Cryonics with Dr Max More #10

Do we need a new criteria for death, that covers the technicalities around neuro preservation, issues of legal identity upon reanimation and an approach to rehabilitation? What are the misunderstandings or misinformation that surround transhumanism and endeavour to make the distinction between transhumanism and technocracy? Should we be worried about the wrong headedness of The Population Bomb, climate catastrophism and the fashionability of long termism? 

Today, I speak with Max More. As some of you may already know, Max is considered to be the founder of modern transhumanism, a philosopher and futurist who writes extensively on technology and humanity. He's also currently ambassador and President Emeritus at Alcor Life Extension Foundation, having served almost 10 years as President and CEO there, and having been its 67th member. His 1995 University of Southern California doctoral dissertation, 'The diachronic self identity continuity and transformation', examined several issues that concern transhumanists, including the nature of death. He is the Co-editor of Rhe Transhumanist Reader, and he's written many articles on transhumanism and extropianism, including the 1990 essay, 'Transhumanism: toward a futurist philosophy', in which he introduced the term transhumanism, in its modern sense. 


This episode of The Future of You covers:

  • A definition of cryonics
  • Changing definitions of death
  • The process of cryogenic freezing 
  • Memory loss and personality
  • Consent and cryonic preservation
  • What happens to identity after death and cryopreservation?
  • Rights on reanimation
  • Should world leaders be preserved for the good of their citizens?
  • Attitudes to cryopreservation around the world
  • Should we be thinking about the end of life at birth?
  • Why isn’t cryonics favourably received by the media?
  • Transhumanism
  • The future of states and capitalism
  • The problem of shrinking populations
  • Long termism and utilitarianism
  • Environmentalism
  • Is a misunderstanding of transhumanism really just mischief?

www.alcor.org

The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?: www.amazon.co.uk/Future-You-Identity-21st-Century-Technology-ebook/dp/B08XBN4GBB

Links and references at: www.traceyfollows.com



Om Podcasten

Hello, welcome to the Future of You podcast. 

Here we’re going to investigate and analyse all the ways emerging technologies are going to affect our identity. We used to argue about whether personal identity was in the mind or in the body; but now that psychology of the self and the biology of self has been joined by a third dimension - the technology of the self. 

In a digital, data-driven world, Facebook gets a say in verifying who we are, medical science can alter our genetic make-up, and AI will help us create our digital twin - just how many identities do we need in the multiverse? How is 21st Century technology changing who we are? 

I set out to research exactly that, when I wrote my book The Future of You. That turned out to be only the start of my journey into our changing identity in a digital world. And I thought rather than continue to research this on my own, I could invite you along too. 

I’m Tracey Follows, I’m a futurist and founder of Futuremade, the futures consultancy, and I’ve helped brands and businesses like Virgin, Google, Diageo and Farfetch spot trends, develop strategic foresight and fully prepare for what comes next.

 I believe identity is the defining issue of our generation. So every fortnight I’ll be releasing new episodes, featuring panels of experts as we delve into topics such as how we use media to express our selves, the emergence of the extreme self, transhumanism and the augmented self; anonymity, genetics, biometrics, mind clones, and the digital afterlife - these are just some of the innovations, and controversies, we’ll cover. 

Join the community, buy the book at thefutureofyou.co.uk or connect with me on twitter at @traceyfutures. Please come with me on this journey to explore identity in the digital world, as we investigate the future of me, and the future of you.