January 2010 Humanity+ Board Elections
Five Humanity+ Board members' terms expire in January, and one additional member is stepping down. So there will be six seats open in January.
Its time to think about whether you want to run for the Board. Running for a board post, as well as voting in the election, is open to all dues-paying ("supporting" or "sustaining") members of the association.
All voting members in good standing as of Monday January 11th, 2010 are eligible to run in and vote in the Board election. Board members must be and remain voting members in good standing in order to run and serve. Please contact Assistant Director Marcelo Rinesi <marcelorinesi@gmail.com> to determine if you will be a voting member in good standing through Monday January 11, 2010.
The Board meets and votes virtually 24/7/365, so no travel is required, although daily Internet access is essential.
The term of service is two years, for these five open positions Jan 18, 2010 - Jan 15, 2012.
The period for self-nominations closes Saturday January 9th at noon EST. Voting will be conducted Monday January 11th to Thursday January 14th.
Please send your candidate statements to Humanity+ Secretary J. Hughes at secretary@transhumanism.org.
Previous examples of candidate statements are here:
http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/vote2006/
http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/vote2007/
http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/vote2008/
h+ Winter Edition is here!
The Winter 2009 Issue of h+ Magazine features The Ray Kurzweil Interview, CAPRICA: Birth of the Cylons, DIY Transhumanism, The Chinese Singularity, and more.
It's here: http://hplusmagazine.com/magazine
Spread the word!
Webcasts of Humanity+ Summit and IEET Seminar
http://www.techzulu.com/live.html
The IEET "Biopolitics of Popular Culture" seminar this coming Friday will also be available through the TechZulu website.
The Humanity+ Summit agenda is available here:
http://hplus.eventbrite.com/
Proceedings will be broadcast from 9am-5:30pm PST Saturday, December 5, and 9am-6pm Sunday, December 6, 2009.
The IEET Seminar agenda is here:
http://ieet.org/bpcs09
Proceedings will be broadcast 8:30am to 5:30pm PST Friday December 4, 2009.
Ecology and Reverence from an LDS Perspective
Dec 5-6, 2009: Humanity+ Summit
Dec 4, 2009: IEET Seminar on Biopolitics of Popular Culture
BYU professor emeritus William Bradshaw on Mormonism and Science
2009 LDSTech Awards
h+ Magazine on a Newsstand Near You
Singularity Summit 2009
Second Annual LDS Tech Talk
h+ Magazine Fall 2009 Issue
New MTA Feed . . . without Comments
Alex Lightman Appointed Executive Director of Humanity+
Review of Financial Transactions
a) compensation and benefits are reasonable in that no compensation or financial benefits have been made
b) all partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with management organizations do conform to the Association's written policies, are propertly recorded, do reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and services, do further charitable purposes and do not result in inurement, impermissible private benefit or in an excess benefit transaction.
Follow the Mormon Transhumanist Association on Twitter
h+ Magazine Summer Edition

Cover Stories:
- Designer Baby Controversy
- From X Prize to Singularity U
- Biohacking Arrives
- Legalize Sports Doping?
- Was That a Bot of a Human?
- Chris Conte's Microbotic Art
- Here Come the Neurobots
- Real Discrimination Against Virtual People
- The Man Behind Biosphere 2
- Everything of the Dead: The Future of Humanity is Zombie
- Life On Mars with Pete Worden
New Web Site
Job Opening: Executive Director, Humanity+
- directing the work of the Assistant Director
- maintaining the website
- fundraising
- managing mailing lists, a newsletter, and member communications
- maintaining contact with chapters and organizing committees, and facilitating chapter growth
- maintaining contact with affiliates around the programmatic agenda outlined by the Board
- representing H+ and transhumanism in the media and other outlets (such as seminars and conferences)
Preference will be given to prospects with strong written and verbal communication skills and for those who are experienced and capable public speakers. Fluency in English is essential, with other world languages a plus. Candidates must be prepared to be the “public face” of Humanity+.
Location is irrelevant as the candidate will be expected to telecommute. The position is currently voluntary. However, there are prospects that fundraising will enable some level of compensation in the coming year (part of the responsibilities of the Executive Director will be to make this happen).
It is also expected that the Executive Director will attend conferences, seminars and other networking opportunities. The ED will be reimbursed for these expenses.
Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2009.
A final decision will be made by May 25, 2009, and the position will begin June 1, 2009.
Please send resumes to: hplusdirector@gmail.com
Videos of Parallels and Convergences: Mormon Thought and Engineering Vision
Parallels and Convergences: Mormon Thought and Engineering Vision (6-7 March)
The Claremont School of Religion, The LDS Council on Mormon Studies and the Mormon Scholars Foundation are pleased to present:
Parallels and Convergences: Mormon Thought and Engineering Vision
A conference featuring keynote speaker Terryl Givens and a panel of LDS engineers
The conference seeks to expand the discussion of Latter-day Saint perspectives on the attributes of God and the potential of man by examining the possible resonance between Mormon and engineering thought. In Mormon thought, God is the architect of the Creation and the engineer of our bodies and spirits. Man, on the other hand, is believed to be capable of growing to become like God. The conference's governing question is: Where does engineering fit in the convergence of these two realms?
A panel of LDS engineers will discuss topics that include materialism, free will, models of spirit matter, quantified morality, spiritual underpinnings for a space program, the New God Argument, God as a perfect engineer, technical interpretation of Mormon physiology, transhumanism, Gaia and the paradisiacal Earth, and technical advancement leading into the millennium.
Keynote Lecture:
Friday, 6 March 2009 at 8pm
Conference:
Saturday, 7 March 2009 10am-5pm
10:00 Welcome - Richard Bushman
10:10 - 11:50
"God, The Perfect Engineer"
Allen W. Leigh, Electrical / Software Engineer & Adjunct Instructor, retired
"Models of Spirit Matter"
Adam N. Davis, Assistant Professor of Physics, Wayne State College
"A Technical Interpretation of Mormon Physics and Physiology"
Lincoln Cannon (with Scott Howe), President, Mormon Transhumanist Association
"Materialism, Free Will, and Mormonism"
Adam N. Davis, Assistant Professor of Physics, Wayne State College
11:50 - 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 2:50
"Theological Implications of The New God Argument"
Joseph West (with Lincoln Cannon), Founding Member, Director and Secretary, Mormon Transhumanist Association
"Quantified Morality"
A. Scott Howe, PhD, Senior Systems Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
"Transfiguration: Parallels and Complements Between Mormonism and Transhumanism"
Carl Youngblood, Chief Software Architect, Surgeworks, Inc.
"Gaia, Mormonism, and Paradisiacal Earth"
Roger D. Hansen, PhD, Technology Specialist, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
2:50 - 3:10 Break
3:10 - 4:00
"Spiritual Underpinnings for a Space Program"
William R. Pickett (with Scott Howe), Senior Hardware Engineer, Antenna Range Master, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
"Welcome to the 21st Century: The Uncharted Future Ahead"
David H. Bailey, Chief Technologist, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
4:00 - 5:00 Panel Discussion
Lecture and Conference Location:
Albrecht Auditorium in Stauffer Hall, Claremont Graduate University, 925 North Dartmouth Avenue, Claremont
The conference is free and open to the public.
The official site for the conference is available here: http://mormonism-engineering.org
Call for Papers from American Academy of Religion Transhumanism and Religion Consultation
2009 Call for Papers (open to non-American Academy of Religion members) - Deadline March 2, 2009
Transhumanism and Religion Consultation--American Academy of Religion--November 7-10, 2009 annual meeting in Montreal
This Consultation welcomes papers on any aspect of transhumanism and religion. We particularly welcome papers that identify and critically evaluate the implicit religious beliefs underlying key transhumanist claims and assumptions. For example, what are the operative notions of anthropology, soteriology, and eschatology that are at play in the transhumanist quest for enhancement, including extreme longevity? We welcome more overtly philosophical critiques of posthuman discourse, especially in respect to the employment of and reliance placed in technology. We encourage proposals about all religious traditions. Also, rather than depending on biotechnology, some transhumanists place greater confidence in nanotechnology, robotics, and information technology to achieve virtual immortality and create a superior posthuman species. We welcome critical and constructive assessments of this envisioned future. For more information, contact Calvin Mercer (mercerc@ecu.edu).
TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL ONLINE AS A NON-MEMBER
--go to www.aarweb.org
--on the right side, click on "online paper and panel proposal (OP3) system now open"
--scroll down and click on "Submit a Proposal as a Non-Member" and follow instructions
--the proposal is for the "Religion and Transhumanism" consultation
If your proposal is accepted, then you will need to become an AAR member and be registered for the annual meeting in (Montreal November 7-10) before June 15 to remain on the program. Deadline for submission of a proposal is March 2, 2009.
DESCRIPTION OF TRANSHUMANISM
"Transhumanism" or "human enhancement" refers to an intellectual and cultural movement that advocates the use of a variety of emerging technologies. The convergence of these technologies may make it possible to take control of human evolution, providing for the enhancement of human mental and physical abilities and the amelioration of aspects of the human condition regarded as undesirable. If these enhancements become widely available, it would arguably have a more radical impact than any other development in human history - one need only reflect briefly on the economic, political, and social implications of some of the extreme enhancement possibilities. The implications for religion and the religious dimensions of human enhancement technologies are enormous and are addressed in our consultation.
Charles Darwin Bicentennial Week at BYU, Feb. 9-13, 2009
1809 - 1859 - 2009
- Monday, 6 p.m., 455 MARB
How Darwin's Big Idea Has Improved the Human Condition: Three Vignettes for Discussion
Evolution and Modern Medicine - Keith Crandall, Department of Biology
Evolution in Forensics, Food, & Conservation - Byron Adams, Department of Biology
Evolution and Behavior - Jerry Johnson, Department of Biology - Tuesday, Noon, 321 Maeser Building Auditorium
The Many Faces of Charles Darwin
Daniel Fairbanks, Professor and Associate Dean of Science and Health, Utah Valley University - Wednesday, 3 p.m., 455 MARB
An Approach to Understanding the Creation
Terry Ball, Dean of Religious Education, Department of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University - Wednesday, 7 p.m., 445 MARB
On Knowing: The Times and Seasons of Joseph Smith, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Darwin
Riley Nelson, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University - Thursday Feb. 12 - 7 p.m. - 3220 Wilkinson Student Center
The Legacy of Charles Darwin: Seeking Grandeur in the View of Life
Michael Whiting, Professor, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University
Birthday cake will be served following the lecture. - Thursday, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7p.m. lecture, 377 Clyde Building
The Evolution of Charles Darwin: A Bicentennial Celebration
Scott Ritter, Professor & Chair, Department of Geology, Brigham Young University - Friday, 3 p.m., 445 MARB
Darwin and the Human Fossil Record
Duane Jeffery, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University
For more information, please see the press release.
Congratulations to the New Humanity+ Board
The Mormon Transhumanist Association congratulates and expresses support for the new directors of our affiliate, Humanity+. The following five candidates have been elected to the five 2009-2010 board seats:
Sonia Arrison
George Dvorsky
Ben Goertzel
Todd Huffman
Mike LaTorra
These three board members will serve 2009 terms:
Patri Friedman
Jonas Lamis
Mike Treder
All voting members of the Mormon Transhumanist Association are voting members of Humanity+, and were eligible to participate in the election of these new directors.
Richard Leis Appointed Humanity+ Executive Director
The board of directors of our affiliate, Humanity+ (formerly the World Transhumanist Association), has announced that Richard Leis has accepted appointment as the Executive Director of Humanity+.
Richard Leis Jr is Operations Specialist for the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) at the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Arizona. He is co-founder of two transhumanist clubs in Arizona and founded an affiliation of transhumanist and related local clubs. He founded and writes for the Frontier Channel, and hosted the RADIO Frontier Channel podcast.
The Mormon Transhumanist Association congratulates and expresses support for Richard.