Join us at Vision Weekend USA this December 6-8 in the Bay Area and connect with others leading the new frontier of science and tech.
Experts include Neil Gershenfield from MIT, a leader in digital fabrication; Mary Lou Jepsen from Openwater, a builder of brain imaging and health technology; Jason Crawford, founder of Roots of Progress, leading the effort for sustainable technological and societal development; Tom Kalil, CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy; Cate Hall from Astera; Adam Marblestone from Convergent Research; Jennifer Garrison from Buck Institute; and Brendan McCord, Cosmos Institute.
Attendees can expect conferences, unconferences, mentorship sessions, office hours, speed-dating, location tours, and more. Those on an All Access ticket will experience an evening in the clouds, a showcase by Grantees & Fellows, and networking with our community. They'll also enjoy costume closets, a cyber-futures dinner, award ceremonies, a marimba concert, and an exclusive afterparty.
We encourage you to check out the full program, which includes sessions on flourishing futures, longevity, molecular machines, AI, neurotech, funding X, and more.
Next year, we are expanding Vision Weekend beyond its traditional venues in San Francisco and Europe with a special edition in Puerto Rico. Get tickets for an immersive gathering focused on cutting-edge technological advancements set against Puerto Rico's beautiful Old San Juan on February 21-23, 2025.
Engage with leading researchers, innovators, and thought leaders in an atmosphere designed to foster collaboration and deep discussions on the future of technology – and join the beach party and island adventures?
Speakers across bio, nano, neuro, AI, and space technologies include Frances Haugen (Social Media Transparency Advocate), Joey Krug (Founders Fund), Emilia Javorsky (Future of Life Institute), Andrew Critch (Encultured AI), Adam Rutkowski (Marathon Fusion), Mark Lutter (The Charter Cities Institute), Leon Peshkin (Harvard Medical School) and 20+ other speakers.
Join us at Edge Lanna, Thailand, for the Existential Hope Worldbuilding Workshop from November 1-3. Over three days, intellectuals, technologists, and creatives will work together to envision beneficial artificial intelligence futures.
Participants will address hard technologies, social structures, and storytelling approaches that could shape positive outcomes. The workshop takes place in the focused setting of Edge Lanna, where attendees will develop concrete visions for technological advancement.
Thank you to everyone who joined the launch of Eric Drexler's Molecular Systems Engineering Platform at The Institute and the two-day Functional Nanomachines Design Workshop at 50 Years Capital in San Francisco. These events brought together leading researchers to explore molecular manufacturing capabilities and develop roadmaps for advancing nanoscale engineering. Workshop recordings and a comprehensive report will be available soon.
Foresight Fellow Updates
Foresight Fellow Roman Bauer has published groundbreaking research at the University of Surrey, developing new simulations that accurately model neuronal growth and morphology. This computational approach provides novel insights into brain development and offers new possibilities for studying neurological conditions. Learn more about the research here.
Foresight Fellow Abhishek Singh has been honoured with the Emerging Leader Award at the Digital Health and AI Summit 2024, recognizing his contributions to advancing digital health technologies. Learn more about the award here.
Foresight Fellow Sara LaHue has published new research in GeroScience leading the Clin-STAR Inflammation Research Interest Group. The paper brings together insights from nine medical subspecialties to examine inflammations's role in age-related diseases, proposing innovative transdisciplinary approaches to enhance treatment for aging patients. Learn more about her research here.
AI Safety Grants
Our AI Safety grant program has expanded its scope. We now fund projects aimed at mitigating existential risks from AI in four areas:
Automating research and forecasting
Security technologies for securing AI systems
Neurotech to integrate with or compete against AGI
Safe multipolar human AI scenarios
Applications are open on a quarterly cycle and decisions will be made within 8 weeks after the deadline. For details and to submit your application, visit: https://foresight.org/ai-safety
Next deadline: December 31st
New Grantee
Bradley Love (University College London) received an AI Safety grant for NeuroTrust, a project where large language models assess scientific reliability. Love's system evaluates research findings by calculating their probability of replication.
By identifying trustworthy and reproducible results, NeuroTrust provides a foundation for advancing transformative technologies while mitigating risks from potentially unreliable science. Love's recent foundational study shows that large language models can surpass human experts in predicting neuroscience results.
This work represents an important step toward developing more reliable and safer approaches to neurotech development.
Seminars
Hope Drop #31: Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston
In this month's Existential Hope Drop, we speak with Dr. Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, author of "The Future Loves You". Dr. Zeleznikow-Johnston discusses his vision for integrating brain preservation technologies into medical and political systems, offering individuals approaching end-of-life the option of preservation with potential future revival.
His work bridges current preservation capabilities with future technological possibilities, addressing both technical and social aspects of implementation. Dr. Zeleznikow-Johnston shares insights on the regulatory frameworks, medical protocols, and cultural shifts needed to make preservation technologies widely accessible.
Foresight Institute invites you to join our d/acc Salon on AI security and defense acceleration strategies on November 6. The evening will feature talks from leading experts including Jeffrey Ladish, Sella Nevo, Adam Gleave, and Caleb Parikh. Hosted by Lisa Thiergart and Allison Duettmann, this intimate gathering will combine expert presentations with focused group discussions and networking. Limited capacity.
Foresight Institute, Longevity Biotech Fellowship, and Augmentation Lab invite you to a Halloween exploration of science's darker questions on October 31st at ÆTHOS Station in CIC Cambridge. Join us for talks and discussions on cheating death, embracing eternity, and the scientific "dark arts" of human enhancement. Speakers will explore longevity research, the implications of immortality, and the convergence of bio, nano, and neuro technologies. Come in costume as your favorite scientific entity - philosophical zombies and uploaded souls welcome. Drinks and snacks provided.
The Residency, a program supporting ambitious builders with housing and co-working space in global tech hubs, is accepting applications for its next 6-month cohort. The program includes weekly demos, coaching sessions, and networking opportunities with industry leaders, culminating in a demo day, with a 57% acceptance rate to Y Combinator. Interested builders can apply here.
The 2024 Biomarkers of Aging Conference will take place on November 1-2 at Harvard Medical School's Joseph B. Martin Conference Center in Boston. The two-day event brings together leading researchers and industry experts including David Sinclair, George Church, Tony Wyss-Coray, and Steve Horvath to explore cutting-edge developments in aging biomarkers, from academic breakthroughs to clinical applications. Full program and tickets here.
Foresight Institute joined in co-hosting the Progress Conference in Berkeley with Roots of Progress, Institute for Progress, Institute for Humane Studies, Works in Progress Magazine, and HumanProgress.org. The event featured talks from Steven Pinker, Patrick Collison, Casey Handmer, Jason Crawford and many others exploring paths to ambitious technological futures. Thanks to Heike Larson and Jason Crawford for leading this important gathering focused on accelerating scientific and technological progress.
Progress Conference
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October 2024 Newsletter
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Upcoming Events
Join us at Vision Weekend USA this December 6-8 in the Bay Area and connect with others leading the new frontier of science and tech.
Experts include Neil Gershenfield from MIT, a leader in digital fabrication; Mary Lou Jepsen from Openwater, a builder of brain imaging and health technology; Jason Crawford, founder of Roots of Progress, leading the effort for sustainable technological and societal development; Tom Kalil, CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy; Cate Hall from Astera; Adam Marblestone from Convergent Research; Jennifer Garrison from Buck Institute; and Brendan McCord, Cosmos Institute.
Attendees can expect conferences, unconferences, mentorship sessions, office hours, speed-dating, location tours, and more. Those on an All Access ticket will experience an evening in the clouds, a showcase by Grantees & Fellows, and networking with our community. They'll also enjoy costume closets, a cyber-futures dinner, award ceremonies, a marimba concert, and an exclusive afterparty.
We encourage you to check out the full program, which includes sessions on flourishing futures, longevity, molecular machines, AI, neurotech, funding X, and more.
Get your tickets here
Next year, we are expanding Vision Weekend beyond its traditional venues in San Francisco and Europe with a special edition in Puerto Rico. Get tickets for an immersive gathering focused on cutting-edge technological advancements set against Puerto Rico's beautiful Old San Juan on February 21-23, 2025.
Engage with leading researchers, innovators, and thought leaders in an atmosphere designed to foster collaboration and deep discussions on the future of technology – and join the beach party and island adventures?
Speakers across bio, nano, neuro, AI, and space technologies include Frances Haugen (Social Media Transparency Advocate), Joey Krug (Founders Fund), Emilia Javorsky (Future of Life Institute), Andrew Critch (Encultured AI), Adam Rutkowski (Marathon Fusion), Mark Lutter (The Charter Cities Institute), Leon Peshkin (Harvard Medical School) and 20+ other speakers.
Get your tickets here
Existential Hope Workshop at Edge Lanna
Join us at Edge Lanna, Thailand, for the Existential Hope Worldbuilding Workshop from November 1-3. Over three days, intellectuals, technologists, and creatives will work together to envision beneficial artificial intelligence futures.
Participants will address hard technologies, social structures, and storytelling approaches that could shape positive outcomes. The workshop takes place in the focused setting of Edge Lanna, where attendees will develop concrete visions for technological advancement.
Apply here.
Past Events
Thank you to everyone who joined the launch of Eric Drexler's Molecular Systems Engineering Platform at The Institute and the two-day Functional Nanomachines Design Workshop at 50 Years Capital in San Francisco. These events brought together leading researchers to explore molecular manufacturing capabilities and develop roadmaps for advancing nanoscale engineering. Workshop recordings and a comprehensive report will be available soon.
Foresight Fellow Updates
Foresight Fellow Roman Bauer has published groundbreaking research at the University of Surrey, developing new simulations that accurately model neuronal growth and morphology. This computational approach provides novel insights into brain development and offers new possibilities for studying neurological conditions. Learn more about the research here.
Foresight Fellow Abhishek Singh has been honoured with the Emerging Leader Award at the Digital Health and AI Summit 2024, recognizing his contributions to advancing digital health technologies. Learn more about the award here.
Foresight Fellow Sara LaHue has published new research in GeroScience leading the Clin-STAR Inflammation Research Interest Group. The paper brings together insights from nine medical subspecialties to examine inflammations's role in age-related diseases, proposing innovative transdisciplinary approaches to enhance treatment for aging patients. Learn more about her research here.
AI Safety Grants
Our AI Safety grant program has expanded its scope. We now fund projects aimed at mitigating existential risks from AI in four areas:
Automating research and forecasting
Security technologies for securing AI systems
Neurotech to integrate with or compete against AGI
Safe multipolar human AI scenarios
Applications are open on a quarterly cycle and decisions will be made within 8 weeks after the deadline. For details and to submit your application, visit: https://foresight.org/ai-safety
Next deadline: December 31st
New Grantee
Bradley Love (University College London) received an AI Safety grant for NeuroTrust, a project where large language models assess scientific reliability. Love's system evaluates research findings by calculating their probability of replication.
By identifying trustworthy and reproducible results, NeuroTrust provides a foundation for advancing transformative technologies while mitigating risks from potentially unreliable science. Love's recent foundational study shows that large language models can surpass human experts in predicting neuroscience results.
This work represents an important step toward developing more reliable and safer approaches to neurotech development.
Seminars
Hope Drop #31: Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston
In this month's Existential Hope Drop, we speak with Dr. Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, author of "The Future Loves You". Dr. Zeleznikow-Johnston discusses his vision for integrating brain preservation technologies into medical and political systems, offering individuals approaching end-of-life the option of preservation with potential future revival.
His work bridges current preservation capabilities with future technological possibilities, addressing both technical and social aspects of implementation. Dr. Zeleznikow-Johnston shares insights on the regulatory frameworks, medical protocols, and cultural shifts needed to make preservation technologies widely accessible.
Read the full conversation and this month's community updates on Existential Hope Drop’s Substack.
Satellite Events
Foresight Institute invites you to join our d/acc Salon on AI security and defense acceleration strategies on November 6. The evening will feature talks from leading experts including Jeffrey Ladish, Sella Nevo, Adam Gleave, and Caleb Parikh. Hosted by Lisa Thiergart and Allison Duettmann, this intimate gathering will combine expert presentations with focused group discussions and networking. Limited capacity.
Register here.
Foresight Institute, Longevity Biotech Fellowship, and Augmentation Lab invite you to a Halloween exploration of science's darker questions on October 31st at ÆTHOS Station in CIC Cambridge. Join us for talks and discussions on cheating death, embracing eternity, and the scientific "dark arts" of human enhancement. Speakers will explore longevity research, the implications of immortality, and the convergence of bio, nano, and neuro technologies. Come in costume as your favorite scientific entity - philosophical zombies and uploaded souls welcome. Drinks and snacks provided.
RSVP here.
Community Updates
UCI Professor Stacy Copp is hiring two postdocs for molecular machines research. One focuses on DNA-enabled nanocluster architectures, the other on DNA-based nanocluster fluorophores for bioimaging.
The Residency, a program supporting ambitious builders with housing and co-working space in global tech hubs, is accepting applications for its next 6-month cohort. The program includes weekly demos, coaching sessions, and networking opportunities with industry leaders, culminating in a demo day, with a 57% acceptance rate to Y Combinator. Interested builders can apply here.
The 2024 Biomarkers of Aging Conference will take place on November 1-2 at Harvard Medical School's Joseph B. Martin Conference Center in Boston. The two-day event brings together leading researchers and industry experts including David Sinclair, George Church, Tony Wyss-Coray, and Steve Horvath to explore cutting-edge developments in aging biomarkers, from academic breakthroughs to clinical applications. Full program and tickets here.
Foresight Institute joined in co-hosting the Progress Conference in Berkeley with Roots of Progress, Institute for Progress, Institute for Humane Studies, Works in Progress Magazine, and HumanProgress.org. The event featured talks from Steven Pinker, Patrick Collison, Casey Handmer, Jason Crawford and many others exploring paths to ambitious technological futures. Thanks to Heike Larson and Jason Crawford for leading this important gathering focused on accelerating scientific and technological progress.
Thanks for reading Foresight Institute! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
Share