Transtopian Principles - Related Links

[Note: though this page is periodically updated, there will inevitably be a few dead links here and there -- the Net is a very dynamic entity, after all. Pages come and go all the time. If you do find a dead link, you could report it to the webmaster and/or do a keyword search on Google. The Google is mighty; finding a mirror page / moved site (etc.) usually takes less than a minute]

Rationalism

• Occam's Razor The basis of rational thinking.
  
• Pancritical Rationalism: An Extropic Metacontext for Memetic Progress, by Max More.
  
• Logic & Fallacies, from The Atheism Web. A great introduction to the basics of logical reasoning (and how to apply them to religion, for example).

  Memetic Evolution

• Principia Cybernetica's memetics section Introduction to memetics & various links.
  
• Meme Central "The center of the world of memetics."
  
• alt.memetics Another prime memetics resource. Links to numerous meme-related articles and sites.
  
• The Memetic Lexicon Learn to talk like a real memeticist.

  Intelligent Hedonism

• The Hedonistic Imperative The ultimate pleasure nexus; deals with the "moral" aspects of "paradise engineering", and describes current as well as (possible) future techniques, drugs and technologies for sustained mood enhancement .
  
• CERI The Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute (lots of info on smart drugs etc.)
  
• The Drug Library Comprehensive info on drugs & drug policy.
  
• The Ibogaine Dossier "Ibogaine, a substance discovered in plants from the West African rain forests, has been reported to reduce both narcotic and cocaine withdrawal symptoms in humans."
  
• The Lycaeum - Entheogenic Database & Community
  
• Erowid Psychoactive Vaults Another excellent drug database. Covers dosage, effects, chemical composition & history of specific drugs, as well as legal issues, drug testing, health & statistics, medicinal use, vendors etc, etc.
  
• Cannabis.com "The most popular cannabis website in the world!" Medical & recreational info, how to successfully pass drug tests, activism, growing tips and much more. If there were such a thing as an "official" Transtopian drug, it would probably be pot; it's very safe, and can be used for anything from spicing up your sex life to alleviating certain medical conditions.
  
• Marijuana Uses A collection of marijuana-related essays by various authors, compiled by Dr. Lester Grinspoon.
  
• Stoned Free: How to Get High Without Drugs, by Douglas Rushkoff.
  
• Egoism & Hedonism Closely related, but not quite similar.

  Transhumanism

• The Transhumanism Section

  Singularitarianism

• Singularity Various links.
  
• Mind Uploading Research Group
  
• Molecular Nano Technology (Zyvex).
  
• How Long Before Superintelligence?, by Nick Bostrom.
  
• AI Various links.

  Atheism

• The Secular Web (infidels.org), a prime Atheist resource. See also Arguments for Atheism at this site.
  
• JesusNeverExisted.com Applies the blowtorch of honest historical research to the mincemeat left by the above site, then scatters the ashes to the four winds. Every myth is debunked, every falsehood exposed, and every skeleton dragged out of the (cathedral-sized) closet. Judeo-Christianity is (murderous, lying, oppressive, plagiarizing, cynical etc. etc.) bullshit on an absolutely epic scale. Needless to say, contemporary Islam is the same (sub-)medieval bullshit all over again. Highly recommended, especially for "soft" atheists. This site is hardcore, baby!
  
• The Talk.Origins Archive, arguments for evolution and against creationism.
  
• About.com's Atheism/Agnosticism pages. Information on various atheism-related issues and philosophies, including humanism and skepticism.
  
• Struggles For Existence Pretty Enlightened writings by John Hartung, Ph.D., on religion, evolution, genetic engineering, the meaning of life & more.
  
• The Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine"The Skeptics Society is a scientific and educational organization of scholars, scientists, historians, magicians, professors and teachers, and anyone curious about controversial ideas, extraordinary claims, revolutionary ideas and the promotion of science. Our mission is to serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims."
  
• The Atheism Web: Logic & Fallacies See how systematically applied reason crushes religion like an eggshell.
  
• Transhumanism: Towards a Futurist Philosophy, by Max More. "In this essay I will show how religion acts as an entropic force, standing against our advancement into transhumanity and our future as posthumans."
  
• In Praise of the Devil -- How lucifer.com got its name. A powerful anti-religious (pro-reason) essay by ...(Guess who!)
  
• Religion - The Antithesis to Science, by Peter Atkins. Excellent arguments against the compatibility of science and religion.
  
• Holy Horrors, by James A. Haught. An overview of a millennium (~1000 - 2000 AD) of religious violence. The author argues that religion is an instrinsically negative force, which can only lead to (often abject) misery.
  
• The Religion Selector A test to see what religions and philosophies most closely match your worldview. Maybe not 100% accurate, but fun.
  
• Dante's Inferno Test This one is even more fun! The question isn't "Have you been damned?", but rather "What's your level, dude?" (click here for some appropriate pictures).

  Egoism

• The Egoism Page

  Tough Liberalism

• Upstream A home for the intellectually heterodox, the politically incorrect and other independent thinkers. They have reading lists, book reviews, original essays, commentaries, information about interesting and useful organizations, an excellent mailing list and links to other Net resources.
  
• Stalking the Wild Taboo "These pages, named after a book by Garrett Hardin, are for socio-political thinkers unfettered by submission to the power of the pejorative. Such labels as racist, fascist, communist, and reductionist have little power here. If you are interested in exploring the important issues of the day without the limiting fear of words or labels, then consider yourself our honored guest."
  
• Legalize! "An Action Forum of the Global Anti-Prohibition Movement."
  
• Drug War Clock Shows the escalating human & financial costs of the unholy War on Drugs.
  
• Fast Access (euthanasia.cc) "Probably the world's largest resource of original material on voluntary euthanasia, assisted suicide, self-deliverance, living wills and related death and dying subject matter."
  
• The Use of Inert Gas to Hasten Death Prolonged (approx. 10 minutes, often less) inhalation of an inert gas like helium or nitrogen may be one of the best ways to commit suicide. It's quick, neat, painless, and doesn't require any illegal, expensive, or hard to get equipment. Also quite interesting from a cryonics perspective, for it doesn't seem to cause any (significant) brain damage.
  
• Crack Cocaine But wait -- euthanasia doesn't merely have to be quick and "humane", it can actually be fun! "Crack-cocaine delivers an intensity of pleasure completely outside the normal range of human experience. It offers the most wonderful state of consciousness, and the most intense sense of being alive, the user will ever enjoy. (S)he will access heightened states of being whose modes are unknown to chemically-naïve contemporaries. Groping for adequate words, crack-takers sometimes speak of the rush in terms of a 'whole-body orgasm'. [...] There is perhaps a single predictable time of life when taking crack-cocaine is sensible, harmless and both emotionally and intellectually satisfying. Indeed, for such an occasion it may be commended. Certain estimable English doctors were once in the habit of administering to terminally-ill cancer patients an elixir known as the "Brompton cocktail". This was a judiciously-blended mixture of cocaine, heroin and alcohol. The results were gratifying not just to the recipient. Relatives of the stricken patient were pleased, too, at the new-found look of spiritual peace and happiness suffusing the features of a loved one as (s)he prepared to meet his or her Maker. Drawing life to a close with a transcendentally orgasmic bang, and not a pathetic and god-forsaken whimper, can turn dying into the culmination of one's existence rather than its present messy and protracted anti-climax."
  
• Pro-Choice Connection Information on birth control, abortion & post-abortion support.
  
• Pro-Choice Forum (PCF) Abortion from a progressive British perspective. The site has interesting articles and research papers about abortion law (mainly British law), abortion and disability & ante-natal screening, contraception and reproductive technologies, and abortion in Ireland.
  
• The National Rifle Association Premier American "gun rights" (2nd Amendment) organization.
  
• Pro-Death Penalty.com Strong arguments in favor of the death penalty (note: ideally, executions would immediately (and always) be followed by cryonic suspension of the convict; that way, they would no longer be "irreversible", which is currently the only "serious" argument against them).

  Mental, Physical & Financial Empowerment

  
  
• How to Overcome "Economic Correctness", by Frederick Mann. Similar to 'political correctness' there's 'economic correctness'. Overcoming 'economic correctness' can help you gain your financial freedom. Hopefully, this article will help you do just that."
  
• CLAWS - Creating Livable Alternatives to Wage Slavery For a practical alternative on a personal level, see above. For society as a whole, advanced automation would be the perfect solution as well; let machines do all the dumb (and not so dumb) work, they're much better at it anyway.
  
• The Abolition of Work, by Bob Black. "Work is the source of nearly all the misery in the world. In order to stop suffering, we have to stop working. "
  
• Poor Relations: Casino windfall reveals poverty's toll on Cherokee kids' behavior, by Bruce Bower. "In a cruel double whammy, poor people endure material deprivation while experiencing more than their share of mental disorders. Some scientists theorize that this disproportion of mental illness stems from individuals with genetically based psychological ailments drifting into poverty and staying there. Other researchers suspect that the stress of financial hardship undermines emotional health. An unusual new study boosts the latter view." There you have it; poverty can actually drive you crazy...
  
• Buildfreedom.com "An educational site providing information, knowledge and tools to live free in an unfree world."
  
• Advanced Personal Empowerment Resources (mind-trek.com). More general & specific life-improvement tips.
  
• Security Planet - "World's #1 Personal Security Site!" Buy the latest in nonlethal self-defense technology, including the Air Taser / M Taser, Auto Taser, Pulse-Wave Myotron (an enhanced stun gun design) and triple-action pepper spray. They also sell a whole range of other security/defense-related products, like spy cams & personal alarms. Good pricing and, best of all, lots of background info on each product.
  
• S.C.A.R.S. Institute of Combat Sciences, advanced techniques for both armed and unarmed combat.
  
• The Official Krav Maga Home Page Krav Maga is the official combat system of the Israeli Defence Force.
  
• The Life Extension Foundation A prime US supplier of (info about) various life-enhancing/extending food supplements. This organization was founded and is still run by Saul Kent, a long-time cryonicis activist, major sponsor of cryonics/life extension-related R&D, and indefatigabe FDA challenger. Mr. Kent is what one might call a "Righteous Person", Transhumanistically speaking.
• Cutting Edge Nutrition More food supplements, geared towards the bodybuilding crowd. They sell some interesting products, like l-carnitine and Tribulus for example, which may help to boost one's testosterone levels, thus providing a nice short-cut to mental & physical empowerment. These products can be combined with an amino acid complex for more muscle growth and muscle maintenance. Also interesting are the prohormones from:
  
• Beyond Muscle.com Testosterone- & muscle enhancers are not just for ultra-buff bodybuilders; "regular" people, both male and female, can use them in moderate amounts to "shape up" with little or no exercise and to improve their general health, sex life and mental balance. Alternatively, "female" hormones can also help men to increase their libido, overall well-being etc. See also the following articles:
  
• Contrarian Endocrinology Part I: Testosterone For Women, by Karlis Ullis, MD, with Josh Shackman, MA.
  
• Contrarian Endocrinology Part II: Estrogen and Progesterone for Men, by Karlis Ullis, MD, with Josh Shackman, MA. Both articles highly recommended. Overcome silly hormone prejudices and enhance yourself!
  
• Lustful men are little devils, but women are often tramps -- Why female desire still makes society squirm. How testosterone replacement therapy can (sexually) empower women.

  Non-Procreation

• The Cildfree-by-Choice Pages Has a list of other "child free" sites, books, articles and a mailing list.
  
• alt.support.childfree Discuss CF issues with kindred spirits.
  
• alt.support.childfree FAQ All you ever wanted to know about...and more!
  
• The Childfree Ring Explore CF sites, and/or join yourself.
  
• Population Connection (formerly ZPG) Quality over quantity!
  
• Negative Population Growth NPG advocates a smaller and truly sustainable United States population accomplished through voluntary incentives for smaller families and immigration limited to 100,000 annually.
  
• U.S. Census Bureau's World Population Clock
  
• The Selfish Gene: Second Edition, by Richard Dawkins. "Our genes made use. We animals exist for their preservation and are nothing more than their throwaway survival machines." Sex, love, bonding, raising children, "altruism" and much more explained from an evolutionary perspective. Highly recommended!
  
• Unmarried By Choice "The comprehensive web site for supporters of alternatives to marriage."
  
• To Marry, Or Not? (That's Easy!), by Fred Reed. Why marriage really isn't such a great idea.
  
• Divorce Source "A legal resource for divorce, custody, alimony, and support."
  
• The Chemistry of Love "Any scientist will tell you that romantic euphoria has nothing to do with Cupid's arrows, unless the little sprite has dipped them first in the unromantically-named chemical phenylethylamine."
• Romance Dissected More chemical info, short & sweet.
• An Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases, NIAID Fact Sheet.
  
• National Sexuality Resources Has links to a broad selection of sexual topics, including some rather obscure ones.
  
• Baby Think It Over The award-winning education program used for teen pregnancy prevention and parenting education. If you still have some romantic fantasies regarding the parenting issue, why not get yourself an infant simulator (a robo-baby that requires "feeding, burping, diapering, rocking and head support") and see how it really is. Don't like it? The fleshy variant is 10x worse!
  
• The National Abortion Federation (NAF) "The Voice of Abortion Providers."
  
• Planned Parenthood "Founded in 1916, Planned Parenthood is the world's largest and oldest voluntary family planning organization. Planned Parenthood is dedicated to the principles that every individual has a fundamental right to decide when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved."
  
• Emergency Contraception Website, operated by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University. Emergency contraceptives are methods of preventing pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. See also this .pdf file (Emergency Contraception: an important and underutilized contraceptive method).
  
• Abortion Clinics OnLine "Abortion Clinics OnLine is a directory service comprised of websites of over 200 providers of abortion services and other reproductive health care. They may be private physician's offices, state licensed clinics, private clinics, or hospital abortion services. Abortion clinics listed are in 40 states, Australia, and other countries."
  
• JackinWorld "The Ultimate Male Masturbation Resource."
  
• Clitical.Com Ditto, for the ladies.
  
• Hormone Engineering Links By adjusting your hormone balance you could, at least theoretically, suppress the harmful, anti-individualistic urge to procreate and generally empower yourself while you're at it.
  
• Stop the Bleeding Menstruation in modern times is unnecessarily unnatural and unhealthy.
  
• Our Opinions About Abortion Includes Not All Women Want to be Pregnant & other interesting writings on the pregnancy/abortion issue.
  
• Woman and the New Race, by Margaret Sanger. How mindless breeding is not only damaging women's health & social status, but how it also corrupts society as a whole by "making life cheap". Women should take responsibility for, and action against, this situation. State-imposed measures like eugenics and sterilization might also help. This is an excellent feminist book(let) / manifesto of a refreshingly PC-free candor that you rarely see these days, and though written in the 1920's, the advice given is still relevant due to the persistence of procreation-related problems in many parts of the world.
  
• The Artificial Womb The article is about a primitive prototype, but within 30 years or so this might be the standard means of procreation in civilized countries (it certainly beats the traditional way of doing it!). Assuming that mankind lasts that long, of course...
  
• The Church of Euthanasia: Save the Planet - Kill Yourself. The One Commandment: "Thou Shalt Not Procreate." The Four Pillars: suicide, abortion, cannibalism & sodomy.

  Dynamic Pessimism

• Posthumanity, from Anders Sandberg's site.
  
• Surviving the Singularity See what some of the "original" Transhumanists had to say about the Singularity.
  
• The Last Human Century, by Jamais Cascio. Excellent article on [the logical results of] current AI research.
  
• Why the Future Doesn't Need Us "Our most powerful 21st-century technologies - robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech - are threatening to make humans an endangered species." By Bill Joy.
  
• Embrace, Don't Relinquish, the Future Max More comments on Bill Joy's article (see above).
  
• Promise and Peril - Deeply Intertwined Poles of Twenty First Century Technology, by Ray Kurzweil. Technology as a double-edged sword.
  
• The Gray Goo Problem, by Robert A. Freitas. "In Eric Drexler's classic 'grey goo' scenario, out-of-control nanotech replicators wipe out all life on Earth. This paper by Robert A. Freitas Jr. was the first quantitative technical analysis of this catastrophic scenario, also offering possible solutions. It was written in part as an answer to Bill Joy's recent concerns."
  
• Artificial Intelligence: A Worst Case Scenario, by Ed Merta. A fictional but fairly realistic story describing the genesis of superintelligent, sentient AI and the final day(s) of the human race. Tip: after having read Merta's story, visit the Animatrix site and view The Second Renaissance, Part 2. The text and the visuals go together like coffee and creamer!
  
• The Simulation Argument: Are You Living In a Computer Simulation?, by Nick Bostrom. "This paper argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a 'posthuman' stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. It follows that the transhumanist dogma that there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor-simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation. A number of other consequences of this result are also discussed."
  
• Existential Risks, by Nick Bostrom. "Nick Bostrom defines a new category of risks that could threaten humanity and intelligent life with extinction: existential risks. The future could be a dangerous place indeed."
  
• Exit Mundi -- A Collection Of End-Of-World Scenarios. "Isn't life a bitch? The world is going to end. You don't even have to be a religious fundamentalist to see that's true. Some people collect postal stamps; Exit Mundi collects scenarios of what could go wrong with the world. Sure, our planet could get hit by an asteroid. But hey, that's nothing. Did you know we could all be munched away by hungry molecules? Or that our physicists could unintentionally wipe us all out while tinkering with particles? `Oops, sorry...'"
  
• The Storm Before the Calm, by Robert Wright. "Are we on the verge of an apocalytptic era? Robert Wright applies game theory to evolution, illustrating how the interdependence and competition between organisms lead to biological, cultural and technological evolution, with chaos and upheaval thrown in the mix."
  
• Hard-Wired for War? Violence Part of Being Human "Deadly wars may be the result of modern technology blended with our Stone Age instincts."
  
• The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into The Forces of History, by Howard Bloom. "Covering the entire span of the Earth's as well as mankind's history, this ambitious and revolutionary book explores the intricate relationships between genetics, human behavior, and culture to put forth the thesis that 'evil' is a by-product of nature's strategies for creation and that it is woven into our most basic biological fabric." 28 sample pages can be viewed here.
  
• Maladaptive Altruism: Western Culture in Decline, by Matthew Nuenke. "In this article I use Richard Dawkins' concept of the extended phenotype to look at the host and parasite relations between races."
  
• Our Seething Planet Quotations from Jean Raspail's The Camp of the Saints, the infamous futuristic novel about the downfall of the civilized world.
  

  Cryonics

• The Cryonics Section