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Advancing beneficial technology
Foresight Institute is a non-profit organization focused on emerging world-shaping technologies. It was founded in 1986 on a vision of coming revolutions in technology that will bring extraordinary opportunities, as well as unprecedented challenges. Foresight’s mission is to steer towards positive futures, futures of Existential Hope.
If we push in the right directions — learning, teaching, arguing, shifting directions, and pushing further — then we may yet steer the technology race toward a future with room enough for our dreams.
—K. Eric Drexler, Engines of Creation
Join our reflection on creating positive futures
News and Updates
Today is GivingTuesday—a made-up holiday but nonetheless, one that prompts us to think hard about what we care about that is larger than us.
The fact that you’re reading this makes it likely that you’re among the few who care about the long-term flourishing of life.
There still aren’t nearly as many of us as we would like. This is on us to change—but it also means that the support of every one of you really makes a big difference to our work.
If like us, you believe that the actions we take now will be critical for the future of life tomorrow - please consider donating to Foresight for Giving Tuesday.
Especially because, thanks to our $45K Challenge Grant, your tax-deductible Foresight donation will be automatically doubled!
foresight.org/donate/donate-or-sponsor/
Read our 2020 Progress & Hopes report to know how we use your donations to super-charge progress on humanity’s most critical goals in 2020 -- planetary restoration, longevity, computer security, safe AI -- and how different donations unlock different membership benefits for you.
foresight.org/2020-all-hands-on-deck/
Thank you so much for your support.
You make Foresight possible!
All holidays are made up.
If you care about the long-term flourishing of life, we would be grateful if you take a few minutes in the remaining moments before Giving Tuesday to check out our Progress Report. We cover how you can join us in advancing foundational research to heal our planet, coordinating key players for ensuring the benefits of AI, helping the public make sense of new tech and several novel projects seeking to steer our long-term paradigm from existential angst to existential hope: foresight.org/2020-all-hands-on-deck/.
Whether you donate via our website or via our Facebook fundraiser (www.facebook.com/donate/1006209513074962/10156767589707503/), our matching grant both doubles your impact and unlocks new membership benefits for you!
More info in the report or contact us with questions anytime! Thank you 💗🧞♀️🧚♀️
2020: ALL HANDS ON DECK - Foresight Institute
foresight.org
Each of us in the community is working on a key piece of the big puzzle that is building positive futures. This is why Foresight creates cross-organizational, cross-technological spaces for us all to ...Apply to participate in the Catalyst Summit on biosecurity & biotechnology, February 22, 2020 in San Francisco:
"DNA synthesis and sequencing get cheaper every year. Standardized biological parts and affordable tools mean that you can engineer bacteria in your garage. Cultivated meat is coming to a supermarket near you. The first CRISPR babies will soon be learning to walk.
MANY FUTURES ARE POSSIBLE.
It’s now easy to imagine a future where we eradicate diseases like malaria, manufacture carbon-neutral plastics, and seed the deserts with drought-resistant crops. But we must also consider futures that include runaway gene drives, laboratory accidents we can't contain, and even the spread of engineered pathogens. We cannot launch new biotechnologies into the world and blindly hope they will disrupt it for the better. We must thoughtfully, collaboratively and creatively face the consequences of our innovation.
ITS TIME TO WORK TOGETHER
Catalyst will be a day of collaborative problem-solving for a broad range of people invested in the future of biotechnology, including synthetic biologists, policymakers, academics, and biohackers. We aim to catalyze a community of forward-looking individuals who will work together to engineer a future enhanced by biology and not endangered by it.
The summit is free to attend for everyone accepted, and the application only takes a few minutes. We expect participants to come from diverse backgrounds, and welcome applicants who do not work professionally in biosecurity or biotechnology, who are early in their careers, and who are skeptical of how biosecurity discussions are typically framed.
We know thoughtful, well-intentioned people differ on how to balance caution and innovation. We hope to create a space where productive conversations can be had across lines of disagreement. If you’re not sure that you'd fit in at this event, consider that your perspective may add valuable diversity of thought to these conversations.
ABOUT THE EVENT
At Catalyst, you can expect an environment tailored for around 100 people to explore technical solutions to emerging biological risks. The summit will feature a combination of talks, workshops, small-group discussions, and structured problem-solving. We hope to create a context for sharing perspectives, building connections, and sparking collaboration."
via Jeffrey Ladish
catalystbiosummit.com
A collaborative biosecurity summit. Coming February 22, 2020 to San Francisco.As you're recovering from Thanksgiving exuberance, perhaps you find a few minutes to skim our Progress & Hopes report: foresight.org/2020-all-hands-on-deck/. We review our 2019 wins, 2020 plans, how to triple the impact of your donation and how you as a member can benefit from supporting our work. We're hoping that it leaves you excited to join our efforts in 2020 this coming Tuesday for Giving Tuesday via our Facebook Fundraiser: www.facebook.com/donate/1006209513074962/10156767589707503/
2020: ALL HANDS ON DECK - Foresight Institute
foresight.org
Each of us in the community is working on a key piece of the big puzzle that is building positive futures. This is why Foresight creates cross-organizational, cross-technological spaces for us all to ...Incredible Vision Weekend live-event-drawings by Julia Durgee (check out Julia's art www.juliadurgee.com)
Dear Foresighted Facebrain,
Would you or your company, community or event space be interested in hosting the Foresight community once a month in 2020 for our Foresight salons?
The community is growing rapidly and salons have become an essential rendezvous to meet in meat-space once a month.
If you know a space with a mic and projector that can host 50-150 people from 6-9 pm once a month and you’re interested in hosting an amazing community for quirky debates, we'd love to partner with you!
A list of 2019 salon topics below, videos can be found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pClSjljMKeA&list=PLH78wfbGI1x2hEz_vFRv0_c46RiNGkHA4&index=15
Predicting Guilt: Automating [De]-incarceration - Peter Eckersley, Partnership on AI
Experimental Societies: Prototyping Social Structures for the Future - Zarinah Agnew, Social Observatory
Decentralized Approaches to AI @Academia.edu - Eric Drexler, FHI, Mark S. Miller, Agoric, Robin Hanson, George Mason University
Civilizational Collapse And Rebuild Scenarios - David Denkenberger, ALLFED, Jeffrey Ladish
Longevity Coordination Dinner feat. Aikora Health - Joon Yun, Palo Alto Investors
Biotech Investing in Longevity - Sonia Arrison, 100 Plus, Mark Katakowski, Forever Labs, Mike West, AgeX, et al.
There’s Too Much To Say & It Goes In all Directions - Ted Nelson, Project Xanadu
Longevity Myth-Busting @IndieBio: Why It’s Rational to Want A Healthy, Long Life - Aubrey de Grey, SENS
AI Maps @Reserve WEF Davos: Investing, Geopolitics, Safety - Jaan Tallinn, Skype, Luke Nosek, PayPal, Samo Burja, Bismarck Analysis
![Dear Foresighted Facebrain,
Would you or your company, community or event space be interested in hosting the Foresight community once a month in 2020 for our Foresight salons?
The community is growing rapidly and salons have become an essential rendezvous to meet in meat-space once a month.
If you know a space with a mic and projector that can host 50-150 people from 6-9 pm once a month and you’re interested in hosting an amazing community for quirky debates, wed love to partner with you!
A list of 2019 salon topics below, videos can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pClSjljMKeA&list=PLH78wfbGI1x2hEz_vFRv0_c46RiNGkHA4&index=15
Predicting Guilt: Automating [De]-incarceration - Peter Eckersley, Partnership on AI
Experimental Societies: Prototyping Social Structures for the Future - Zarinah Agnew, Social Observatory
Decentralized Approaches to AI @Academia.edu - Eric Drexler, FHI, Mark S. Miller, Agoric, Robin Hanson, George Mason University
Civilizational Collapse And Rebuild Scenarios - David Denkenberger, ALLFED, Jeffrey Ladish
Longevity Coordination Dinner feat. Aikora Health - Joon Yun, Palo Alto Investors
Biotech Investing in Longevity - Sonia Arrison, 100 Plus, Mark Katakowski, Forever Labs, Mike West, AgeX, et al.
There’s Too Much To Say & It Goes In all Directions - Ted Nelson, Project Xanadu
Longevity Myth-Busting @IndieBio: Why It’s Rational to Want A Healthy, Long Life - Aubrey de Grey, SENS
AI Maps @Reserve WEF Davos: Investing, Geopolitics, Safety - Jaan Tallinn, Skype, Luke Nosek, PayPal, Samo Burja, Bismarck Analysis](https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p180x540/76702305_10157566764052778_2079031395539222528_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_ohc=iGW93b3UufgAQny6lXayk0cvBxEkB9bBP3QYt54n0Bs44QvHxU3LwEHzA&_nc_ht=scontent.xx&oh=628de71e433f8ea1f18ac3d75612676e&oe=5E7D6572)
Are you looking for donated spaces or is there budget for the salon venue?
I recommend Collin Jackson's space!
Sent a private message
Last day to apply! As announced at 2019 Vision Weekend, in partnership with the Yun Family Foundation (YFF), we are pleased to announce a $5000 fellowship intended to spark social innovation proposals that better align incentives among all stakeholders as a way to solve the world’s greatest challenges. The competition is part of the YFF's Grand Challenge on Inclusive Stakeholding.
The official applications are closed but the Foresight community can still apply until tomorrow:
The best proposals submitted from the Foresight Institute community prior to the 5pm PST November 14th, 2019 deadline will receive a US $5,000 fellowship on December 1, 2019. The fellowship award is intended to reward the idea itself, and the winner is not required to execute the proposal. Applications are limited to U.S. citizens.
To apply for the fellowship, please visit www.incentiveprizeonincentives.com/ where applicants can submit their proposals by answering a series of questions. As part of the Foresight community, please ignore the official deadline and type Foresight2019 where it says "how did you hear about us".
Good luck, we look forward to your applications!
Home Page - Incentive Prize on Incentives
www.incentiveprizeonincentives.com
Incentive Prize on Incentives Yun Family Foundation is proud to sponsor the Incentive Prize on Incentives (“The Challenge”), an incentive competition designed to nurture innovations that promote a...Last day to apply! As announced at 2019 Vision Weekend, in partnership with the Yun Family Foundation (YFF), Foresight is pleased to announce a $5000 fellowship intended to spark social innovation proposals that better align incentives among all stakeholders as a way to solve the world’s greatest challenges. The competition is part of the YFF's Grand Challenge on Inclusive Stakeholding.
The official applications are closed but the Foresight community can still apply until tomorrow:
The best proposals submitted from the Foresight Institute community prior to the 5pm PST November 14th, 2019 deadline will receive a US $5,000 fellowship on December 1, 2019. The fellowship award is intended to reward the idea itself, and the winner is not required to execute the proposal. Applications are limited to U.S. citizens.
To apply for the fellowship, please visit www.incentiveprizeonincentives.com/ where applicants can submit their proposals by answering a series of questions. As part of the Foresight community, please ignore the official deadline and type Foresight2019 where it says "how did you hear about us".
Good luck, we look forward to your applications!
Home Page - Incentive Prize on Incentives
www.incentiveprizeonincentives.com
Incentive Prize on Incentives Yun Family Foundation is proud to sponsor the Incentive Prize on Incentives (“The Challenge”), an incentive competition designed to nurture innovations that promote a...A few 2019 Vision Weekend shots until the professional photos and videos are online. This weekend was incredible, thanks to you! Sign up to our mailing list at bit.ly/foresightupdates to get a ping about follow-ups and future events. We can't wait to see you again -- hopefully soon!
2019 Vision Weekend: 1 DAY TO GO, 10 TICKETS LEFT
We are expecting to sell out in the next few hours so if you are on the verge of getting your ticket, now is the time.
Secure your spot directly through our event page (foresight.org/vision-weekend-2019) or apply for the last round of income applications: bit.ly/2019income-support
2019 was a fantastic year: for the next two days, we’ll throw together our favorite people, organizations and ideas across this year’s salons, technical competitions and private strategy meetings.
If you had to miss those gatherings and want to make up for it in a day, or if you attended every salon and had a great time, consider joining us tomorrow.
You’ll pick apart ideas that are still under the radar, predict their likelihood using Metaculus, join our favorite thinkers in private sessions, get advice on your projects from goal-aligned organizations during office hours, explore an interactive Existential Hope room, join one of the 20 lightning talks by participants, or start your own spontaneous breakout.
More info on the website: foresight.org/vision-weekend-2019
Welcome home!