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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thank you BK for your insightful response. (Bty, I am chairman of Humanity+ </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings'>J</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I agree that if one modifies the body for any reason other than to enhance, extend or expand life, it is more about body modification than transhumanism. I think that ExI had this delineated nicely and is would probably be wise to defer back to those seminal ideas. All the other innovations that have occurred over the years don’t change the basics, but nicely add to the science, technology and design in engineering more seamlessness with biology. Outside the physical body, building subpersonas (avatars, etc.) in multiple environments renews some of the issues of personal identity and fluidity of self and I find more original, far-reaching ideas in this domain than in the particular visuals of physical body design.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I think that Primo Posthuman nicely covers the domain of the transhuman: human enhancement, body design, and simulation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Natasha<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>Natasha Vita-More, PhD</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>B.K. DeLong<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, September 05, 2012 1:44 PM<br><b>To:</b> Kelly Anderson<br><b>Cc:</b> ExI chat list<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] Transhuman<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'>Natasha is presently Vice Chair of Humanity+ (formerly the WTA) so I defer to her - but here is their FAQ, developed by Extropy Institute and Humanity+ as well as WTA:<br><a href="http://humanityplus.org/philosophy/transhumanist-faq/#answer_19">http://humanityplus.org/philosophy/transhumanist-faq/#answer_19</a><br><br>Here is Humanity+'s Mission: <a href="http://humanityplus.org/about/mission/">http://humanityplus.org/about/mission/</a><br><br>If you modify your body purely for cosmetics with no practical benefit (yes, evolutionary proofs aside - say to look like a lizard, cat or other reasons) are you really MORE than human? Your abilities are still human - you have not advanced your cognitive, psychological or physical abilities unless one of the cosmetic body mods allow you to do something standard humans cannot. Hence transcending human limitations. <br><br>That's just my view but I definitely defer to the definitions of Humanity+ and the ExI. I am just a dreamer and thinker and writer always hoping to inspire the scientists, doctors, and engineers of current and upcoming generations to create such amazing technologies. ;)<br><br>Who's to say that such body mods won't inspire transhumanist technologies? They may not be transhuman but they might give people ideas...<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>On Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 4:25 PM, Kelly Anderson <<a href="mailto:kellycoinguy@gmail.com" target="_blank">kellycoinguy@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'>On Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 11:27 AM, B.K. DeLong <<a href="mailto:bkdelong1@gmail.com">bkdelong1@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> Because, in my mind, the purpose of body modification within the definition<br>> of transhumanism is that you are doing so to transcend present limitations<br>> of the standard human body for the betterment of yourself beyond mere<br>> cosmetic beautification.<br>><br>> I think to qualify as transhumanism, body mods need to pose a benefit, such<br>> as a tattoo that gives a constant blood reading, removing a rib or two to<br>> allow for better flexibility and contortionism, or going so far as leg<br>> amputation for cybernetic limbs. Not just satisfy the subject's definition<br>> (and perhaps a segment of society's) of beautification.<br>><br>> Thoughts?<br><br><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>I stand corrected. I guess I thought transhumanism was a slightly<br>bigger tent that also included purely cosmetic body modification.<br>After all, if I no longer look human, am I not transhuman in some<br>meaningful way?<br><span style='color:#888888'><br><span class=hoenzb>-Kelly</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><br><br clear=all><br>-- <br>B.K. DeLong (K3GRN)<br><a href="mailto:bkdelong@pobox.com" target="_blank">bkdelong@pobox.com</a><br>+1.617.797.8471<br><br><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkdelong" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkdelong</a> Work<br><br>GPG Key Fingerprint: 5EEF0ABDACDD937AD08F4AF0E42DFD9081DE7CB<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>