MEDIA: Extropian Memes in Mass Media

James Ganong (JGanong@webtv.net)
Mon, 26 Apr 1999 01:26:14 -0700 (PDT)

The May issue of Esquire has a 12 page
special on the increasing likelihood of physical immortality. It states that a 40
year old of today has a pretty good chance of catching the wave. The article references Kurzweil, a few of the headline grabbing biotech breakthroughs (including a claim of human cloning in S Korea in December 98--familiar to anyone?) & a few possible implant-type
interfaces & enhancements. It also touches on uploading, but only as a step to being put into a new brain. It deals wth possible social reactions in a journal-entry story, but trots out bugaboos re: overpopulation & resource exhaustion. There are even handy tips on how to be part of the first immortal generation.

File this under preaching to the converted (maybe), but the SciFi Channel has new promos showing people wanting things like cyber/bio enhancements, uploads, nanotech & self-directed evolution. If the memes have reached Madison Ave, they must be near to reaching the mainstream consumer.

Reasons to be cheerful?