ImmInst.Org ٭ Newsletter
January 2010
Message from the Executive Director:
2010 has arrived and it is time to take stock of Imminst’s position in the world of life extension. Thanks to generous member donations and an active website, Imminst grew its registration base and financial assets in 2009. This was accomplished during a poor economy and after spending large sums on two matching grants and student scholarships. We now have more funds and potentially more manpower to accomplish greater goals in 2010. The key to greater success will be transforming the activity of the forums into action in the real world. Contained within the daily discussions of life extension news and philosophy are a world of valuable ideas and actionable initiatives. I encourage everyone to formulate the many ideas into plans of action, post them in the Action Forum for evaluation, and then contribute some time to see the best ones through to success. A few minutes a week is all it takes to turn a good idea into a successful promotion, outreach effort, or fundraiser. Also, keep your eye out for more online charity contests in 2010. Facebook and other social networking platforms have proven to be great tools to promote charitable giving. Suddenly, just one click of the mouse can lead to serious grant money for Imminst and other like-minded organizations. Keep an eye out for periodic forum messages and emails containing information and instructions for competing in these contests. Let us make a bigger impact in 2010!
Justin 'Mind' Loew
DIRECTOR ELECTIONS
It is that time of year to elect a new Board of Directors for the Immortality Institute. Even though a new constitutional framework is being discussed, nothing has been ratified yet and the current election will proceed as normal. Four Director seats will be filled during this election cycle. Nominations close at the end of today (the 8th) and the election continues through February 8th. Check here to see the nominations thus far. Check back frequently to monitor the progress of the election and ask questions of the nominees. This year’s election watchperson/ombudsman is Imminst Navigator FunkOdyssey.
FEATURE ARTICLE
Even as demographic trends around the world rapidly shift, many commentators continue to point toward overpopulation as an objection to indefinite life extension. While significant overpopulation may not be a near term threat, an increasing population of older citizens does pose challenges for social planners. Imminst forum contributor S. Jay Olshansky recently completed research which suggests that U.S. policy makers have underestimated future increases in lifespan and this will have a major affect on social program budgets. The research and conclusions are summarized in this latest Imminst front page feature article. Also within the article is a link to video and data from Leonid Gavrilov’s SENS4 presentation analyzing the effect of life extension on population growth.
ACTIVITIES
Laser Ablation of Lipofuscin is expected to continue through the spring of 2010. The first experiment was plagued with a premature loss of worms due to environmental conditions. The 2nd round will hopefully produce results of greater statistical significance. Check this forum poll for further discussion on the progress of the research.
VOLUNTEERS/APPOINTMENTS
Imminst member and Navigator Lunarsolarpower wins the December volunteer prize drawing and will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift card. The volunteer prize system is still in developmental stages and more prizes may be added in the future. For a list of all volunteers and past winners, click here. Don’t forget, Lunarsolarpower is a Navigator with specific focus in the dental forum and is ready to guide discussions relating to dental health and longevity.
The VIP outreach team scored another success in reaching futurist thinker and social engineer Jacque Fresco. He received and is enjoying Imminst’s book The Scientific Conquest of Death. Mr. Fresco is also under consideration for a guest appearance on the Sunday Evening Update. Many thanks to Imminst VIP team members/leaders Brokenportal, David Styles, and Cyberbrain!
See all the latest team and volunteer efforts in the Action Forum.