Foresight Institute

Advancing frontier science and technology since 1986.

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Private personal AI. Reversing cellular age. Brain-computer interfaces. Universal fabricators. Funding human agency. New life on Mars. Whether AI can be conscious, and whether it matters.

Nov 13-15, Vision Weekend returns to San Francisco!

Three days of expert talks, curated 1-on-1s, tech demos, a $10K pitch grant, and our main 40th anniversary celebration in the US.

Speakers include:

• Wojciech Zaremba (OpenAI Foundation)
• Matthew MacDougall (Neuralink)
• Illia Polosukhin (NEAR Protocol)
• Max Hodak (Science Corporation)
• Matthew Botvinick (Anthropic)
• Nan Ransohoff (Frontier Climate)
• Séb Krier (Google DeepMind)
• Seemay Chou (Astera Institute)
• Robin Hanson (George Mason University)
• Alex Gladstein (Human Rights Foundation)

+ many more. Full lineup in thread.

Join us across iconic Bay Area locations, including Lighthaven, @internetarchive, USS Hornet aircraft carrier, and lab tours at @E11BIO, @LongshotSpace, @calwave_energy, @DolphinLabs, @ScienceCorp_ , plus a cypherpunk party at our AI node.

Get tickets before prices increase Oct 1. Link in thread.

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

@internetarchive Event page & tickets https://t.co/V5fdARbxiR

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

In less than a month, Vision Weekend returns to San Francisco. This time to mark 40 years of Foresight!

Across iconic locations like the USS Hornet, @internetarchive, The Fold, and Lighthaven, the weekend brings expert talks, office hours with your favorite orgs, $10K pitch competition, behind-the-scenes lab tours, 1:1 connections, a sci-fi book swap, plus our main 40th anniversary celebration in the US.

Full lineup:

Secure, Sovereign & Resilient AI
• @woj_zaremba, OpenAI Foundation
• @ilblackdragon, NEAR Protocol
• @sebkrier, Google DeepMind
• Jenny Read, ARIA
• @gladstein, Human Rights Foundation
• @zweinberg, ex ante

Neuro AI & AI for Neuro
• @SumnerLN, Merge
• Matt Angle, Paradromics
• Matthew MacDougall, Neuralink
• @maxhodak_, Science Corporation
• @JoanneZPeng, Amaranth Foundation
• @AdamMarblestone, Convergent Research

Life Unlimited: Biotech & Biosecurity
• @thekaransinghal, OpenAI
• @mattkrisiloff, Conception bio
• @hannu, Red Queen Bio
• @velychko_s, Soxogen Bio

Molecular Manufacturing, Nanotech, Energy & Space
• Ralph C. Merkle, Institute for Molecular Manufacturing
• Ivan Jayapurna, ARIA
• @schingler, Planet Labs
• @erika_alden_d, Pioneer Labs
• @ltelkins, UC Berkeley - Space Sciences Lab

New Funding & Innovation Paradigms
• @tkalil2050, Renaissance Philanthropy
• @FutureSaenko, Future Ventures
• @v_maini, Mythos
• @_mattmandel, Cosmos Ventures

Nonprofit Funding Perspectives
• @nanransohoff, Public Goods at Stripe
• @rohan_subramani, Coefficient Giving
• @seemaychou, Astera Institute

Existential Hope
• @mattbotvinick, Anthropic
• @RosieCampbell, Eleos AI Research
• @PracheeAC, Astera Institute
• @sreeramkannan, Eigen Labs
• @NicoleOzer, Electronic Frontier Foundation

+ an Anti-Debate hosted by @Liv_Boeree

With the All Access pass, you’re invited to join speakers, sponsors, fellows, and grantees at exclusive gatherings across the Bay Area, including lab tours at @E11BIO, @LongshotSpace, @calwave_energy, @DolphinLabs, and @ScienceCorp_ , plus attend our 40th anniversary soiree. A limited number remain.

Links in thread.

Powered by: @protocollabs, @eigenlabs, @paradromics, @RetroBio_, FUTO, and @d_model_ai

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Tickets https://t.co/V5fdARbxiR

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

What will it take to fund the future we want?

Across philanthropy, venture, and new nonprofit models, the Funding tracks at Vision Weekend bring together the experts rethinking how transformative science and technology get resourced:

• @nanransohoff, Public Goods at Stripe
• @tkalil2050, Renaissance Philanthropy
• @seemaychou, Astera Institute
• @FutureSaenko, Future Ventures
• @v_maini, Mythos
• @_mattmandel, Cosmos Ventures
• @rohan_subramani, Coefficient Giving

November 13-15, San Francisco. Link in thread.

Powered by @eigenlabs, @paradromics, @protocollabs, @RetroBio_ , FUTO, and @d_model_ai

[Existential Hope @HopeExistential]

We see elections as the foundation of our democracy, but Aristotle thought they create an oligarchy. In ancient Athens, democracy worked by choosing leaders among ordinary citizens by lottery. How could we revive this idea to improve today’s democratic systems?

In this episode, we speak with @JeremyRLent, tech CEO turned author, about the idea behind his new book Ecocivilization: how we can redesign our economy, democracy and technology so everyone can thrive.

Links in the reply!

0:00 Cold open
1:00 How an internet CEO became an eco-civilization author
4:14 Is our civilization broken?
6:38 Has global capitalism really made life better for everyone?
9:11 What is ecocivilization?
13:52 Doughnut economics and citizens’ assemblies: rethinking the economy and democracy
20:24 How can technology help democracy? The Taiwan example
22:24 Is green growth possible? Planetary boundaries and Jevons paradox
30:03 Why is it so hard to change civilization? Lock-in and backcasting
37:01 How can we escape the AI race and multipolar traps?
42:43 How AI can be used to build a better world
49:45 What can young people do to make a difference?
51:34 Book and organization recommendations
53:35 The best advice Jeremy has ever received

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

A chemical rocket takes 75,000 years to reach Proxima Centauri, 4.24 light years away. @memcculloch argues a propellant-less drive based on a new theory of inertia could do it in 15.

Tomorrow, Mike joins our seminar series to present Quantised Inertia: a theory that explains inertia using the quantum vacuum and the boundaries that form around accelerating objects. He will present the evidence of this theory and outline the design of an interstellar mission.

October 15, 10am PT. Link to register: https://t.co/kMQuMZuqhk

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

The Neuro AI track is one of seven at Vision Weekend, alongside Secure & Sovereign AI, Life Unlimited, Nanotechnology, Energy, & Space, Existential Hope, and Non Profit and For Profit Funding.

Tickets: https://t.co/V5fdARaZtj

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Whole brain emulation in practice. Transcending biological limits. Implications of brain-computer interfaces and AGI for humanity and consciousness.

Our Neuro AI track at upcoming Vision Weekend brings together the people working closest to where mind and machine meet.

• @SumnerLN, @merge
• Matt Angle, @paradromics
• @maxhodak_ , @ScienceCorp_
• Matthew MacDougall, @neuralink
• @JoanneZPeng, Amaranth Foundation
• @AdamMarblestone @Convergent_FROs

Nov 13-15 in San Francisco. Tickets in first reply.

Powered by @protocollabs @paradromics @eigenlabs @RetroBio_ FUTO and @d_model_ai

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Existential Hope is one of seven tracks at Vision Weekend, alongside Neuro AI, Life Unlimited, Nanotechnology, Energy, & Space, Secure & Sovereign AI, Non Profit and For Profit Funding.

Tickets: https://t.co/V5fdARaZtj

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

How can we live better in the AI-age? The Existential Hope track at Vision Weekend gathers thinkers exploring freedom, law, consciousness, open science, and collective decision-making:

• @gladstein, @HRF
• @RosieCampbell, @eleosai
• @mattbotvinick, @AnthropicAI
• @PracheeAC , @AsteraInstitute
• @robinhanson , @GeorgeMasonU

November 13-15, San Francisco.

Link to tickets in thread.

Powered by @eigenlabs @paradromics @protocollabs @RetroBio_ FUTO and @d_model_ai

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Secure, Sovereign & Resilient AI is one of seven tracks at Vision Weekend, alongside Neuro AI, Life Unlimited, Nano, Energy, & Space, Existential Hope, and Non Profit and For Profit Funding.

Tickets: https://t.co/V5fdARaZtj

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Resilient AI. Private personal AI. Digital rights, distributional AGI, and universal fabrication.

Hear from the experts working to keep AI safe, open, and accountable at Vision Weekend USA:

• Wojciech Zaremba @woj_zaremba (OpenAI Foundation)
• Séb Krier @sebkrier (Google DeepMind)
• Jenny Read, (ARIA)
• Illia Polosukhin @ilblackdragon (NEAR Protocol)
• Nicole Ozer @NicoleOzer (Electronic Frontier Foundation)

November 13-15 | San Francisco.

Link to tickets in thread. Prices increase on Oct 1.

Powered by @EigenLabs @Paradromics @protocollabs @RetroBio_ @FUTO and @d_model_ai

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Life Unlimited is one of seven tracks at Vision Weekend, alongside Neuro AI, Nano, Energy, & Space, Secure, Sovereign & Resilient AI, Existential Hope, and Non Profit and For Profit Funding.

Tickets: https://t.co/V5fdARbxiR

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

How far can we push the limits of human biology?

Hear from people at the frontier of longevity, reproduction, and biosecurity at Vision Weekend:

• Sergiy Velychko @velychko_s Harvard University
• Karan Singhal @thekaransinghal OpenAI
• Matt Krisiloff @mattkrisiloff Conception Bio
• Hannu Rajaniemi @hannu Red Queen Bio

November 13-15 | San Francisco.

Link to tickets in thread. Prices increase on Oct 1.

Powered by @EigenLabs @Paradromics @protocollabs @RetroBio_ @FUTO and @d_model_ai

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Nano, Energy & Space is one of several tracks at Vision Weekend, alongside Neuro AI, Secure & Sovereign AI, Life Unlimited, Existential Hope, and New Funding & Innovation Paradigms.

Tickets: https://t.co/V5fdARbxiR

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

New life on Mars. Universal fabricators. Crypto, cryo, and nano. Planetary intelligence. Space futures: from data centers to mining.

Every one of these is someone's day job, and the people behind them will be at Vision Weekend:

• Ralph C. Merkle (Zyvex)
• Lindy Elkins-Tanton @ltelkins (Arizona State University)
• Robbie Schingler @schingler (Planet Labs)
• Erika DeBenedictis @erika_alden_d (Pioneer Labs)
• Ivan Jayapurna (ARIA)

November 13-15, San Francisco.

Today is the last day of special-price tickets. Link in thread.

Powered by @EigenLabs, @Paradromics, @protocollabs, @RetroBio_ , FUTO, and @d_model

[Funding the Commons @FundingCommons]

We’ll be at @foresightinst’s Vision Weekend in SF, Nov 13–15, running office hours.

About 300 researchers and founders in AI, neurotech, longevity, and space, in a room with the people who fund them, plus a full track on new ways to fund that work. 🌐

https://t.co/AcRE1ocI7I

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Come celebrate 40 years of Foresight with us at Vision Weekend! November 13-15, San Francisco.

Tickets https://t.co/V5fdARbxiR

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

40 years ago today, October 8, 1986, Foresight Institute was incorporated on a single typed page in Washington, DC.

Co-founders Christine Peterson and Eric Drexler shared a conviction: to take seriously the technologies that could significantly enhance the human condition, back the people whose work is too ambitious or too interdisciplinary for legacy institutions, and give them somewhere to find each other.

Follow story in thread.

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

For our history at a glance, watch our film 40 years of Foresight: https://t.co/pxgQwPjoDL

Want a deeper historical dig? Our newsletters from 1987 onward are archived at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (collection AC.0863), and old issues of Foresight Update are still up at https://t.co/pGXIprYZ74

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Read the full RFP: https://t.co/otYDljWBug

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Three weeks until applications close for our current Request for Proposals: up to $100K in grant funding, office space in SF and Berlin, and compute for open AI for science and safety projects.

This RFP spans three connected areas:

• Local Compute
• Coordination and Accountability
• AI-first Science: Bio, Neuro, Nano

We prioritize work that uses AI as the primary engine of progress, and researchers and builders who want to be active, in-person members at one of our San Francisco or Berlin hubs.

Apply by Oct 31. Details and links in thread.

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Call III: AI-first Science: Bio, Neuro, Nano

If the transition to superintelligence goes well, science may begin to move extremely fast, and the question quickly becomes what we do with vastly greater scientific capability. We seek to fund AI-first projects across three focus areas:

• Automated nanotechnology
• Whole-brain emulation
• Replacement, enhancement, and biostasis

Strong proposals identify a concrete scientific bottleneck and use AI to make something possible that was previously too slow, expensive, complex, or difficult.

Details: https://t.co/EDrD8IXJOA

[Foresight Institute @foresightinst]

Call II: Coordination and Accountability

Open projects working on human and AI interaction, coordination, and accountability. This includes the following focus areas:

• Supercollaboration and decentralized alignment
• Human empowerment & control
• AI insurance & open governance

Details: https://t.co/9B1odykdBE