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The Long Now Foundation

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Tue, 2011-03-29 17:17

InsidiousAlgorythm InsidiousAlgorythm's picture

The Long Now Foundation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Now_Foundation http://longnow.org/ The Long Now Foundation, established in 1996, is a private organization that seeks to become the seed of a very long-term cultural institution. It aims to provide a counterpoint to what it views as today's "faster/cheaper" mindset and to promote "slower/better" thinking. The Long Now Foundation hopes to "creatively foster responsibility" in the framework of the next 10,000 years, and so uses 5-digit dates to address the Year 10,000 problem[1] (e.g. by writing 02011 rather than 2011). Just curious if this has been bounced around in here yet. I could see these guys becoming a semi major force in our transhuman future. For EP I see them becoming more historian/librarian than anything (read Anathem), but as in most groups there will be some division. Sending Combat Archeologists (Sorry Ken) to Earth with reclaimers, Acting as Restorationists, and Archivists of mass amounts of information safe from the ravages of time and X risk.

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Tue, 2011-03-29 22:47

puke

Re: The Long Now Foundation

When I first heard about them and their cool mechanical clock, I was pretty interested. But after a little reading, it was pretty clear that these guys are pretty anti-progress. I imagine them in a pretty staunchly bioconservative role. Their whole view is that of stagnation and conservation. Rubs me wrong. But I can see something like them in the EP world, having fresh scars from TITANs and all. Definitly good for a plot seed.

Wed, 2011-03-30 07:15

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: The Long Now Foundation

I don't find them anti-progress at all. They are questioning the Church of Acceleration, but that is needed. And having a long timespan perspective is useful. One of their ideas that I think matters in EP is civilizational libraries, essentially robust information collections that could be used to restart civilization if it crashes. Might be standard equipment for gatecrashers - if you get permanently stuck out there, this is how to build a civilization again.

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Wed, 2011-03-30 09:41

Yerameyahu Yerameyahu's picture

Re: The Long Now Foundation

No worries, there's already a T-shirt for that. So, it's essentially arbitrary whether or not any given group survived the death of 95% of humanity; relative merits really don't enter into it. :) I cold easily see this group being destroyed, or randomly saved by providence.

Sat, 2011-04-02 06:16

Decivre

Re: The Long Now Foundation

For the most part, I see the Long Now foundation having two key goals which are essential even to futurists: the proliferation of a mindset that promotes better progress over faster progress (so one could say they are more "anti-singularity" than "anti-progress)", and the promotion of ideas and technologies that have long term estimations in mind. I think it has a lot of merit.

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Sat, 2011-04-02 06:45

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: The Long Now Foundation

Sounds a bit like the precursor to the Singularity Foundation in EP. Or maybe the Jasons.

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