Recently, there has been massive popular agitation for a memetic core
statement of our philosophy. Some of us disagree with parts of the
Extropian Principles, others think they are too vague, and still others
think they are too complex and philosophical to serve as a combination
rallying point and recruiting brochure.
I offer, for your consideration and eventual virulent rejection, "The
Extropian Banner", after the style of "The Book of the SubGenius".
After reading this, you'll be GLAD to take the Principles.
==
WE are the advocates of ULTRATECHNOLOGY.
WE are READY and EAGER for the coming age of neurohacking, nanotechnology, immortality, space colonization, Artificial Intelligence, transhumanity, uploading, superintelligence, and the Singularity.
WE believe in intelligence, science, rational thought, freedom, and the FUTURE.
WE do NOT believe in ignorance, pain, stupidity, death, or income tax, and we intend to DO something about it.
WE will MESS with our genes, WIRE our brains, PROGRAM self-modifying Artificial Intelligences, UPLOAD ourselves into computers, become TRANSHUMANS, and then use our enormous brains to enhance ourselves EVEN MORE.
WE will move ALL of Earth's heavy industry into space, end pollution, and disassemble toxic waste with infinitesimal robots.
We will CRUSH the rainforests ANYWAY, just to GET BACK at the environmentalists for trying to outlaw every form of technology more advanced than AGRICULTURE.
WE believe that YOU should have the right to build yourself a spaceship using nanotechnology, travel across the galaxy, stake out your own solar system, DISASSEMBLE it, and use the mass to build a supercomputer TEN BILLION TIMES SMARTER THAN THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, all WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE.
WE see NO REASON to slow down the Inexorable March of Technological Progress simply because someone ELSE thinks we are getting uncomfortably close to GODHOOD.
WE would rewrite the LAWS OF PHYSICS if we could find the source code.
WE will LAUGH at limits.
WE will LAUGH at the foolish protests of namby-pamby technophobes.
WE will drag this planet, KICKING and SCREAMING, into the AWESOME AND UNKNOWABLE FUTURE, and do it BEFORE our parents die of old age.
==
Does everyone agree with that?
ASIDE from the part about the rainforests. That was a JOKE, ha ha.
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html
http://pobox.com/~sentience/sing_analysis.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.