Posts from Lincoln Cannon

Why Decentralization Is Essential to Human Thriving

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2021/01/why-decentralization-is-essential-to-human-thriving.html.mp3

January 31, 2021

Decentralization of power, whether we characterize that power as technological or otherwise, is essential to increasing the probability of a thriving human (or superhuman) future. There’s a line of reasoning that persuaded me of this conclusion. I...

Facebook Disabled My Account After I Criticized Them

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2021/01/facebook-disabled-my-account-after-i-criticized-them.html.mp3

January 22, 2021

Facebook unfriended me. Why? So far as I can tell, it’s because I’ve been using Facebook to advocate for decentralization of social media. And apparently the algorithm didn’t like that. This morning, sometime between 8:54am and 9:06am Mountain, Fa...

I Interviewed GPT-3 About Mormon Transhumanism

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2021/01/i-interviewed-gpt-3-about-mormon-transhumanism.html.mp3

January 13, 2021

If you’re tuned in to news about AI research and machine learning, you’ve surely heard about GPT-3. It’s a natural language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. The model is based on a neural network that optimized for 175 bil...

What Robots Can Do

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/12/what-robots-can-do.html.mp3

December 14, 2020

What can robots do? What can’t they do? Are there hard limits on the potential of machine intelligence? Or will it continue to replicate and eventually surpass the capacities of human intelligence? Randy Paul brought to my attention “ What Robots ...

75 Thoughts on October 2020 General Conference

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/11/thoughts-on-october-2020-general-conference.html.mp3

November 01, 2020

Last month, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met for our semi-annual General Conference. I’m a practicing member of the Church, which is by far the largest Mormon denomination. And I watched the conference online while sh...

What If It All Works Out?

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/09/what-if-it-all-works-out.html.mp3

September 15, 2020

What if the best prophecies are fulfilled? What if the worst are avoided? What if, by the grace of God, we make heaven on Earth? What will that look like? Such questions come from one of my favorite professional anthropologists, Jon Bialecki. He h...

Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/08/why-does-god-let-bad-things-happen.html.mp3

August 22, 2020

A multiple-choice question about God bubbled to the top of my Facebook feed. It asked, “Why doesn’t God stop bad things from happening?” And it offered four options as answers: a) God can’t stop bad things. b) God won’t stop bad things. c) God cau...

The Last Wagon?

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/07/the-last-wagon.html.mp3

July 25, 2020

Today’s the day after Pioneer Day. The fireworks are now silent. The embers are dark. And I’m thinking about what comes after. Imagine, with me, the last wagon, long after the first pioneers. What is it that we see? Is the ox team that pulls it th...

The True Church

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/07/the-true-church.html.mp3

July 02, 2020

I’m a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest Mormon denomination. I love and support the Church, its members, and its leaders. But that doesn’t mean that I always agree with all of them, all of the time. ...

Are We at the End of the World? Or the Beginning?

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/06/are-we-at-the-end-of-the-word-or-the-beginning.html.mp3

June 27, 2020

What a spring! Pandemic, shutdowns, layoffs, protests, riots – not to mention earthquakes and rumors of, what, murder hornets? I wouldn’t blame you if you’re tempted to think it’s the end of the world. But I’ve got a proposal for you. Instead of t...

Kernel Announces Neuroscience-as-a-Service (NaaS)

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/05/kernel-announces-neuroscience-as-a-service.html.mp3

May 06, 2020

Kernel, the neurotech startup funded and led by Bryan Johnson, has been working quietly for four years. Finally, yesterday, they announced more information. They plan, at least initially, to focus on brain monitoring. And their first offering is N...

From Coronavirus to Compassion

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/03/from-coronavirus-to-compassion.html.mp3

March 12, 2020

Today, COVID-19 is ravaging our world. Some of us are suffering physically. All of us are suffering socially and economically. I don’t know for sure what will happen tomorrow. But I know what must happen. You do too, I trust, intuitively if not co...

What Happens When FM-2030 Is Resurrected?

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/03/what-happens-when-fm-2030-is-resurrected.html.mp3

March 07, 2020

I thought I was sitting down to watch another Transhumanist-themed documentary. I was wrong. No. I don’t have anything against documentaries about Transhumanists or Transhumanism. To the contrary, I’m a huge fan. You might even find me featured in...

The Ultimate Battlestar Galactica Watch Order

by Lincoln Cannon

https://feed.metacannon.net/2020/02/ultimate-battlestar-galactica-watch-order.html.mp3

February 26, 2020

I love Battlestar Galactica. The story and characters inspire me. The reimagined TV series and movies bring them to life. And I recently decided to watch the show again – even better the second time! But I ran into a problem when I was getting sta...

Jesus Christ in the New God Argument

by Lincoln Cannon

September 30, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyE5HkdkLEc/XZGQpm05CcI/AAAAAAACIzo/oxkAArdxqPcAlIAZPOR4jrXACLdrz8DNACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/jesus-crucifix.png" /><br /><br />After r...

Evolution of the New God Argument

by Lincoln Cannon

September 20, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Qrwk8aCXVk/XYU4oEXXFZI/AAAAAAACIyg/_vmmzFowuyYbLcnX_uzuoHSga04r7Kw8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/endless-journey.png" /><br /><br />The Ne...

Scrutinizing Compassion in the New God Argument (Version 3.4)

by Lincoln Cannon

September 17, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si-Og44UF_8/XYEZnaEkYgI/AAAAAAACIyI/kdMKQfJZPjw0I02aeE6W_TsD_TlJkSW-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/parent-protecting-child.png" /><br /><br /&g...

Got Science? Then Be Religious About Edification and Reconciliation

by Lincoln Cannon

August 12, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mH4R9iHzWQo/XVGqTl48thI/AAAAAAACIq8/rwQN7XYkpjEg_Dszl27vIGEp2kckedYfgCLcBGAs/s1600/science-religion.png" /><br /><br />Many ant...

The Transfiguration Is Near

by Lincoln Cannon

May 22, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IzSPwvtghr4/XOS5NcLZ_VI/AAAAAAACHrE/PUaVAoLrXMIaB3LbWrNf5q9nCVI0K6h9QCLcBGAs/s1600/mind-transformation.png" /><br /><br />In th...

How to Raise the Dead

by Lincoln Cannon

April 14, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="840" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zesQjVHSuLM/XLOeyAlvfmI/AAAAAAACHk0/-fl0mCyprrktaBgEkqzoNfVUxDq_cQs1ACLcBGAs/s1600/could-christians-raise-the-dead.png" /><br /><br...

Just as We Have, They Received the Holy Gift

by Lincoln Cannon

April 08, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-lruKnyKF8/XKuAEPsycWI/AAAAAAACHjQ/6vDX1LS7gYYCKlVVUID7xTIulXzn8f-TQCLcBGAs/s1600/boy-reading-worn-bible.png" /><br /><br />Im...

47 Thoughts on April 2019 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

by Lincoln Cannon

April 07, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzxjiuAzJK8/XKp9LJjlnuI/AAAAAAACHjA/8bYlUcqee08CNj_hK1NvjldbcjtGgzoxACLcBGAs/s1600/october-2010-general-conference-congregation-811005-print.p...

Return of Christ

by Lincoln Cannon

April 06, 2019

<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jaIBM22MCdU/XKgMOg1LVHI/AAAAAAACHik/vAC3PgN1AtoHBtceZMzIj6Ta_GsSi3mWwCLcBGAs/s1600/return-of-christ.png" /><br /><br />This is an edited transcript of my presentation at the 2018 Co...

I'm Still Insane, Blake Ostler Confirms, for Believing in the Simulation Hypothesis

by Lincoln Cannon

February 05, 2019

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RQRXRpVQBUE/XFnsJa0zgWI/AAAAAAACHWM/KGM38NNGjMoOcz5uF997aDXmlpSd8WRwQCLcBGAs/s1600/simulated-earth.png" /><br /><br />A decade a...

Meditation on the Rebirth of Christ

by Lincoln Cannon

December 24, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nwjRmedMArc/XCFF5c16pWI/AAAAAAACHLc/SauKlxComv82I7oKmN8fR6My3X-AnoGXwCLcBGAs/s1600/jesus-christmas-god-child-manger.png" /><br /><b...

Is It Okay To Be a Mormon?

by Lincoln Cannon

November 29, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIOgN71Td5U/W_x8ruSyZcI/AAAAAAACHHc/7469Fpavw1o87TzMzcUxxF3H54kPK5UrwCLcBGAs/s1600/waters-of-mormon.png" /><br /><br />During th...

Light

by Lincoln Cannon

November 21, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGFpPq5rVco/W_WO8TmYlJI/AAAAAAACHGw/xe74f_pE9mkooYbhIDsdrmX9U_nLk5eHACLcBGAs/s1600/A27A415A-F8F4-49E0-96CC-2F7A72CD253F.jpeg" /><br />...

No Pity for Nietzsche

by Lincoln Cannon

November 03, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zgbPQwqVhgA/W94VEzuEv1I/AAAAAAACG4c/XOPPyC3v4wE7QPH6j_RrrnRpYq1JFiVcwCLcBGAs/s1600/friedrich-nietzsche.png" /><br /><br />If Chr...

49 Thoughts on October 2018 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

by Lincoln Cannon

October 08, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gYEXJtWMB4c/W7uLNCu336I/AAAAAAACG0E/xEGLzU6omeU9RZi-NUDOHyVtUI66S7SawCLcBGAs/s1600/general-conference-2018-oct.png" /><br /><br /&g...

This Post Is Brought to You by Fundamentalist Christianity

by Lincoln Cannon

September 21, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQ2dKRWenOI/W6UjLHY3vUI/AAAAAAACGwc/Ig2eWMqNQ_UFIEPO3nf8lgUXMD0nZUzNACLcBGAs/s1600/fundamentalist-christians.png" /><br /><br />...

My Funeral (God Forbid)

by Lincoln Cannon

September 06, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLE7JGvaOxg/W5GWni1rY8I/AAAAAAACGWc/eZusCqlTEo0vgF_It6gEZY6Nu152HcCGQCLcBGAs/s1600/white-oriental-lilies.png" /><br /><br />One ...

The Sacred Grove Is a Maze

by Lincoln Cannon

August 05, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9VM1sYuiog/W2cxDlNXhVI/AAAAAAACGPs/ttBmoDIqvLI7lHKDn-bGZJr9arD8UWYJACLcBGAs/s1600/sacred-grove.png" /><br /><br />From a resurr...

My Biases on Bryan Johnson's Plan to Save Humanity

by Lincoln Cannon

May 17, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EN1rr49i9Y/Wv4BTHbu3BI/AAAAAAACEqE/PdoNsJT4sH8TFSRaCMuurHwHBh5GBCXcgCLcBGAs/s1600/earth-asteroids.png" /><br /><br />Tech entre...

Wesley Smith Lies About Transhumanism

by Lincoln Cannon

May 15, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LOoKhET7nUo/WvpUgv3pgTI/AAAAAAACD6E/MzkXQmojcuM0386mPKIH8YR8w8h17ypngCLcBGAs/s1600/crossed-fingers-363478_1920.png" /><br /><br /&g...

Mormon Projections on Superintelligent Communities

by Lincoln Cannon

May 09, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5afVs4ViuBE/WvNgzw6FvAI/AAAAAAACDpE/K8FCqrFWpO42kEpVtGDhqEdn7knOtEGoACLcBGAs/s1600/community.png" /><br /><br />Transhumanists, ...

Catholics Should Cheat Death Too

by Lincoln Cannon

April 18, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fRSM0KAA8o/WtaO6JgtsII/AAAAAAACDbg/x9IRzp7W3CooL0MhZx04NlzhFMItFS4cgCLcBGAs/s1600/peter-raises-tabitha-from-the-dead.png" /><br />&lt...

80 Thoughts from LDS Church General Conference (April 2018)

by Lincoln Cannon

April 02, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FW4aTG1QDVI/WsJgm4wKAhI/AAAAAAACDRE/cP0ubFxn9k02K_XvndfTQU8wv0eaDizLACLcBGAs/s1600/lds-general-conference-solemn-assembly.png" /><br /&gt...

Reform LDS Church Interview Practices Related to Sexuality

by Lincoln Cannon

March 21, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YygE-ghfECQ/WrH-6aPwxXI/AAAAAAACDJE/cr3UI5tuM7cMXKk5WEHt57gmVgeVoPqrACLcBGAs/s1600/stop-sexual-abuse.png" /><br /><br />Evidentl...

Cryonics and Transhumanism Are Hope for More, Better, and Real Life

by Lincoln Cannon

March 16, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--unhxgpHjhs/WqwWlkFKq2I/AAAAAAACDHg/fHUNgQ9AGwUbQzBXmLr2nvcI0jVchneeQCLcBGAs/s1600/mummy.png" /><br /><br />Infamously, cryonics...

Why Is Resurrection Necessary?

by Lincoln Cannon

January 30, 2018

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dd_ZID-0Cpk/Wm_4iJ7oykI/AAAAAAACC7Q/okg9inbPoWAfzKg8oK0ogy00TfsAIExSgCLcBGAs/s1600/resurrection-leave-tomb.png" /><br /><br />"W...

A Brief History of Religious Transhumanism

by Lincoln Cannon

November 29, 2017

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEiP-qgFMvI/Wh80eGw6YyI/AAAAAAACB8k/gVPLhx5-1jw9l1ZCVn919TjM0zx5hwuXwCLcBGAs/s1600/wings-time-wheel.png" /><br /><br />Although ...

90 Thoughts from LDS Church General Conference (October 2017)

by Lincoln Cannon

October 01, 2017

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yb-0cYJmp5w/WdF0tpE-5VI/AAAAAAACANw/WIPhjCC9UgcVnYmUwOHXlWL497O0MVfzACLcBGAs/s1600/lds-general-conference-hall.jpg" /><br /><br /&g...

Last General Conference Sermons of LDS Church Presidents

by Lincoln Cannon

September 22, 2017

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyxSJLJHXAk/WcWdwnF4zuI/AAAAAAAB_8g/CsRVH_vDrBMb741s9QGmr-dHWMyY7-J6wCLcBGAs/s1600/joseph-smith-last-sermon.jpg" /><br /><br />T...

Help Mormons Understand that Evolution Complements Our Religion

by Lincoln Cannon

August 25, 2017

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7-AI435Jm4/WZ-jq16HZ0I/AAAAAAAB_mA/O4u3GIQ4lwEZlvYVh1paJ-VyqVKYpSs_wCEwYBhgL/s1600/beanmuseum.jpg" /><br /><br />If, like I am,...

Theology May Become a Science of Superintelligence

by Lincoln Cannon

August 23, 2017

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3MiglFvzclA/WZznZAyZzsI/AAAAAAAB_ls/qCzZsTWkJvQ7UlSHuH6Ph3mfet7GBFS-wCLcBGAs/s1600/aquinas.jpg" /><br /><br />Sometimes, perhaps...

10 Things I Love About Mormon Heaven

by Lincoln Cannon

June 18, 2017

<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="844" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v3V1N-BuMrM/WUXYD2RNUjI/AAAAAAAB_Rw/pjhJg4l5rScOOTQQT3Pu_ZDoDQ-KwJ5cgCLcBGAs/s1600/heaven.jpg" /><br /><br />I love how heaven i...

A Brief History of the Mormon Transhumanist Association

by Lincoln Cannon

April 10, 2017

<img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZAr3OUzDrE/WOvC8sl51oI/AAAAAAAB_Ac/az4vXhfbw9w5WxJrDh_ZDkf7WPDXQSVzgCLcB/s1600/lincoln-cannon-mta-2017.jpg" /><br /><br />At the 2017 Conference of the Mormon Transhumanist Associa...

Mormonism: A Religion of the Future

by Lincoln Cannon

April 05, 2017

<img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7rhHvnkz0mk/WORiLtkuz1I/AAAAAAAB--4/97O4Hry52BQiAfXpbwARmysGvsG8uYdwwCLcB/s1600/religions-of-the-future.jpg" /><br /><br />In 2007 and 2008, I gave a few presentations in the virtua...

LDS Church Has No Official Position on Human Evolution

by Lincoln Cannon

March 21, 2017

<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vb90Qp__6oo/WNDH8Vn6bGI/AAAAAAAB-8o/NyXCgKrcA94NJ5trwVCUY1_RZqMs6GcyACLcB/s1600/lds-evolution.jpg" /><br /><br />The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the la...

A Vision for Mormon Transhumanism

by Lincoln Cannon

March 11, 2017

<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_1e5vPutYA/WMQ54cIr0aI/AAAAAAAB-2s/Vyw33_OFaScLtrtHc21MySyfvyJfM1tswCLcB/s1600/caravaggio-conversion-paul-unseen.jpg" /><br /><br />I envision the role of Mormon Transhumanism in c...

If You Could Hie to Kolob (Endless Version)

by Lincoln Cannon

January 27, 2017

<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XjtCA35qNNA/WIvI1QC0B2I/AAAAAAAB9Dc/8euFyrNNlvoZejHirhq4pwHuZUPsmD69QCLcB/s1600/simulated-earth.jpg" /><br /><br />"<a href="https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/if-you-could-...

How a Mormon Kid Recognized that He Was a Transhumanist

by Lincoln Cannon

January 08, 2017

<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJH45OaOnYg/WHGGwHvmNyI/AAAAAAAB8tA/j53j04vMyC8-42T5Qxt-zRtH1ZOH5DWvwCLcB/s1600/little-lincoln-byu-dorm.jpg" /><br /><br />Implicitly, I’ve been a <a href="http://lincoln.metacan...

Jesus Invites All to Share in the Titles and Roles of Christ

by Lincoln Cannon

December 24, 2016

<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gh9zABU0gRo/WF7kAUZNO1I/AAAAAAAB8kI/ee-kEPg9r9Mid0feRqcj4mVESWuvViPTwCLcB/s1600/girls-consoling-scripture.jpg" /><br /><br />Jesus has many titles and corresponding roles, most nota...

Top 10 Christian Transhumanist Scriptures from the Bible

by Lincoln Cannon

November 28, 2016

<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaRLHyBePlQ/WDuPB8NTixI/AAAAAAAB77k/5K-NfM8GZEYcakoXndoetjRKWz0lKRDaQCLcB/s1600/christian.jpg" /><br /><br />The Bible teaches Christian Transhumanism. Or, in other words, as presen...

To Love Is Better Than To Know Is Better Than To Obey

by Lincoln Cannon

October 29, 2016

<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HtEeXW1U9PY/WBQdGNJd2UI/AAAAAAAB7ow/ZyqPQX1C_jkvSAZyrI60aCvKvKLaZCsLgCLcB/s1600/marionette.jpg" /><br /><br />Spencer, my oldest son, recently completed training to be a missionary ...

Response to a New God Argument Critique by Timothy Killian

by Lincoln Cannon

October 17, 2016

<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCcYTTIW2X8/WAUGfyn7-CI/AAAAAAAB7jU/dHGVFwPqz780VwKN4-39o57yJpVslxeaQCLcB/s1600/timothy-killian.jpg" /><br /><br />Timothy Killian authored a critique of the <a href="https://new...

Posts from Lincoln Cannon