Support to Combat Existential Risks
The Lifeboat Foundation, a leading organization combating existential
risks, has gained the support from key leaders worried about our future.
Jaan Tallinn, who is based in Estonia and is cofounder of Skype, the
only major IM client that both securely authenticates conversation
participants and encrypts the communication, donated $10,000. Jack
Halpern, who is based in Japan and is CEO of The CJK Dictionary
Institute (CJKI) in Japan donated $12,000.
The Lifeboat Foundation has earmarked funds for participation in the X
PRIZE Cup '07 from October 26 to October 28 at Holloman Air Force Base,
New Mexico where it will demonstrate Electromagnetic (EM) launch
technology. This technology will allow rockets to be launched with no
fuel onboard. Since most of the power in a rocket is used to launch the
fuel and not the payload, this is a significant development. It also
helps avoid the danger of being launched on a large chemical bomb AND
reduces pollution as well. Such technology will be critical if an
existential risk eliminates life on this planet. Information on this
technology is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_gun and
http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/e-prints/UT.pdf
In addition, the Lifeboat Foundation is earmarking funds towards a
nanodefense fund which will focus on funding Robert A. Freitas Jr.'s
research on developing defenses against nanoweapons. Thanks to generous
funding by Sergio M.L. Tarrero who is based in Spain and has donated
nearly $10,000, the nanodefense fund will begin funding Robert Freitas
in Fall '07. The Lifeboat Foundation is soliciting more funds for this
purpose. Donations may be made at https://lifeboat.com/ex/donations
(Select Thermal Censorship of Ecophagy Study.)
Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil who is based in the U.S. has donated
over $10,000 to the Lifeboat Foundation. The Lifeboat Foundation
recommends that you follow his wise example and safeguard humanity
against our uncertain future.
Ray Kurzweil says "A self-replicating pathogen, whether biological or
nanotechnology based, could destroy our civilization in a matter of days
or weeks. We cannot rely on trial-and-error approaches to deal with
existential risks and that is why I support the Lifeboat Foundation."
The Lifeboat Foundation is a nonprofit nongovernmental organization
dedicated to encouraging scientific advancements while helping humanity
survive existential risks and possible misuse of increasingly powerful
technologies, including genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and
robotics/AI, as we move towards a technological singularity.
Lifeboat Foundation is pursuing a variety of options, including helping
to accelerate the development of technologies to defend humanity,
including new methods to combat viruses (such as RNA interference and
new vaccine methods), effective nanotechnological defensive strategies,
and even self-sustaining space colonies in case the other defensive
strategies fail.
With a fund of $241,919.80, 392 Scientific Advisory Board members
involved in 26 subboards ranging from Particle Physics to Neuroscience,
including Howard Bloom, Aubrey de Grey, Ray Kurzweil, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky, Nobel Laureates, and many other prominent thinkers, 23
programs, and 40 reports, the Lifeboat Foundation is making steady
progress towards this goal.
Free Banners
The Millennium Project of WFUNA (World Federation of UN Associations) posts a free ad for us at http://www.millennium-project.org/mille...fhom.htm
Videos
Watch "The Immortalists: A Short Film" at
http://lifeboat.com/ex/videos#the_immortalists
Watch "Nanotechnology vs. cancer!" at
http://lifeboat.com/ex/videos#nanotechn...s_cancer
Reports
Our Scientific Advisory Board members have generated many interesting
reports recently. They include:
"Considering Military and Ethical Implications of Nanofactory Level
Nanotechnology" by Brian Wang at
http://lifeboat.com/ex/military.and.eth...chnology
"Top Ten Transhumanist Technologies" by Michael Anissimov at
http://lifeboat.com/ex/transhumanist.technologies
Growing Membership
Here are some of the recent donations/pledges we have received since
the last newsletter:
Sergio M.L. Tarrero: $670,
Stanley Pecavar: $500,
Michael Anissimov: $425,
Michael Fleischmann: $150,
Anonymous: $95,
Michael Dickey: $85,
Thoughtware.TV: $85,
Philippe Van Nedervelde: $85,
Kenneth P. Weiss: $85,
Matthew L. McGuirl: $50,
James Blodgett: $25,
Vincent A. Cate: $25,
Adam Dobrin: $25,
Rick Hubbard: $25,
James William Taylor: $25,
Mark A. Walker: $20,
Tom McCabe: $20,
Sylvia Engdahl: $10,
George Garrett: $10,
Glenn A. Miller: $10,
Jeremy Shepard: $10,
Pennye Shaw: $10,
Kaj Sotala: $10,
Michael Vassar: $10,
and Donna Beck: $1.
Our Join Us page at https://lifeboat.com/ex/join.us now allows you to
pay for your membership anywhere from monthly to every ten years.
