Jac2947329 wrote:
>I have been on the extropians mailing list now for a few months and I've
>noticed that very few posts are made in respect to short term views. While
>it's commendable to be visionary I would think that many extropians would
>concern themselves with what could be done presently to assure a
transhumanist
>existence in the future. Is there much collaboration on this level? I would
>like to take more of an activist's position in exploring transhumanist
>avenues. Any recommendations?
- From the FAQ:
What are extropians doing to improve their life expectancy?
Many are supplementing their diets with significant quantities of
vitamins and minerals, such as:
most B vitamins,
beta carotene,
vitamins C and E,
chromium picolinate,
zinc,
and selenium.
It is widely theorized that free radicals are responsible for many of
the problems associated with aging, and many vitamins are known
to remove free radicals from the body. Also, there are a fair
number of animal studies showing that vitamins and minerals
improve health and life expectancies.
An important book on this subject is:
Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach, by Durk
Pearson and Sandy Shaw (1982).
I feel compelled to warn readers that some of their claims may be
exaggerated.
Caloric Restriction is also a popular idea among extropians, as
there is substantial evidence that it will increase maximum
lifespans. For more info, read:
The 120-year Diet, by Roy L. Walford (1986)
The Anti-Aging Plan, by Roy L. Walford and Lisa
Walford (1994)
Vegetarian and Vegan diets are also popular among extropians, and
high- fat foods are frequently criticized.
For more information, read the newsgroup sci.life-extension, or its
FAQ, which can be ftp'd from sunsite.unc.edu in directory:
/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/faqs/life-extension.
and
Do extropians live differently, or is it all theory?
Some people who espouse extropian ideas do live
indistinguishably from their neighbors, but here are some of
the things that extropians are doing right now or have done
already. Many extropians are deliberately designing and
pursuing their own life extension programs relying on
dietary changes, nutrient supplementation, exercise, use of
pharmaceuticals with demonstrated life-extending effects,
and regular laboratory tests of biomarkers of aging. Many
extropians have arranged legally and financially for cryonic
biostasis in the event of their accidental deanimation.
Extropians have made career choices based on their
extropian ideas; many are software engineers,
neuroscientists, aerospace engineers, cryptologists, privacy
consultants, designers of institutions, mathematicians,
philosophers, and medical doctors researching
life-extension techniques. Some extropians are very active
in libertarian politics, and in legal challenges to abuse of
government power. What most extropians do consistently
and often is think hard about, and discuss, the changes the
future will bring, thereby immunizing themselves against
future shock and helping to prepare themselves to take
advantage of the opportunities (and protect against the
dangers) that future developments will bring.
Romana Machado has written an essay addressing this
question, entitled "Five Things You Can Do To Fight
Entropy Now." In this essay, she discusses techniques
extropians have used to advance their physical health,
mental health, self-defense, financial security, and
preparation for accidental deanimation. The essay has been
published in EXTRO 1: Proceedings of the First Extropy
Institute Conference.
Also, many extropians have signed up for cryonic suspension. You can
search the mailing list archives for this one. Alcor, at
http://www.alcor.com seems to be the most popular organization, or at least
the most visible.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.5.3
iQEVAwUBNUfijPJQm6Y3yAfNAQHiCwf/bg4+ns7VyNPC+4vbZpXhiDh5QIBQyo8Z
rbsTaEm8wxCOm8zCTEkw5gmRCKDna5Fy80eEv5yhm1mxhl63k3jsCghquiuukLDQ
j+TxIuISOGpoecO7YGCzx6HiiewSO74ZqtxRplsUSU6iQRgu5+GlP1PyXFwgNIGc
ghdXugdBBrjETwd1KNdJFtmZDQjEp8uthxeD8/aqKXYunCMTGGoJdvRQ84Zme0Uj
pQvzk3rU5WokMAuPWzDldmpBTHgaL2fljRRnK+HEPMmsPlyscy3sFa0PjNbqU+rC
bLNPW45P4cP6lQIUhThYHN7uFtWo6mJXOqbB4mRJF13b6NfVBQzjJQ==
=oMhb
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
-TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO LIVE-