Ok,
I having been reading some of the old sci.life-extension discussions and have realized how little progress we have been making in the last ten years. We still have to discuss why relevant science is not being progressed with deserved effort, or wonder why public does not know jack about this field.
Frankly, I am getting pissed at the slow rate of progress. Life extension and transhumanism are the two most ingenious memes in history of this world and yet some no content and irrational memes like religions or company brands get all the action. So I am suggesting we flood the memespace with these memes and don't stop until every single human being knows the basics of life extension and transhumanism, or until MPrize, SENS and ImmInst are in the top hundred brands of the world.
I think the efforts of improving the home page are good but really they seem a little peanuts to what I would like to see.
So here are some suggestions how we do it:
1)24h life extension tv, radio, podcast channel. Just random life extension and transhumanism related content like educational material (lectures, perhaps the ImmInst film, inerviews of relevant people) and for funding, perhaps relevant companies providing infomercials so we can afford the thing.
This may sound overblown but there are some freaking knitting channels. I can't imagine there being much more content than what we could provide.
2)Sexy/cool/funny life extension posters/cards/pics/flash animations that can be distributed in the net and via members (like posting them everywhere). I got this idea when I viewed comments on brizzdizzas myspace page (I especially like the St. Patricks Day card)
http://www.myspace.com/151786
I think honestly we should make some sexy/cool life extension related pictures, they could be considered enforcing the message that what we are advocating is actually very sexy i.e. keeping young as long as one wants, but it necessarily would not have to have any content but rather just be a cue that this actually really cool and not nutty at all. Businesses do this all the time. Why the hell is Coca-Cola cool, but not life extension?
I realize some conservative members might think this outrageous, or that we need to appeal to science types and not the masses. I personally don't see there is any conflict in appealing to scientists and masses, just not with the same campaign. We really need both behind us. Nokia makes cell phones that are based on real hard core technologies, yet their marketing campaigns appeal to the masses.
To be clear, we would not have to tie to the Institute in any way and thus could be considered a one man effort (me and some couple of volunteers I am sure I could recruit here) to bring the masses into life extension.
Any photography/graphics specialists here?
3)Death sucks posters/cards/pics/flash animations
Pretty much the same as the previous one, but this time the focus would be on how death sucks. I am thinking of Benetton like shocking campaign of how repulsive death really is (and that we should not tolerate this).
I realize all these require effort and people, but I think those that are hooked to these concepts would be willing to donate their time quite a bit as we have seen. I mean ultimately their life depends on it (that is why I do it). Besides, doing a massive propaganda campaign would be good experience and I would be proud adding it to my CV. And once again, the memes we would be putting forward are such great concepts that eventually they will sell themselves anyway. I just don't have the time to wait for hundred years for it (which it seems to be taking with current rate of progress), I need them out in the open ASAP.
Other ideas and comments invited. But really, let's friggin' do it and not just talk about it!!
Edited by opales, 03 July 2006 - 06:07 PM.