of Triple H, claims former champion (Exclusive)  Sportskeeda

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Why Turkey is stalling on Finland and Swedens NATO bids – Vox.com

Posted: at 11:22 am

  1. Why Turkey is stalling on Finland and Swedens NATO bids  Vox.com
  2. Dealing With Erdogan: NATO, Sweden and Finland Should Wait Out Turkey's Election  Bloomberg
  3. NATO Must Reject Turkey's Blackmail on Sweden's Bid  Foreign Policy

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NATO urges Russia to respect its nuclear treaty, which Russia suspended when the US supported Ukraine – Fox News

Posted: at 11:22 am

  1. NATO urges Russia to respect its nuclear treaty, which Russia suspended when the US supported Ukraine  Fox News
  2. NATO urges Russia to respect nuclear pact with the US  ABC News
  3. NATO Urges Russia to Comply With Last US Nuclear Treaty  Voice of America - VOA News

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Dont be misled: leaving the single market and customs union was a Tory decision – The Guardian

Posted: at 11:19 am

Dont be misled: leaving the single market and customs union was a Tory decision  The Guardian

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What is Populism? | Political Science – Stanford University

Posted: at 11:17 am

Abstract

Anti-elitism is a necessary, but not a sufficient criterion for understanding politicians, parties, or movements as populist. These actors also need to be anti-pluralist, and they need to frame politics predominantly in moral terms. When in opposition, populist actors claim to be the only genuine representative of a non-institutionalized, homogeneous, authentic, and, most importantly, moral people. This claim to exclusive representation is what I call the populist core claim. It is a necessary feature of populism.

Populists can govern and there can be distinctly populist regimes. The view that populist parties are always protest parties and that, by definition, protest cannot govern, is erroneous. Populist regimes are characterized by mass clientelism and discriminatory legalism; moreover, they construe their policies as if the people as whole had given them an imperative mandate. Other regimes can exhibit such features, too; what is distinctive about populist regimes is that they practice clientelism and discriminatory legalism with a clean conscience, so to speak: only those who properly belong to the people as defined by populists should benefit from the regime. Finally, populist regimes attempt to bring into existence the homogeneous people in whose name they had been speaking all along (that is to say, when populist actors were in opposition or just ascending to power): this explains the tendency of these regimes to crack down on civil society and restrict media freedom.

Populism, then, is neither a well-defined doctrine nor a unique institutional configuration. But it does have an inner logic, which takes distinctive forms in the logic of how populist claims are articulated and in the inner logic of actual populist rule.

Biography

Jan-Werner Mueller's research interests include the history of modern political thought, liberalism and its critics, constitutionalism, religion and politics, and the normative dimensions of European integration.

He is the author of Constitutional Patriotism (Princeton UP, 2007; German, Chinese, Turkish, Korean, Japanese, and Serbian translations), A Dangerous Mind: Carl Schmitt in Post-War European Thought (Yale University Press, 2003; German, French, Japanese, Greek, Serbian, and Chinese translations) and Another Country: German Intellectuals, Unification and National Identity (Yale University Press, 2000; Chinese translation). In addition, he has edited German Ideologies since 1945: Studies in the Political Thought and Culture of the Bonn Republic (Palgrave, 2003) and Memory and Power in Post-War Europe: Studies in the Presence of the Past (Cambridge UP, 2002).

In 2011 Yale University Press published Contesting Democracy: Political Ideas in Twentieth Century Europe. (German, French, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Polish, and Serbian translations).

Professor Mueller has been a fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, the Collegium Budapest Institute for Advanced Study, the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, the Center for European Studies, Harvard University, the Remarque Institute, NYU, and the European University Institute, Florence; he has also been a Member of the Institute of Advanced Study Princeton. He has taught as a visiting professor at the EHESS, Paris, and Sciences Po, Paris. In 2011 he delivered the Carlyle Lectures in the History of Political Thought at Oxford University. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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Why Populism Is Rising And How To Combat It – Forbes

Posted: at 11:17 am

Readers relax, I'm not going to talk politics. I would however, like to discuss an old political phenomenon that is making headlines the rise of populism around the world. Far from a one-off occurrence, it is an alarming trend that requires drastic action. We should not ignore populism, since it is highly contagious, shapes political systems and induces other politicians to adopt its methods and means.

Every continent has its share of populist movements, both right-wing and left-wing, but only some reach a critical mass of power, while others remain on the sidelines. The term "populist" is frequently used as a political weapon to show disdain for a policy, even when it does not quite fit the definition. This is because populism is not just a movement: it's a strategy that nearly all political parties wind up using, either out of a sense of conviction or out of pure necessity.

What is populism?

There is disagreement on this point, but we can define it in broad terms. At the root of populist movements is a delineation between "normal folk" and "the elite." For example, "We" are the people and "they" are the ones who cheat, control and subjugate us, along with their supporters. These concepts are impossible to define in clearer terms because they don't reflect objective realities. More than anything else, the divide is grounded on identity and emotion that stem from making a sharp distinction between friend and enemy.

Other key characteristics include:

Politics are based on emotion to generate a feeling of affective identification.

Intellectuals and experts are viewed with suspicion because of their ties with the elite. Their words are perceived as skewed and biased.

The idea that the general will should prevail. Since representative democracies use intermediate structures, such as representatives and political parties, the will of the people should be abided. Liberal institutions (the separation of powers, the neutrality of state institutions, the defense of political and media pluralism) are no longer useful.

Anyone who disagrees with the body politic should be spurned and, if necessary, intimidated. Those who try to stabilize political institutions will hinder the advancement of populism.

Actions are channeled through provocation and protest. It is argued that dialogue no longer makes sense since it is controlled by the elite.

Conflict reigns in populist strategies. The liberal democratic system has always tried to conceal conflict (either because of lack of interest, because they don't know how to tackle it or because it is not considered media-worthy). In populist movements, the reverse is true: now it is important to accentuate every conflict and wrap it up tightly in an emotionally charged bundle.

Populism is normally, though not always, triggered by a charismatic leader who articulates the collective anxieties of the people.

It is also important to note that while problems relating to ethnic minorities or immigrants are sometimes (but not always) relevant to populist movements, populism is not necessarily xenophobic.

What is behind its rise?

Economic downturns and the perception of crisis. Economic crises are characterized by inequality and unemployment rates, but also encompass other phenomena like globalization (the perception that foreigners are stealing our jobs), technology (which favors the wealthy and better educated pockets of population) and social welfare cuts, among others.

Collective frustration and anxiety. This angst may be summed up as follows: We did everything right, we went to school, worked hard and now we're unemployed. We won't be able to collect retirement benefits and our kids won't come close to doing as well as our generation.

Increased inequality: the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The sentiment is that the super wealthy rig the system to make sure their children stay rich, which ruins any chance of upward mobility for the rest of us. This might not be entirely true, but it does not stop people believing it.

There are also deeper factors at play:

Complexity in social constructs has increased and citizens feel unsettled.

Public spending has become technocratic.

Corruption, an overall lack of transparency, and the machinations used by political parties have caused government institutions to lose credibility and legitimacy.

Campaign promises often bear little resemblance with the work that's done post-election. This might be because important decisions are made at higher levels (e.g. Brussels or Washington) or the result of a silent consensus among the controlling parties.

What can we do?

To the extent that it donates a breakdown in the liberal democratic model, populism is not likely to disappear any time soon. It could lose steam, however, if the underlying problems highlighted above are resolved. The following recommendations (although voiced without much enthusiasm) are ways to try to tackle its spread:

It is time to revise our macroeconomic, taxation, industrial and commercial policies. This is true for both countries and companies. It's not a question of rising salaries or being more generous with unemployment benefits, it's about exploring how we can develop strategies that don't cause unnecessary damage.

It is important to acknowledge that globalization, technological progress and tax reductions elevate the quality of life of society as a whole; but in the short term, they deliver a direct blow to certain pockets of the population, especially in rigid labor markets that hinder the unemployed from quickly finding a new job. Someone needs to break the news that not everyone's standard of living will continually rise and that some peoples net income will remain stagnant for years on end. Otherwise we have this situation where, say, a business owner tries to multiply sales year after year, or a management guru or economist in search of media attention claims GDP growth should be the ultimate aim of government policy without ever stopping to think the negative ripple effects that this measure could unleash.

By Antonio Argandoa, Emeritus Professor of Economics and Business Ethics at IESE Business School

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Legendary Billionaire Proposes A Radical, Dollar-Beating Inflation-Linked Crypto Rival To Bitcoin And Ethereum After Extreme Price Swings – Forbes

Posted: at 11:16 am

Legendary Billionaire Proposes A Radical, Dollar-Beating Inflation-Linked Crypto Rival To Bitcoin And Ethereum After Extreme Price Swings  Forbes

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Abstract paintings by Cleveland native John Moore reflect erasure of personal history as part of being Black – cleveland.com

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Abstract paintings by Cleveland native John Moore reflect erasure of personal history as part of being Black  cleveland.com

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Life Extension review – 7 facts you should know [APRIL 2022]

Posted: at 11:11 am

Life Extension Review Summary

Life Extension sells reasonably priced supplements for healthy living, including supplements, creams, and more. Learn more in our Life Extension review!

Fiyin Ebemidayo, B.S.

Summary

Many customer reviews indicate that the supplements work well and are a high quality for the relatively low price. However, some of the supplements sold have dubious scientific claims and a minority of customers note that they did not feel well after taking the products.

Feature image: https://www.cheapsnowgear.com/collections/snow-backpack-for-ski

This review is written with the intent to be as unbiased as possible. However, it represents the opinion of an individual reviewer and is therefore subjective. Furthermore, at Nebula Genomics we seek to educate the public about the benefits of Whole Genome Sequencing. Information about our Whole Genome Sequencing DNA test is therefore incorporated into the review.

April 19, 2022

Cons

Life Extension was established in the 1980s. It focuses on nutritional science with the goal to provide customers with supplements for a healthier life. The company has historically been on the forefront of nutritional improvements, including the introduction of a new standard of protocols for blood screening and its industry-first recommendation of low-dose aspirin for heart disease.

Life Extensions mission is to help people lead healthier lives by consuming nutritional products. The FDA cannot approve their products, and they are not allowed to make claims concerning the use of their products. If interested, you can call them to request a certificate of analysis.

The company employs its own clinical researchers to develop its products and recommendations. Its team of industry-leading pharmacists, scientists, and physicians are committed to producing the highest quality supplements. To date, the company has put more than $180 million into research towards improving its products.

As a testament to the founders science journalism background, although Life Extension provides lengthy reports on each product, they use minimal science jargon and can be understood by nonprofessionals. Besides health supplements, Life Extension also offers laboratory tests through its partner, LabCorp. However, these tests are only available in the continental US, excluding Maryland.

Life Extension offers a range of vitamins and supplements for diet, personal care, and even pet care. They also provide a variety of lab tests, including blood and saliva tests and magazines, and published books on disease prevention, treatment, and the health benefits of vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins and Supplements

These form the bulk of products available from Life Extension. Customers can shop by type or health goal. The ordering page clearly notes how many capsules are in each order and how many days each bottle supplies.

Supplements and vitamins are available under multiple categories, with about five to fifteen products under each category. Each page has a short quiz to receive personalized recommendations based on your health condition and goal. The supplements come in bottles as either soft gels or vegetarian capsules. You can order single bottles or four bottles in a multipack bundle that is slightly discounted.

The categories under type are as follows. Note that the costs reflect original prices and do not take into account sales.

These products are organized under health goals such as brain health and energy management. Other categories include:

Diet and Lifestyle

Besides the regular vitamins and supplements on offer, Life Extension sells some products classified as supplements for staying fit. These supplements are meant to help you boost the effectiveness of your workout and exercise. They include supplements for all needs, including carbs, proteins, and calories. They also have products that can help with weight loss or gain.

Categories available under the diet and lifestyle section are as follows:

Skin and Personal Care

Life Extension offers a range of skincare and personal grooming products. These products contain various nutrients needed to keep your skin healthy and ageless, including hyaluronic acid. Life Extensions skincare products include cleansers, exfoliators, moisturizers, anti-aging, and skin tightening serums. They offer products for all skin types, dry, oily, and combination.

Like with the supplements, you can take a quiz to receive product recommendations.

Pet Care

Life Extension offers products not just for you but also for your pets. These supplements provide your cat or dog with the proper nutrients for their growth.

Life Extension offers lab tests through its partnership with LabCorp. Tests on offer include blood, breath, saliva, urinary and fecal tests. It should, however, be noted that these tests are only available in the continental United States.

Taking a test through Life Extension does not require visiting a doctor for a lab order as an order is provided for you by a licensed doctor in your state. You can carry out the blood test yourself in your house if it is only a finger prick test, but you will have to visit a LabCorp laboratory if more blood is needed to be collected. You can find LabCorp laboratories nationwide. To get priority, you can make an appointment online before visiting the lab.

Once you get your test results, you can decide to talk to one of Life Extensions wellness specialists for a review of the test results. It should be noted that Life Extension does not offer diagnosis or treatment and that the test results are informational only. We, however, recommend that you still discuss the results with your physician for a broader outlook on the state of your health.

Lab test categories include blood clotting/circulation, blood sugar, bone, cardiovascular, cholesterol, digestion, healthy weight, hormones, immune system, inflammation management, kidney/urinary, liver, mens testing, neurological, nutrition, thyroid/adrenal, and womens testing.

Life Extensions supplements are not exactly expensive, with a bottle costing between about $10 and $30. However, you should note that different supplements will have a different number of capsules in each bottle. Additionally, since supplements are designed to be taken continuously, customers will have to manage the cost regularly.

The same goes for the other nutrition and care products.

In most cases, customers can save 11% by ordering more than one bottle at a time. There is the option of signing up for auto shipping when you have products you would like to order periodically. This option allows you to receive the products automatically monthly with the added perk of free shipping and an 11% discount. You also do not have to worry about overpaying when there is a price reduction, as the amount charged is automatically updated each time.

On the other hand, the lab tests range from as low as $20 but can cost over $800 for the more complex tests.

Life Extension offers a premium membership subscription called Premier Rewards. It costs $50 annually and gets you unlimited free shipping via standard shipping and discounts on international orders. In addition, you get a 4% cashback on every order, a free subscription to Life Extensions monthly magazine, and surprise gifts during your birth month and at random times.

Life Extensions privacy policy page does not indicate any unique protocols that protect user information. Your test results may be used for research but are anonymized, so they cannot be traced back to you. In addition, user information is shared with partners, including advertisers, to serve personalized ads to you.

The supplement company continues to perform research and release new products. In 2022, new supplements include Brain Fog Relief and Waistline Control.

The company sells many of its supplements on Amazon. Here, they receive top rated rankings between 4 and 4.5 out of 5 stars. The products have been reviewed hundreds of times and some of the more popular products even have close to 7,000 ratings.

As noted in the reviews for the Two-per-Day Multivitamin, many customers felt the company has quality products and that they have seen good results, especially as they cost less than competitors. Some customers even highly recommend it, noting that they have taken them for years.

However, some reviewers indicate that the vitamin does not absorb well and they have side effects such as feeling sick after taking them. With supplements, its important to note that not every supplement works for every person and customers should consult with their doctor before adding supplements to their diet.

Before considering supplements, you may want to know more about your genetic predispositions to conditions these supplements support. Nebula Genomics offers accurate DNA testing at a reasonable price. These tests indicate genetic predispositions to characteristics and health issues, among other things.

Results on ancestry, health, food, and exercise are produced with 30x Whole Genome Sequencing, which decodes 100% of the DNA. It also gives you complete control over how your test results are handled and raw data to further explore your DNA data. This knowledge may help you and your doctor decide if certain supplements are right for you.

You also receive exclusive access to genetic information to assist your genealogical study. Regular updates and reports from Nebula Genomics bring you up to date on the newest advances in genetic science, ensuring you have continued access to the latest research.

Did you like our Life Extension review? You can read more reviews on our blog and check out our complete guide to the best DNA test kit and other home tests.

You may also be interested in these other supplement companies:

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